Fewer trying for ‘gifted/talented’ DOE program

Demand for the Department of Education’s Gifted & Talented program continues to recede, according to new DOE data.

A total of 6,733 eligible kids applied for spots in the kindergarten-through-third-grade program for next year — the lowest number since 2014.

That’s down 16 percent from 2014, when 8,010 qualified kids sought placement.

The decrease mirrors a steady multiyear decline in the overall number of kids taking the Gifted & Talented eligibility exam.

Last year, 32,516 boys and girls sat for the test, a 17 percent drop from 2014, when 39,300 kids participated.

The program has long been considered a screened alternative to zoned schools.

Students who earn a score of 97 percent or higher on the test are eligible for exclusive citywide and district programs.

Scores between 90 and 96 percent qualify kids only for district G&T programs.

The sorting of city students by ability has come under increased scrutiny under new schools chief Richard Carranza.

He recently questioned the very concept of student screening at public schools and has elevated desegregation as a pressing priority.

Carranza has also bashed test-based admissions at all levels, arguing that affluent parents are able to fund test-prep classes and tutors.

The DOE speculated Friday that the decrease in Gifted & Talented test takers and applicants stems from population shifts, or satisfaction with zoned schools.