The New York Times reports on how a school district in Maryland is rethinking its acceptance criteria into its gifted program. From the story:
By far the biggest shift is in how children are admitted to the 13 elementary magnet schools perceived as the most intellectually elite in the county. In the past, parents had to apply for their children to attend, limiting spots to those in the know. This year, for the first time, every third grader in the county — some 12,000 students — was automatically considered for admission, with 715 winning a spot.
The district now gives less weight to the Cognitive Abilities Test, a common assessment for admission to gifted programs, and more to class performance. Parents can no longer submit private evaluations attesting that their children are gifted — statements that can be secured by paying hundreds of dollars to a psychologist. Teacher recommendations, too, now play a smaller role.