Monday, April 28

The G&T facts: what we know


Most of the folks who could have answered your questions were out of their offices on Friday, but I am working on getting responses and as soon as I do I will share them with you. Until I can find out more, here's a roundup of what we already know, thanks in great part to your comments.

  • We know where programs will be housed next year (see below for lists of schools in some districts); this information was part of the application mailed to families whose children scored in the 90th percentile or above.
  • We know that in many districts in Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx, gifted programs continue to start in 1st grade, meaning that 90th percentile+ scorers entering kindergarten are without options (or are able to apply only to citywide schools if they scored in the 97th percentile or above). Some Queens parents didn't understand that the DOE didn't plan to change programs' entry years and now feel shut out and angry.
  • We know that siblings get priority for admission; a lower-scoring sibling who qualifies for admission will beat out a higher-scoring child.
  • We know that families must rank all district programs in order to be guaranteed a spot in one of them; applications are due May 9.
  • We know that the Office of Pupil Transportation covers transportation costs for children who live at least half a mile's walk from their school when it's within their district. For elementary students, this often comes in the form of a yellow bus as long as the school has busing. The DOE doesn't provide any busing across borough lines.
  • Yet again, we see that standardized tests can be capricious, especially for 4 year olds: some kids did extremely well on one of the two gifted assessments, but not the other, despite their skills, and according to parent comments, some children who made it to the second round of Hunter admissions didn't make the gifted cut this year.
  • We know that when the DOE spokeperson emailed me Wednesday afternoon to say that letters hadn't yet been mailed, he must have been misinformed, because letters began arriving on Thursday. (Or maybe the mail is really that fast?)
  • And we know, as we have long known, that it's hard for parents to get a straight answer from the DOE. In the comments on our last post, different parents reported getting different answers to the same questions when calling DOE officials, and one asked, "Why do they all have a different story?"

Where will district G&T programs be housed?
In District 1: PS 19 and PS 110
In District 2: PS 11, 77, 111, 116, 124, 126, and 130
In District 3: PS 9, 145, 163, 166, 185, and 191
In District 5: PS 129 and PS 154
In District 6: PS 98 and PS 153
In District 7: None
In District 11: PS 121 and PS 153
In District 13: PS 3, 9, 20, and 282
In District 14: PS 132
In District 15: PS 1, 10, 32, 38, and 230
In District 16: None
In District 18: PS 114, 115, 208, 276, 279
In District 20: PS 102, 104, 176, 185, 204, and 229
In District 22: PS 52, 152, 193, 195, 206, 207, 217, 222, 236, 277, and 312
In District 23: None
In District 24: PS 16, 91
In District 25: PS 21, 32, 165, and 209
In District 26: PS 18, 115, 188, and 202
In District 28: PS 101, 117, 144, 174

65 comments:

Anonymous said...

We also know that there are 978 kindergarten applicants testing above the 97th percentile - therefore eligible for citywide schools - but only about 200 citywide school kindergarten seats. Hmmmm....

Anonymous said...

Philissa-

Many thanks for that. We also don't know what the appeals process is. Given the inconsistency in results, there must be opportunity to appeal?

thx!

Anonymous said...

Phyllis:

Do you know how DOE matches its applicant to determine which school they get ? I just spoke to the admission at NEST in re: first grade entrance and told her my child scored 99% what her chances maybe. She responded the whole process is decided by DOE thru its matching process. Any insights on this ?

Anonymous said...

Could you please ask the DOE to explain (a) the methodology they will use to rank scores for purposes of allocating the scarce citywide seats (I am assuming they will rank scores from highest to lowest based on scaled scores, but that's just speculation; it would be great if DOE provided specific info on this); and (b) if DOE will use scaled scores to rank highest to lowest, why did they not provide the scaled scores to parents in the letters that we received?

Anonymous said...

Philissa, Please find out if the three citywides will be requiring an interview as part of the admissions process. If 978 kindergartners scored over 97% there could be more 99% scorers than there are seats in the three citywide schools.

lorid said...

