Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to create more district Gifted and Talented programs and classes, and create a pathway for admission to Gifted and Talented intermediate school programs.

Res. No.

Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to create more district Gifted and Talented programs and classes, and create a pathway for admission to Gifted and Talented intermediate school programs.

By Council Member Holden

Whereas, There are two types of Gifted and Talented (G&T) programs in New York City, district and citywide, according to the Department of Education’s website; and

Whereas, The district G&T program gives admissions priority to applicants who live in their district and offers a few G&T classes per grade, and the citywide G&T program gives no admissions priority based on district of residence and all students in these schools attend the G&T program; and

Whereas, The current G&T program has benefitted many gifted students; and

Whereas, To enroll in any G&T program, students in pre-K through second grade must fill out a request for testing form two months before the testing period begins and take an admissions examination that uses objective measures of scholastic skills; and

Whereas, The use of an admissions examination that uses objective measures of scholastic skills has benefitted many gifted students; and

Whereas, In most schools, after second grade there is no admissions examination or official pathway for entry into a G&T program except when a student leaves the program, which is extremely rare; and

Whereas, The policy of the Department of Education is that students must score at or above the 90^th percentile to be eligible for district G&T programs and at or above the 97^th percentile to be eligible for citywide G&T programs; and

Whereas, Due to competitiveness and lack of availability of G&T programs, however, students often must actually score at or above 99^th percentile to gain admission to the citywide G&T programs; and

Whereas, Some, but not all, intermediate sixth through eighth grade schools provide G&T classes to top performing students; and

Whereas, If all school districts had at least one district G&T program for both elementary kindergarten through fifth grade and intermediate sixth through eighth grade, many more students would have the opportunity to benefit from such a program; and

Whereas, If all elementary kindergarten through fifth grade schools with four or more classes per grade had at least one class in each grade for top performing students who gain entry through academic merit rather than through an admissions examination, many more students would have the opportunity to benefit from such classes; and

Whereas, If all intermediate sixth through eighth grade schools with four or more classes per grade had at least one class in each grade for top performing students who gain entry through academic merit rather than through an admissions examination, many more students would have the opportunity to benefit from such classes; and

Whereas, All intermediate G&T programs could also utilize an admissions examination that uses a competitive and objective measure of scholastic achievement to create a pathway for admissions for students interested in entering a G&T program for intermediate schools; and

Whereas, All students in a G&T program from kindergarten through fifth grade could receive automatic admission to a G&T program from sixth through eighth grade; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York City Department of Education to create more district Gifted and Talented programs and classes, and create a pathway for admission to Gifted and Talented intermediate school programs.

LS #6304

SIL

06/15/2018