Head of the class

TESTING

WHAT’S NEW Previously, parents needed to request that their child be tested. Under the new plan, every public-school kindergartner will be given the Bracken School Readiness Assessment test, which has replaced the Gifted Rating Scale. Parents will then request the second necessary test, the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test. There is as yet no set policy for children in public pre-K programs. Parents of children in private pre-K and kindergarten will still have to request both tests.

WHY IT WAS CHANGED “Testing used to be scattershot. The advantage now is that there is a standardized procedure throughout the city, in which every child will have the opportunity to be tested,” says Pamela Wheaton, director of Insideschools.org.

WHAT IT MEANS If more kids are tested, more may qualify, which would mean more G&T programs in the city. However, depending on the number of kids who qualify in each district, some programs may be cut as others are expanded. (Current students, however, will not be affected; their classes will continue until they complete the program.) Programs will be offered as long as there are at least ten qualifying students in a district; if there are fewer, students will be placed in another neighborhood. “It’s hard to project how many programs will open and how many will close,” says Jacob. “We’re hoping to increase the number of students, because we’re going to test more of them to begin with.”

WHEN IT HAPPENS Winter of 2008 through spring of 2009.

How these changes will affect G&T programs citywide remains to be seen, but at least they will achieve the DOE’s goal of getting more students tested. “We want to identify more gifted and talented students and to make sure we’re meeting their needs,” says Jacob. Since there’s bound to be some policy tinkering, check the DOE website (schools.nyc.gov) and Insideschools.org for updates. And break out the flash cards.