I just got through to G/T and was told a new letter will be sent in the next two days for those children who scored in the 97-plus range and were not given the city-wide choices, as was the case with my dtr, who is in district 14. It has also been confirmed that PS 132 will be the G/T school for this district, which I'm thrilled about and will rank number 1.

According to the person at G/T, those with the new letters will get an extension on the deadline for ranking school choices.

Anonymous said...

Given the inconsistency in results, there must be opportunity to appeal?

APPEAL ? Based on OSEPO history:

FORGET IT.

You be lucky if you can get them to place your kid in a local school that's close to you. With all those silbling variants, some kids are going to be SCR*WD.

Anonymous said...

To 10:05 am

DOE stated back in November 2007: "Citywide programs: In a departure from previous years, admission to the three citywide G&T programs -- NEST, Anderson, and TAG -- will no longer require additional onsite testing at those schools. Instead, admission will be solely based on the OLSAT and BSRA test results. Children must score 97 percent to be eligible for the citywide programs, although they are not guaranteed entry."

Anonymous said...

Does DOE plan to provide any tours of the schools?

Anonymous said...

Also, can you please find out if the DOE will release the number of kids scoring at 99 at 98 and at 97 so that parents can assess the true chances their kids have at citywide programs? Also if there is a way to find out what the "tie breaker" will be when two kids have the same exact score. thanks

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 8:53 - If they live in a district where there are kindergarten programs they will be guaranteed a seat at a district program. This is a pretty reasonable solution. Do you really think at 5 years old, a child at the 99th percentile will suffer much in a class with others who are at the 90th? Being in a district program may even have an advantage on a social level - proximity to home and friends for example.

Unfortunately those of us with 97+ percentile scores in the Bronx, and others in Queens and Staten Island have no K G&T option except the citywide schools. If our children don't receive a seat they will have to retest in 2008/9 academic year, and likely be required to change schools in fall 2009. I think this is irresponsible planning on the part of the DOE. It's can be a very stressful process for a youngster to be subjected to these test; and changing schools after only a year at one place can be equally stressful. If the DOE is unable to create kindergarten programs in the left out districts in time for this fall they ought to at least offer them a kindergarten seat in a school with a G&T program and grandfather them into that program so that they don't have to be subjected to further testing and relocation.

And to add to the original blog post...

We also know, that research on identifying the gifted suggests that tests like OLSAT frequently miss identifying children at the pre-K and K level. If OLSAT continues to be used by DOE they need to make it easier for children to enter the program at later grades when there are more reliable measures. As it stands, older children can only enter the program if seats become available because another child leaves the program. It hardly seems fair that a potentially gifted child be shut out because they didn't test well at 4, 5 or 6 years of age.

Philissa said...

9:53 a.m.- The DOE will be using a matching system similar to that used for high school admissions. Families will rank their school choices by preference and children will be ranked by the computer according to their scores. (I don't know yet if/how how scaled scores are being used.) Then the computer will match children will the schools highest on their list for which their scores make them eligible.

This application process is a little different from the high school matching process, though, because here, families know their scores and, if they wish, can rank their choices using that information as a rough gauge of their likelihood of admission.

As Insideschools advises high school applicants, you should list the schools in the order you want to attend them. But this system does mean that someone in the 91st percentile who ranks the district's most popular program first is likely not to get into it, if there are lots of children in that district who scored higher. It's up to you whether to take that into account as you rank your schools.

This is sure to affect children applying for the citywide programs. As 8:53 a.m. noted, almost 1,000 kids qualified to apply for about 200 spots. Even if only a portion of those families apply for the citywides, it seems possible that those three schools will be filled with 99th percentilers and siblings of currently enrolled students.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand people mean by scaled scores. Can anyone explain?

Anonymous said...

I am curious about how the sibling policy will affect children taking the test for first grade admission in their current district schools. Will the DOE still give a sibling priority for admission to a G&T program at the school they are CURRENTLY enrolled in (in a gen. ed. program)?

