Unlike most places in the country and the world where a screened “gifted” program may not begin until 3rd grade or middle school, the NYC DoE thinks that they can determine who is gifted at 4 years old. Just to be clear, 4 yr olds are teenagers without the intellect. Good luck evaluating them. Children in public prek programs (public schools, prek centers or NYCEEC’s) are evaluated by their teachers. Children in private or parochial programs will be interviewed after the DoE sees that their parents have applied for G&T programs on their kindergarten applications. There won’t be a test.

What is G and T in elementary school? The DoE says, “accelerated” but then goes on to say that there is not a different curriculum or uniform classroom approach. It goes classroom by classroom. I guess the teachers get to decide what it means. Local district G&T programs end at 5th grade, when they should probably begin. G&T programs do not have smaller class sizes. They do not necessarily have better teachers (although there are many very talented and dedicated teachers in every classroom). They do not get a single extra penny of funding. Attending a G&T program gives you zero leverage for any further screened schools at middle school or high school. There is no “feeder” aspect for G&T to any higher level program, except if you get a placement at one of the Citywide schools that goes K-8th grade or K-12th grade. There will be kids who have never seen the inside of a G&T classroom that get into Stuyvesant, and likely kids who spend 6 years there who won’t get in.

District 13 classrooms: