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Gifted and Talented Education · New York State

Gifted Education in New York: A Statutory Definition, Mandatory Diagnostic Screening for Every New Entrant, a Gifted Teacher Extension, and Full Local Program Design Authority

New York has no state mandate for G/T programs and no state funding. But Part 117 of the Commissioner’s Regulations requires diagnostic screening of every new entrant (pre-K through grade 12), a written report for each, and parent notification when a student is “possibly gifted.” A three-domain statutory definition and a Gifted Teacher Extension certification complete the state framework. New York City operates the nation’s most visible local G/T system.

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domains in New York’s statutory definition: general intellectual ability, special academic aptitude, visual and performing arts (§142.2)
Part 117
mandates diagnostic screening of every new entrant pre-K through grade 12; written report and parent notification required if possibly gifted
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state programs required; no state funding for gifted education; no NYSED directory of districts with G/T programs; all program decisions are local
~700+
school districts outside NYC, served by 37 BOCES; plus NYC’s 32 sub-districts and 5 citywide G/T schools
The central tension in New York’s framework

The Gap Between What New York Requires and What It Provides: Screening Without Service

What Part 117 Requires (Mandatory)

Diagnostic screening of every new entrant. Written report for each student. If possibly gifted: notification to the superintendent and to the parent or guardian. Conducted in the student’s native language if home language is other than English. By appropriately trained or qualified staff. Pre-K by December 1st. Within 15 days of transfer for subsequent entrants.

The Gap

What No State Law Requires (Absent)

No requirement to operate a gifted and talented program. No requirement to further evaluate students identified as possibly gifted. No state funding. No prescribed curriculum. No NYSED-endorsed screening tools. No requirement to provide differentiated instruction, acceleration, or enrichment. NYSED does not maintain a directory of districts with G/T programs.

What the gap means for gifted students across New York: GiftedNYS, the state’s primary advocacy organization, notes that New York is one of fewer than ten states with no state mandate for gifted education and no state funding for gifted programs. Every year, New York districts screen new entrants and identify students as possibly gifted. Every year, parents receive notification. But whether those students receive any differentiated instruction, acceleration, or enrichment depends entirely on whether their local district has chosen to build a program. A gifted student in Scarsdale may have access to a comprehensive, multi-tiered program. A gifted student in a high-poverty rural or urban district may receive notification and nothing more.
Ed. Law §4452(1)(a) and 8 NYCRR §142.2

New York’s Statutory Definition: Three Domains, Performance and Potential, “Beyond the Regular Program”

New York’s definition of gifted pupils is contained in Education Law §4452(1)(a) and 8 NYCRR §142.2: “Gifted pupils means those pupils who show evidence of high performance capability and exceptional potential in areas such as general intellectual ability, special academic aptitude and outstanding ability in visual and performing arts. Such definition shall include those pupils who require educational programs or services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order to realize their full potential.”

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General Intellectual Ability

Broad cognitive capability across domains; reasoning, analysis, abstract thinking. May or may not correlate with academic achievement in specific subjects. Includes students whose intellectual gifts span multiple areas rather than being domain-specific.

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Special Academic Aptitude

Exceptional ability in one or more specific academic subjects or fields; a student may be profoundly gifted in mathematics while performing at grade level in other areas. Domain-specific giftedness is explicitly included in New York’s definition.

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Visual and Performing Arts

Outstanding ability in visual art, music, theatre, dance, or other performing and creative arts. New York’s explicit inclusion of arts giftedness in the statutory definition is rarer than it might seem; many state definitions focus solely on academic and intellectual domains.

Three critical features of the definition: First, both demonstrated performance and potential are included: a student does not need to show current high performance if there is evidence of exceptional potential. This is directly relevant to the identification of underrepresented gifted learners whose potential may not yet be visible in academic performance. Second, the “beyond the regular school program” service trigger mirrors the federal ESSA definition and is the basis for what a program must deliver: not just content enrichment but experiences beyond what is ordinarily provided. Third, the inclusion of visual and performing arts as a named domain means districts whose definition and screening focus only on academic and intellectual measures are systematically missing a category of students the state law recognizes as gifted.
Part 117 of the Commissioner’s Regulations in detail

The Mandatory Diagnostic Screening: What Every New York District Must Do for Every New Entrant

Part 117 is the one mandatory G/T obligation of every New York school district. Its purpose: to identify from the general population those students who may be possibly gifted, possibly have a disability, and/or possibly be English Language Learners. Districts that understand Part 117’s requirements can build a screening process that serves all three populations effectively from the same infrastructure.

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Who Must Be Screened

Every new entrant: a student entering the NYS public school system for the first time (pre-K through grade 12), or re-entering a NYS public school with no available record of a prior screening. This scope is broad: it covers the student who moved from another state, the student who was home-schooled and is now enrolling, and the student whose prior screening records are unavailable.