In other words, will the sibling policy allow a 90% sib to be placed over a 99% non-sib if both kids are already currently enrolled at their first-choice school? (Meaning that the 90% sib is already placed at the school with their older sibling, just in a gen. ed. class.)

Anonymous said...

I was surprised that several of my friends kids who appear advanced didn't make it and a couple of kids who are less inquisitive, articulate and forward thinking did.

Did most of you whose kids scored above the 90%, suspect (or hope) your kids were gifted?

I was wondering how many parents were surprised by the results... whether high or low.

Anonymous said...

What is the strategy to rank all district programs? We have several schools in the list but not sure if we will miss our 2nd choice because our 1st choice maybe hard to get in.

Anonymous said...

anyone know why still some scores have not been received? also, were those who qualified mailed out first and then those who were not 2nd? why have i not received ours?

Anonymous said...

To 11:08

Totally surprised my daughter tanked the OLSAT portion w/ a 60. She did test prep, did great on that & on the practice test.

Wondering if she didn't have enough time or didn't finish.

Our underperforming school in our transitional neighborhood at least had a G & T program, now we are really freaking out.

Anonymous said...

i thought sib preference came about strictly in a tie-score situation? (sib 99/non-sib 99 = sib wins spot) could it really be true that someone with a 99 would lose a seat to a 97 sib? (or 96 to a 90?) this doesn't seem fair or logical - not that the doe is consistently either.

Anonymous said...

anonymous at 11:08am

You know I now my kid is smart and seems older in a lot of ways and with that comes this attitude where sometimes he acts like a teenager.

So I was surprised only because he gave the test the time of day instead of what he does to me which is whenever I ask him to do something he doesn't do it, unless it is under his terms.

So when I gave him the practice test it was like pulling teeth getting him to listen to anything I was saying, I knew he knew every answer but he was purposefully not wanting to do it at the time and when he did do it it was easy for him.

So I was iffy on whether he was going to do the same for the person giving the test. The only thing I remember is that he was surprisingly in a good mood when they took him away for the test. Although when he came home that day he said he did not finish the test and then he said he did, his usual stand offish kind of hard to really know if he is saying what really happened or not, not answering me if I ask him a question sometimes.
He was 4.5 years old when he took the test. I think he could have done better then he did, he got a 93% he is an interesting character so overall I am just surprised that he payed attention and actually focused. Because he is one of those kids that just doesn't like to do what is asked of him and he is very sensitive towards how people ask him to do things. He has never liked any organized institution , that is school, classes or anything, he just never likes anything fully, except for the perfect play date!

Anonymous said...

Ok, my son got 93%, the most popular school in my district I do not like and actually prefer him to go to a school that just added the G & T for next year, so I am not sure how popular it is. Now should I rank the popular school 1st, since it is most likely my son won't get into that one anyway and I would rather not have him go there and my real 1st choice 2nd? Or should I put my real 1st choice 1st? hmmmmmmmm

Anonymous said...

What are entry chances in 1st grade in 2009?
Is it only if there are open spots?
Or, as they will be doing mandatory citywide testing, will they open new programs (or move the sub 90% then-testing kids out of G&T to accommodate the kids who are very high scorers?)
Seems like they could do a combination of testing and teacher evaluations (or interviews for kids not in school) to see who should be moved into and out of G&T programs.
Why doesn't the DOE do that?

Anonymous said...

Can anyone help me figure this out? My daughter currently attends K at a school which I just learned will be hosting a G&T first grade next year. She tested at 91% and it will be our first choice (of 4 total) in district 28. However, I suspect this school will be the most popular choice for most parents as it has the best test scores traditionally of the 4 options and is in the most economically well-off neighborhood of the four...Will they consider if a child is already enrolled in a school when placing the kids? I would hate to have to move her when her current school will be offering a G&T class, and you would think they would offer seats to the kids already enrolled & zoned who qualify first...that would be taking the "whole child" into account, though, and not just looking at the child as an object of testing. (Not quite sure if they are there yet.) Does anyone know if this is a criteria for placement or not?

Anonymous said...

Few things:
Can we please find out how many 99 and 98s. I seem to be hearing a lot of people getting 99's if that is the case why even apply to citywides.

Can we also find out the boy to girl ratio. I know a bunch of girls that scored very high and only one boy, will doe take that into account.

Also does district count for anything?

Finally, If I put a citywide as 1 and a district program as 2 will I give up my prefence? what if my child is already in the school.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

We were truly shocked by our son's scores. He ranked in the mid-90s for the BSRA, but very low for the OLSAT (38%). He took the practice test with a teacher that we hired and got all but two questions right. He seemed very well prepared. When it came time to go take the test, he was greeted by a border-line rude lady who did not even offer her name. He almost refused to go with her down the hall. He emerged from the test about 15 minutes later. He told us that the "lady tried, but couldn't trick him." We know our child is gifted and do not agree with the test methods or results. I don't know what this means for school next year, but really makes me doubt our place in a system that would rank the future of our children on one test. It is really silly. I mean if K is this hard--what will middle school or high school be like? I am a big supporter of public school, but am seriously contemplating keeping him in his preschool one more year and sending him to private school for first grade. I am completely dismayed by it all.

Anonymous said...

Philissa:

I'm still a little confused by this process. I understand the sibling preference but... when you say that kids will be placed according to their ranking and the order that they rank schools does that mean

A) that DOE will place the 150-200 highest ranked citywide kids as best as they can?

OR

B) that DOE will fill first-choice requests first and then see what spots are left over? In this scenario, if we list a school with 50 spots as our first choice and our kid is ranked 100th, we wouldn't get into any citywide school.

Thanks!

frustrated said...

To expand on the original post...the DOE states on their website that everychild who qualifies will be guaranteed a seat. It also states "In districts where 10 or more children qualiry, new programs will be added" That is why those of us thought new classes would be added. There is 1 "K" class in district 27 (queens) the DOE says that parents can go to nearby districts....but if you are not zoned for that district, you can't register. The fact remains that the DOE got in way over their head and totally dropped the ball. They are failing our children and are not being held accountable.

Anonymous said...

I just got this email back from Anna Commitante at G & T re my query about appealing my childs score 95/60:

This is rather common. There are many reasons children score better on one test than another. Perhaps your child got tired as the OLSAT is a demanding test, longer and more difficult than the BSRA. Whether your child did not finish or whether she answered incorrectly will not change the outcome of the score, and we will not retest. However, you will be able to review a copy of your child’s test if you like. We will post the process for Test Review online shortly.

Anonymous said...

Re: anonymous 1:15 PM

I encountered the similar situation to yours. I am wondering the accuracy of percentile rank for the BSRA test. My son got 82 out of 88 BSRA questions and ranked at 66%. Did this sound reasonable? The BSRA pulled from passing level to the merely pass level. Does anyone have any idea what is the distribution of the correct items as compared to the percentile rank?

Anonymous said...

I thought I posted this earlier, maybe I did not do something correctly...

What is the method for ranking scores? are there further breakdowns in the total we don't see? e.g., 99.1, 99.2, etc. Some on Urbanbaby are saying birth dates will be considered so that a Dec '03 99 is better than a jan '03 99 but I thought that was already built into the OLSAT score.

Anonymous said...

We are in District 2 and still have not received the results. All neighborhood children received their's (both good and bad). I have made phone calls and sent emails -- has anyone received an over 90% after Friday?

Anonymous said...

Philissa,

Thanks for getting the information out to parents. Given the trying circumstances, I would hope schools make an effort to answer parent questions about their programs. I'm on the PTA of my school, PS 77 / Lower Lab in Manhattan D2, and we have scheduled an information session for Tuesday May 6th at 6:00 pm.

