On Wednesday morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza announced plans to end the Gifted and Talented test given to four-year-olds after it is administered in April 2021. There will be an intensive public engagement process throughout the Spring and through the Summer, according to de Blasio, to work with parents, community leaders, and stakeholders to think of a process that works better for the future in order to ensure more children have access to the benefits of the Gifted and Talented program.
The Gifted and Talented test is a high stakes test—a single test that “determines so much,” and this kind of test is something that de Blasio and Carranza do not believe in. There are many differing views about the test—some saying that the program should increase its number of seats instead of ending it.
“We need a much better approach to serving kids who have a lot of capacity,” said de Blasio. “some kids have a lot of talent and some kids are ready to learn faster, but that’s a lot of kids. A lot more than those who are benefiting from the very small amount of Gifted and Talented programs that exist.”
This move is part of de Blasio and Carranza’s efforts to further individualize education throughout the NYC school system. The new approach will be made in conjunction with stakeholders and should be announced by September.
“We will spend the next year engaging communities around what kind of programming they would like to see that is more inclusive, enriching, and truly supports the needs of academically advanced and diversely talented students at a more appropriate age,” NYC Department of Education spokeswoman Miranda Barbot said. “We will also engage communities around how best to integrate enriched learning opportunities to more students, so that every student – regardless of a label or a class that they are in – can access rigorous learning that is tailored to their needs and fosters their creativity, passion, and strengths.”
For more information about the Gifted and Talent test and other NYS tests, read The Parent’s Guide to New York State Tests.
Melissa Wickes, a graduate of Binghamton University and the NYU Summer Publishing Institute, is the production editor for NYMetroParents. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing the guitar or eating pasta.
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