Julian Omidi examines New York City public schools’ gifted and talented programs admissions progress, as well as the department of education’s attempt to develop admittance exams that test a child’s natural cognitive advancement.
The New York City Department of Education announced recently that it would be changing the admissions testing criteria for its gifted and talented programs, since it is suspected that the parents of the children who are admitted prepare the kids so aggressively that success on the tests is not a reflection of the children’s advanced cognitive abilities.[1]
Competition for seats in kindergarten gifted programs is fierce, and test prep companies have capitalized on parents’ intense desire to gain their children admittance in the most prestigious schools. The number of children who qualified for a slot in the gifted and talented program in New York City public schools has more than doubled in the last five years, and education department officials are beginning to believe that it has more to do with children of higher socio-economic backgrounds getting advantageous preparation sessions and effectively “cramming” for years before the test date, than it does with children demonstrating unusually high cognition. It is common for several children to be dropped from consideration because they answer the questions correctly before the examiner has finished asking.
It may seem perfectly reasonable for a parent to do everything he or she can to ensure acceptance in to the best schools; if it means extra study time and preparation, then what’s the problem?
According to education department officials, the entire point of the examination is to determine which children possess the natural ability to reason and analyze, not study and memorize. Kids who are able to develop improvisational, effective solutions to difficult problems posed by the testers are the caliber of kids that are estimated to be poised for greater achievements, regardless of the ability of the parents to afford expensive test preparation tools.
The new test system, of which the NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test) comprises a significant part, examines children’s nonverbal analytical skills through a series of puzzles wherein the tester must select the most appropriate sequence of shapes in order to complete the proposed visual pattern. Many parents are finding the test hard for their children to comprehend, and the examination process can be trying for a four-year old. Many parents are finding the NNAT sequence of puzzles and problems difficult to understand.
Although success for the new NNAT is dependent upon the test taker’s nonverbal reasoning skills for which it is difficult to prepare, test prep companies are already issuing preparatory exams and classes for the new round of examinations, despite the school district’s efforts to reduce the influence of test prep. There are already links to the new practice tests and guides on one of the company websites.
By Julian Omidi
[1] Anderson, Jenny: Schools Ask: Gifted, or Just Well-Prepared? New York Times 2/17/2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/nyregion/new-york-city-schools-struggle-to-separate-the-gifted-from-the-just-well-prepared.html?ref=education&_r=0
The New York City Department of Education announced recently that it would be changing the admissions testing criteria for its gifted and talented programs, since it is suspected that the parents of the children who are admitted prepare the kids so aggressively that success on the tests is not a reflection of the children’s advanced cognitive abilities.[1]
Competition for seats in kindergarten gifted programs is fierce, and test prep companies have capitalized on parents’ intense desire to gain their children admittance in the most prestigious schools. The number of children who qualified for a slot in the gifted and talented program in New York City public schools has more than doubled in the last five years, and education department officials are beginning to believe that it has more to do with children of higher socio-economic backgrounds getting advantageous preparation sessions and effectively “cramming” for years before the test date, than it does with children demonstrating unusually high cognition. It is common for several children to be dropped from consideration because they answer the questions correctly before the examiner has finished asking.
It may seem perfectly reasonable for a parent to do everything he or she can to ensure acceptance in to the best schools; if it means extra study time and preparation, then what’s the problem?
According to education department officials, the entire point of the examination is to determine which children possess the natural ability to reason and analyze, not study and memorize. Kids who are able to develop improvisational, effective solutions to difficult problems posed by the testers are the caliber of kids that are estimated to be poised for greater achievements, regardless of the ability of the parents to afford expensive test preparation tools.
The new test system, of which the NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test) comprises a significant part, examines children’s nonverbal analytical skills through a series of puzzles wherein the tester must select the most appropriate sequence of shapes in order to complete the proposed visual pattern. Many parents are finding the test hard for their children to comprehend, and the examination process can be trying for a four-year old. Many parents are finding the NNAT sequence of puzzles and problems difficult to understand.
Although success for the new NNAT is dependent upon the test taker’s nonverbal reasoning skills for which it is difficult to prepare, test prep companies are already issuing preparatory exams and classes for the new round of examinations, despite the school district’s efforts to reduce the influence of test prep. There are already links to the new practice tests and guides on one of the company websites.
By Julian Omidi
[1] Anderson, Jenny: Schools Ask: Gifted, or Just Well-Prepared? New York Times 2/17/2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/nyregion/new-york-city-schools-struggle-to-separate-the-gifted-from-the-just-well-prepared.html?ref=education&_r=0
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