Patrick

Anonymous said...

OLSAT scoring question Our child scored a 93% on the non-verbal and 98% on the verbal (which averages out to 95.5) but the total OLSAT score is 98% Can someone explain how this works (The Bracken is not part of this calculation)

Anonymous said...

I still haven't received my child's results! Aaargh...

Anonymous said...

When I heard that the children had to be tested at there schools, I immediately became concerned. I was uncertain that they would be given enough time and that the person administering the test would do so accurately. Also, what school would want students to do well and go to another school. My son scored below the 90% which I found to be strange as he's an intelligent child.I would like to know the procedure to appeal and / or view my child's test.

Anonymous said...

My son scored 97% on the BSRA . On the olsat he scored 94% on the verbal and 65% on the nonverbal. Did anyone else have similar results? I will definetly ask to review his test. I feel something went horribly wrong during the test. I am looking forward to reviewing his test to satisfy my curiousity.

Anonymous said...

My son is in k grade and he is able to read 1-2 grade level, plus 3rd grade math. I know he is more than qualify for the citywide school. My concerned is our school does not have the G & T program. I do not trust our school to give the test fairly and accurately because they will be loosing a good student. My son scored 96% which is lower than I expected considering the level of work he is able to do. What should I do in this situation? I will appeal and view my child test. We really wanted to go to Nest+m.

Anonymous said...

In District 2, PS 124 Yung Wing is holding an open house tour this Friday at 8:45. Does anyone know of any other tours, other than that announced by PS 77 Lower Lab, that will be conducted before May 9, 2008?

Thank you InsideSchools.org for this invaluable website!

Anonymous said...

DOE changed the deadline for G&T applications to May 14 (from May 9):

http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/GiftedandTalented/EligibilityApplications/default.htm

7:15 a.m. --- Anderson will have a limited number of spots for parents of K applicants who qualified at 97% or higher. You will need to register for the tour on their website, and they're asking people who already have toured or attended their open houses to forego this tour, since they will have so few spots available on the tour.

Anonymous said...

To anonymous as 5:37 a.m.

The percentile refers to your child's overall ranking based on a national sample of children in his/her age group (I think children are grouped in 3 month increments but I'm not certain on this) - they are not test scores per se. Simply averaging the two scores has no meaning. 7% of the sample scored better than your child on the non-verbal test; 2% scored better on the verbal test; and 2% had a better overall score.

I've noticed a lot of parents seem to misunderstand the percentile rankings. The DOE could certainly do a better job of explaining how the percentiles are derived.

Anonymous said...

I understand that I need to rank every school my child is eligible in order to *guarantee* an offer. However, if there are really only two schools we would attend (I'd like my kid to be in a school not too far from my home), if I only rank those two schools, will my child at least be considered for placement?

Can anyone offer clarity on this?

Many thanks.

Anonymous said...

12:56: no, you will not get special treatment because you only listed two schools. The only two factors that decide your kid's placement are: your kid's test score and the availability of seats in the programs you ranked (in that order).

jennem said...

My daughter is not yet 4 1/2. She can read, write, and do basic math. She got a perfect on the BSRA, and did very well on some independent IQ tests. But she tanked the OLSAT with a 69. She also had a rude instructor, who "yelled at her." (And yelled at me too, so I believe her.) Is she gifted? Yes. Does the test show that? No. Are we going to freak out? No. We're working hard with an elementary school who will accomodate her in 1st grade classes for math and reading, while keeping her in K for the rest. The OLSAT tests how well you can do on the OLSAT. I wish people would stop talking about it as a test of giftedness. A child that taught herself to read and write at just under 4 is not un-gifted. There is no single standalone test for giftedness, not even the OLSAT. Giftedness is a multifaceted thing which cannot be established in one 60-minute session with a stranger and a piece of paper.

Anonymous said...

