The Opening Bell

In a front-page story, the New York Times (10/30, A1, Gootman, Gebeloff) reports, “The number of children entering New York City public school gifted programs dropped by half this year from last under a new policy intended to equalize access, with 28 schools lacking enough students to open planned gifted classes, and 13 others proceeding with fewer than a dozen children.” In addition, the policy has not diversified gifted classes, “according to a New York Times analysis of new Education Department data. In a school system in which 17 percent of kindergartners and first graders are white, 48 percent of this year’s new gifted students are white, compared with 33 percent of elementary students admitted to the programs under previous entrance policies.” There are also more Asian gifted students that African American or Hispanic gifted students. “City officials said that in an effort to broaden next year’s gifted enrollment, they planned to create citywide programs based in Brooklyn and Queens…and begin all gifted programs in kindergarten.”

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