Handbook and “Request for Testing” Forms Will Be Available Online and at Schools on October 29
All Eligible Students Will Have Access to Gifted Programs in Kindergarten
Information Sessions in All Five Boroughs Start Next Week
The Department of Education today released information for families interested in applying for seats in elementary school gifted and talented programs for September 2009. Parents of students interested in Kindergarten through third grade placements must submit a “request for testing” form by November 19 in order to register their child for the required admissions test. Students entering Kindergarten or first grade will be guaranteed a placement in a district gifted program if they score at the 90th percentile or above. For the first time, eligible students in all districts will have access to gifted and talented classes in Kindergarten. Students who score at or above the 97th percentile are also eligible to apply to citywide gifted programs.
The request for testing form, a complete timeline, and more information about the admissions process are all part of the 2008-09 Gifted and Talented Test Information Handbook, which will be available October 29 on the Department’s Web site. Hard copies will be available at all public elementary schools, borough enrollment offices and borough presidents’ offices on October 29, as well. In early November, the handbook will also be available at many community-based organizations that operate pre-Kindergarten programs. The handbook will be available in English and eight other languages. Parents of public school students should return the request for testing form to their school. All other parents should return the form to a borough enrollment office. The deadline to submit the form is November 19.
Like last year, admission to elementary school gifted and talented programs will be based on students’ scores on two assessments – the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) and the Bracken School Readiness Assessment (BSRA). Current public school students will be tested at their school during the school day. Non-public school students will be tested on a designated weekend at one of several sites across the City. Students seeking Kindergarten and first-grade placements will be tested between January 5 and February 15. Students seeking second and third-grade placements will be tested between February 22 and March 23.
Students will receive their test results by mail in the spring—early April for students testing for Kindergarten or first-grade placements, early May for students testing for second or third-grade placements. This year’s score report has more detailed information about the student’s performance and is easier for parents to understand. In the same mailing, students who scored at or above the 90th percentile on the admissions test will receive an application on which they can rank their preferences for gifted programs in their district. Families will also have the option of completing the program application online this year.
Students entering Kindergarten and first grade who score at or above the 90th percentile on the admissions test will be guaranteed a seat in a district gifted and talented program as long as they rank all the programs on their application. For the first time, based on feedback from schools and parents, eligible students in all districts will have access to gifted and talented programs in Kindergarten.
Like last year, a gifted program placement is not guaranteed for students testing for second and third-grade seats, even if they score at or above the 90th percentile. Only empty seats in existing classes are available in these grades. More information about admission to programs in these grades is available in the handbook.
Students who score at or above the 97th percentile will also be able to rank the citywide gifted programs on their application. However, admission to these programs is not guaranteed in any grade. More information about admission to these programs is available in the handbook.
The three citywide programs in Manhattan will continue to operate this year. Additionally, the Department is in the process of identifying sites for a citywide program in Brooklyn and a citywide program in Queens for September 2009. The Department is also tentatively planning to open citywide programs in the Bronx and Staten Island in September 2010.
Applications will be due approximately two weeks after parents receive them. Families will receive placements approximately one month after the application deadline – late May for students applying for Kindergarten or first-grade seats, mid-June for students applying for second or third- grade seats.
The Department will host information sessions for families on the gifted and talented admissions process in all five boroughs. At the sessions, Department staff will present an overview of the admissions process and answer questions from families. Each session runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The presentation will begin at 6:30 and will be repeated at 7:30. The schedule for the information session is as follows:
- October 28 – Staten Island – PS 69 (144 Keating Place)
- October 29 – Bronx – PS 54 (2703 Webster Avenue)
- October 30 – Brooklyn – PS 58 (330 Smith Street)
- November 5 – Manhattan – PS 84 (32 West 92nd Street)
- November 6 – Queens – JHS 194 (154-60 17th Avenue)
In addition, the Department will host native language forums at locations throughout the city October 27-29. A list of these forums, along with more information about the gifted and talented admissions process, is available on the Department’s Web site. Families should visit this page regularly for the latest updates on the process.