Jennem, 3:30--would you mind sharing which school is willing to be so accommodating? we're in a similar situation. thanks so much.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if there was any difference between the test kindergarten kids took compared to the Pre-k kids. My understanding is that they took the same test but if that is the case how come 978 pre-k kids ranked 97 or higher compared to 411 kindergarten kids. It just seems strange to me. If there was any differences I would love to know them

cmoyboy said...

Add me to your list of parents frustrated by the lack of district gifted classes available in Queens. We are in district 26 and very disappointed at the way the DOE reneged on their promise to provide district wide classed for our gifted children. (as stated in their Nov 07 proposal).
My son is eligible to APPLY to the city-wide schools, not guaranteed, but I'm torn between whether or not it would work for us, given the commute and environment. We have another child who might not be eligible in the future.In my son's school, 6 parents have united together to put pressure on the DOE through the media and our politicians. We have contacted local media and will have a story out in the Daily News and NY Post tomorrow. Councilman Liu, Gennaro and David Weprin have been contacted to help with this cause. When I called the G&T specialist at DOE, the answers provide were unacceptable. I ask two questions, 1) why did they offer to test pre-K if they were not committed to opening up kindergarten classes to accommodate the results? Their answer: So everyone could get a fair chance. AT WHAT? NOTHING? IT WAS A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS $$ TO FUND THE TESTING.
2) Why did Klein bother lowering the eligibility from 95% to 90%? Wouldn't they expect more students to qualify? ANSWER: Don't really know. DUH!

When I asked what is a highly gifted student supposed to do in a regular class? They responded by saying that the teachers should address the child's needs and teach accordingly. BE REALISTIC! In a class of 23 non-gifted with 2 gifted, you really think the teacher will customize the curriculum to accommodate these 2 children. NOT! There is a different licensing and certification required to teach gifted students. G&T teachers are trained to challenge the students and be able to understand the emotional development of a child with a higher academic development. A 5 year old that operates with thinking skills of a 1st grader still has physical and emotional needs of a typical 5 year. There are a several studies that show highly gifted children in regular classrooms do not function well and can easily become bored and develop behavior issues.

Could this be a viable class action suit of discrimination against those living in Queens? If there is any interested education lawyer that might be willing to take on this case, please contact me.

Other parents can contact me so we can form a united front against the DOE.

cmoyboy@aol.com

jennem said...

To the anonymous who asked--the accomodating school is Hugo Newman, PS 180, 1 block from our apartment in Harlem. (120th/Morningside.) They do an excellent job of tracking children according to their abilities, and tracking/challenging them appropriately. After two tours and much feedback from people in the know, we're quite excited about it. Also a K size of 20! Beautiful facilities, much enrichment, and uniforms to my daughter's delight.

Anonymous said...

For district 11, the schools are Throop (P.S. 121) and Helen Keller (P.S. 153). Neither are unfortunately great options.

Anonymous said...

I changed my mind a couple of times as far as how I ranked the schools. I used white out on the application. Now I'm concerned about the idea of a computer placing the children in schools according to scores and how parents ranked the schools. Could Insideschools find out if a computer will be scanning the applications for the ranking of schools or if a person will do that? I ended up writing in the margins and somewhat over the white out. Would a computer be able to discern the ranking properly if it's not neatly in the box???

Anonymous said...

1:03am: if a kid is indeed highly gifted and you are concerned about this the public school system is NOT the place for you to look for a solution.

Anonymous said...

Is anyone in district 5? There used to be four schools that offered G&T programs, now there's only two. I'm wondering if there'll be enough seats for eligible students...

Anonymous said...

Philissa,

PS 125 in district 5 has a G&T dual-language (French & English)program, but for some reason was not listed as a G&T choice for district 5. I spoke to the head of the program at the school (Ms. Jourdan Pierrot), and she assured me that their G&T program is still in tact. Could you find out if the DOE has plans to send out new applications to district 5 families to include PS 125 as a G&T choice for district 5?

Anonymous said...

