Fewer NYC Students Make the Grade for Gifted and Talented Programs
Friday, April 04, 2014 - 05:57 PM
First day of kindergarten at the Icahn Charter School 7 in the Bronx.
(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)
Fewer students are eligible for Gifted & Talented public school programs compared to last year, according to test data released by the Department of Education on Friday.
About 38,000 students entering kindergarten through third grade in the fall took the tests earlier this year. Those who scored in the 90th percentile on the exams were deemed eligible for district programs. About 10,000 students, met that mark this year. That's compared to just under 12,000 eligible last year.
The bigger drop, however, was at the very top of the scoring range — those who score in the 97th percentile, which makes them eligible for the five highly competitive citywide programs. Last year, 5,450 students were eligible, about 15 percent of all test takers. This year, only 3,434 were eligible, or 9 percent of test takers.
One explanation for the drop could be how the tests were scored. This year, verbal and nonverbal components of the exam were equally weighted. Last year's exams weighted nonverbal scores more heavily, with a student's overall score combined from two-thirds of the nonverbal score and one-third verbal.
“We continue to look at alternative ways to identify gifted students through verbal and non-verbal assessments and promote geographical diversity in these programs,” Department of Education spokesman Kaye Devora said in a statement.
District 2, which includes parts of downtown Manhattan and the Upper East Side, saw the most students qualify for citywide gifted programs with nearly 700 students. More students took the exams in that district, than in any other, as well. On the other end of the spectrum, Districts 7 and 23 had the fewest students qualify for the citywide programs, with fewer than 10 students in each district eligible. District 7 covers the South Bronx. District 23 in Queens includes Brownsville and parts of East New York.
The exams came under scrutiny last year after a scoring error by testing vendor Pearson was identified and had to be re-scored. Pearson administered this year's exams too, but department officials said they reviewed the company's process to "ensure the implementation of additional procedural safeguards."
One thing that has not changed this year: many more children were eligible to be in a gifted and talented program than there are spaces.
Here is how students performed in each district in the city.
About 38,000 students entering kindergarten through third grade in the fall took the tests earlier this year. Those who scored in the 90th percentile on the exams were deemed eligible for district programs. About 10,000 students, met that mark this year. That's compared to just under 12,000 eligible last year.
The bigger drop, however, was at the very top of the scoring range — those who score in the 97th percentile, which makes them eligible for the five highly competitive citywide programs. Last year, 5,450 students were eligible, about 15 percent of all test takers. This year, only 3,434 were eligible, or 9 percent of test takers.
One explanation for the drop could be how the tests were scored. This year, verbal and nonverbal components of the exam were equally weighted. Last year's exams weighted nonverbal scores more heavily, with a student's overall score combined from two-thirds of the nonverbal score and one-third verbal.
“We continue to look at alternative ways to identify gifted students through verbal and non-verbal assessments and promote geographical diversity in these programs,” Department of Education spokesman Kaye Devora said in a statement.
District 2, which includes parts of downtown Manhattan and the Upper East Side, saw the most students qualify for citywide gifted programs with nearly 700 students. More students took the exams in that district, than in any other, as well. On the other end of the spectrum, Districts 7 and 23 had the fewest students qualify for the citywide programs, with fewer than 10 students in each district eligible. District 7 covers the South Bronx. District 23 in Queens includes Brownsville and parts of East New York.
The exams came under scrutiny last year after a scoring error by testing vendor Pearson was identified and had to be re-scored. Pearson administered this year's exams too, but department officials said they reviewed the company's process to "ensure the implementation of additional procedural safeguards."
One thing that has not changed this year: many more children were eligible to be in a gifted and talented program than there are spaces.
Here is how students performed in each district in the city.
| District | Citywide Eligible (Scored 97 percentile or higher) | District Eligible (Scored 90-96 percentile) | % of students overall who qualified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 73 | 115 | 33% |
| 2 | 698 | 879 | 43% |
| 3 | 339 | 427 | 46% |
| 4 | 32 | 34 | 22% |
| 5 | 48 | 69 | 25% |
| 6 | 65 | 118 | 27% |
| 7 | Less than 10 | 21 | 10% |
| 8 | 22 | 78 | 15% |
| 9 | 15 | 48 | 12% |
| 10 | 48 | 142 | 17% |
| 11 | 45 | 171 | 14% |
| 12 | 11 | 33 | 10% |
| 13 | 112 | 188 | 35% |
| 14 | 53 | 95 | 33% |
| 15 | 220 | 349 | 36% |
| 16 | 12 | 26 | 17% |
| 17 | 38 | 83 | 17% |
| 18 | 23 | 59 | 12% |
| 19 | 18 | 48 | 13% |
| 20 | 222 | 485 | 29% |
| 21 | 146 | 221 | 29% |
| 22 | 244 | 393 | 27% |
| 23 | Less than 10 | 20 | 11% |
| 24 | 135 | 356 | 21% |
| 25 | 125 | 372 | 27% |
| 26 | 161 | 381 | 32% |
| 27 | 56 | 148 | 18% |
| 28 | 190 | 331 | 27% |
| 29 | 34 | 148 | 14% |
| 30 | 127 | 359 | 22% |
| 31 | 101 | 341 | 21% |
| 32 | 10 | 23 | 16% |
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Coulter Jones
Coulter Jones is a Data Reporter, focusing on investigative reporting and data analysis in news coverage. He spends part of his time working on the data backend and crafting stories for Schoolbook, and the rest of his time on Data News investigations and features.
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