NYC Schools Will Eliminate Gifted And Talented Programs

NEW YORK CITY — Gifted and talented programs will be phased out in New York City's public schools by fall 2022, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday.

A new "accelerated learning" model will replace the city's gifted program, de Blasio said.

De Blasio noted the gifted program only selects 2,500 students out of 65,000 each year. The new approach will be "much more inclusive," he told WNYC's Brian Lehrer.

“We’re going to reach tens of thousands more kids with accelerated learning,” he said.

Critics have long held the city's gifted and talented program favors white and Asian students and perpetuates racial segregation.

But many families, particularly in Asian communities, have fought to keep the program.

Chancellor Meisha Porter called the announcement Friday a blueprint for a plan that'll be crafted over the next few months — a span that covers de Blasio's final days in office.

School officials plan to eliminate an admissions test for four-year-olds that sorts them into gifted programs.

Porter said teachers will receive additional instruction to recognize students with talents and provide individualized instruction.

De Blasio said officials will reach out to communities in the next two months to perfect the plan.