My son got 93% for district 18 in Brooklyn. The 5 schools offered were, PS 114, 115, 208, 276, 279. I'm trying to arrange visits with them now as I'm not presonally familiar with them, except for what I've read on your website and the DOE's. Keep up the good work with keeping us all informed.

Anonymous said...

How long does it take to get a response to an email from g&t dept?
I sent an email on Monday to ACommit@schools.nyc.gov (Ms Commitante) and I didn't receive a response yet. What is the best way and who is the best to contact there in order to receive a reply?

Anonymous said...

Anybody know if there are G&T programs in PS 101, 117, 144, 174 in district 28 (Queens)?

Anonymous said...

1:18PM: I sent an email to Ann Commitant last Saturday night and received her reply on Monday.

Anonymous said...

Hi Philissa

May I ask you where you got the information that PS 101, 117, 144 and 174 of district 28 in Queens offer G&T programs?

According to the NYC DOE Web site only PS050Q and PS099Q in district 28 offer G&T programs.

Reference:
http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2A73B4F0-05E9-4BA7-AEDB-FA6BC52A7621/36136/DistrictSCGTESSites.doc

Philissa said...

confused -- I got that information from a commenter who said those were the programs listed on her application. The document you linked to lists CURRENT programs -- the list we are generating includes program options available for next year.

Anonymous said...

The 1st of my 2 children will be entering the public school system in September. I had her take the G & T test, & put her in two different lotteries in my district (29). Like many of you, I was stressing over the G & T results. While waiting, I received notice that she was accepted to 1 of the lottery schools. A person from the distict office told me that the school had 1 of the best reading programs in the district & that a lot of parents want their children to go to that school. My daughter's pre-k teacher said the same thing. As I waiting for the G & T results, I realized that where she was accepted was the best choice for her. As a matter of fact, when she was 1 year old, I stated that I planned to send her to that school when she turned 5. She didn't meet the require-
ments for G & T, but even if she did, I had already made my decision. Sometimes things turn out better than you plan. The next time she will be applying for a school is high school, & her little sister is guaranteed a spot in that school in 3 years.

Unknown said...

I received a G&T score letter with a very puzzling results. The Total OLSAT score was 88% (not arguing about that yet). But BSRA score was 0%. The # of items on the test is listed as 88, # of items correct is listed as 98 (for total and categories), and the percentile rank was 0%. As the result total percentile rank ended up being 0%. My son attends pre-K at P.S. 247 (District 22) and he took test there. Had anyone had the same situation and what are the possible ways of getting this resolved quickly (beside leaving phone messages and writing the letter to G&T office)?
Thanks

Anonymous said...

to Casey- I heard about similar problem from other parents, they contacted G7T office and still wait for results.Try to contact you school or district, mayby they know something

Anonymous said...

I just found out that if you would like to review the test you need to send a letter requesting review to:

Gifted & Talented Office-NYCDOE
52 Chambers Street, Room 208
New York, NY 10007

by MAY 15!

Unknown said...

PS 38 Pacific School? L'il help? My son tested into the G&T program, and we are looking for parents who have any experience with PS 38's G&T program.

Any information, personal opinions, stories (positive or negative) would be such a help to us.

Post here or email me directly at ed.is.great@gmail.com.

Thanks.

Unknown said...

Update for messed up BSRA score.
After unanswered calls and e-mails for G&T office, we ended up going to my son's school and talking to the person in charge of all testing. She pulled out the testing logs and it was indicated that both tests were administered to our son. She then called G&T office (apparently on a secret designated number), because they immediately opened review case. So pending review we either going to get correct score and deadline extension if the score is above 90% or my son will need to retake test. So looks like we will be in limbo for couple more weeks, but at least we are moving somewhere.
Bottom line, the easiest way to get to G&T office is through your child school.

Anonymous said...

PS 121 Throop School? Anyone...anyone? My son tested into the G&T program and unfortunately did not get into Helen Keller. I am looking for parents who have any experience with PS 121's G&T program.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Post or email me directly at lauren320@gmail.com.

Thank you