Kindergarten-3rd Grade Admissions

STEP 1: You register for the Gifted & Talented test by Tuesday, November 12, 2019

You must ask the Department of Education to administer the free testing to your child by filling out the Request for Testing Form at https://www.myschools.nyc/en/ beginning on October 15, 2019 and not later than Tuesday, November 12, 2019. You will first be asked to create an account, then you will fill out a form requesting to have your child tested - don't make the mistake of only creating the account! Submitting your request for an appointment online is highly recommended (remember to print a receipt!) Parents who complete the form online are notified about test results and school placement earlier than those who submit a paper copy. That is an advantage in the spring, when you may want to tour the schools to which you are eligible to apply. You may need to register for tours immediately, as tours at many schools tend to fill up quickly.

The Department of Education's 2020 NYC Kindergarten and Gifted & Talented Admissions Guide explains everything about the G&T admissions process. It includes sample questions that you should review with your child. Visit https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/gifted-and-talented for children born in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012. The Admissions guides are also available in booklet form at all Family Welcome Centers and include a paper copy of the Request for Testing form. Remember to get a receipt if you submit your form in person. All Request for Testing Forms must be submitted by Tuesday, November 12, 2019 - remember to print out a receipt!

(NOTE: The Anderson School does not offer fall tours. The school has Open House dates in the spring, after test results are provided to families - see STEP 3, below.)

STEP 2: Your child is tested

After you have submitted your Request for Testing form, the DOE will arrange a time for your child to be tested in January 2020. Children have as much time as they need to complete the test but usually finish in one hour. (Any problems with the tester or the test site must be reported to the DOE within five school days following your child's test date and must include information listed in the G&T Admissions Guide. You can also write to ServiceCenter@schools.nyc.gov or call 212.374.6646. Do not wait until the scores are reported!)

• If your child currently attends a DOE school in Kindergarten – 2nd grade, testing will take place at school during regular hours from January 3-17, 2020.
• If your child currently attends Pre-K or a non-DOE school, or does not attend school, testing will take place on a weekend date in between January 4-19, 2020 at a designated school site. The DOE will contact you with the exact time and place.

STEP 3: You are notified of the test score and apply for placement (if eligible)

The DOE will notify you of your child's test result in mid-late April. If your child achieves a score high enough to qualify for G&T placement, the DOE will provide you with a personalized application with your G&T program options. If your child's score doesn't meet the minimum eligibility, then your child can test again next year. As of October 2019, these are the eligibility guidelines.

• If your child achieved a total score in the 90th percentile or higher, then your child is eligible to apply to District G&T programs.
• If your child achieves a total percentile score in the 97th percentile or higher, then your child is eligible to apply for District G&T programs as well as all the citywide G&T schools, including The Anderson School, if you wish.
• Anderson will post virtual tours/open house information on this website in the spring some time following the release of G&T results. (It's in the works but not finalized yet!) It is not necessary to view The Anderson School PS 334 virtually before ranking our school on your application, but we do recommend it in order to make an informed decision since in-person tours are not possible. Please go to our Visiting Grades K-3 page to take a virtual tour of Anderson (not available yet).

You will rank your choices on the application in order of your preference. The DOE encourages families to only apply to schools which they would be willing to attend.

Placement will be determined by the DOE. Sibling priority is also taken into account, and then a lottery is held within each percentile, starting with the 99th percentile and then 98th percentile, etc. Please read the DOE’s Enrollment web pages carefully for this important information.

Priority to applicants who live in northern Manhattan and the south Bronx, for 30% of kindergarten seats. Specifically, this priority is for applicants who live in District 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, or 12, as well as for applicants who live north of 96th Street in District 3 or south of 178th Street in District 6.

There is no guarantee of a G&T placement, even if you rank all of the available choices on your application. All applications must be submitted to the DOE following the instructions they provide. Do NOT send the application to our school. All applications must be submitted to the DOE by their published deadline in April 2020.

STEP 4: The DOE makes placement offers

The DOE will send you a letter in mid-June, notifying you if your child is being offered a G&T placement or not. There is no appeals process once offers are made. You must accept or decline the seat by a date to be announced by the DOE’s Enrollment Office, in June 2020.