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Timing Requirements

For pre-kindergarten entrants: prior to the beginning of the school year, if possible, but no later than December 1st of the year of entry. For students transferring from another district: within 15 calendar days of transfer or entry. These are not aspirational timelines; they are regulatory requirements.

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Language of Screening

The screening must be conducted in the student’s native language if the language of the home is other than English. For New York’s enormous multilingual population (New York City alone has students whose families speak over 170 languages), this requirement is operationally significant: a screening conducted only in English for a student whose home language is Spanish, Mandarin, Haitian Creole, or Arabic does not meet the Part 117 standard.

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Qualified Staff Requirement

Screening must be conducted by appropriately trained or qualified school district staff. NYSED does not prescribe specific qualifications but the requirement reflects that a diagnostic screening is not simply having a teacher observe a student; it requires personnel with relevant training in early childhood assessment, identification of giftedness, and disability screening.

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The Written Report

The results of the screening must be reviewed and a written report must be prepared by appropriately qualified school district staff. The report must include: (1) a description of the screening devices used; (2) the student’s performance on those devices; and (3) if required, the appropriate referral. This is a formal documentation requirement, not informal observation notes.

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When a Student Is Identified as “Possibly Gifted”

A student who, on the basis of diagnostic screening, appears to meet the §142.2 definition must be: (1) reported to the superintendent of schools; and (2) reported to the child’s parent or legal guardian. The report must accompany the appropriate referral if one is required. No further action is required by state law: there is no mandate to provide a program, enroll the student in differentiated instruction, or conduct additional assessment.

NYSED is a non-endorsing state: Selection of screening tools is entirely a local decision. NYSED does not maintain a list of approved tools, does not endorse specific instruments, and does not specify what constitutes a valid or reliable screening device for gifted identification. This is a significant difference from states like Wisconsin (which requires the identification process and tools to be appropriate for the specific purpose) and Minnesota (which requires valid and reliable assessments sensitive to underrepresented groups). In New York, the burden of selecting appropriate, equitable, multi-source screening tools falls entirely on local districts. Districts that use a single cognitive ability test score as their entire screening process may be technically compliant with Part 117 while systematically missing gifted students from underrepresented populations.
Article 90 Education Law and the Gifted Teacher Extension

Article 90’s Program Framework and New York’s G/T Teacher Certification

Beyond Part 117, New York’s Education Law Article 90 (§§4451-4453) provides a framework for how G/T programs operate when districts choose to have them, and NYSED offers a meaningful professional credential for teachers who work with gifted students.

Article 90 framework (§4452): The Commissioner is authorized to make recommendations to school districts. Services in G/T programs shall include but not be limited to identification, instructional programs, planning, inservice education, and program evaluation. A board of education may contract with another district or a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to provide the program or services with Commissioner approval. Identification for programs funded under this article shall commence through referral by a parent, teacher, or administrator. Upon referral, the district shall inform the parent/guardian and seek their approval before administering diagnostic tests or evaluation mechanisms.

The BOCES structure: New York’s 37 Boards of Cooperative Educational Services serve all school districts outside NYC as regional service agencies. Like Wisconsin’s CESAs and North Dakota’s LSEUs, BOCES allow small districts to access G/T services cooperatively: a small district may contract with its BOCES for gifted identification, consultation, or program delivery that would be impractical for the district to sustain independently.

The Gifted Teacher Extension: New York’s Professional Credential for G/T Education: NYSED offers a Gifted Teacher Extension as an add-on to any base teaching certificate. The Extension requires: knowledge of the characteristics of gifted students who learn at a pace and level significantly different from their classmates; knowledge of various tools and methods for identifying and assessing gifted students and skill in using them; knowledge of appropriate curriculum design for gifted students; skills for planning, providing, coordinating, and evaluating differentiated teaching and learning environments; skill in collaborating with school staff, families, and the community; and college-supervised field experiences of at least 50 clock hours teaching gifted students. Additionally, candidates must pass the NYSED Gifted and Talented Content Specialty Test (CST) and complete fingerprint documentation. In New York City, teachers assigned to G/T programs are required to hold a Gifted Education Extension Certificate, which involves 12 credits of G/T coursework plus the CST. For districts outside NYC, the Extension is voluntary but signals meaningful preparation.
New York City’s G/T system: the nation’s most prominent local implementation

NYC’s Gifted and Talented Programs: Local Design at the Largest Scale in the Country

While New York State mandates no programs, New York City operates what is arguably the most visible and debated local G/T system in the United States. Understanding its structure matters for districts across the state because it is the most-studied example of what local G/T design can look like at scale, and because its equity debates mirror debates happening in districts of every size across New York.

Current structure (2024-25)
District and Citywide G/T Programs
K-5 district programs: Main entry at kindergarten; located in each of NYC’s 32 school districts; some spots open at grades 1-3.

Grade 3 programs: Entry point exclusively at 3rd grade; located in each of the 32 districts; serves grades 3-5.

Five citywide G/T schools (open to all boroughs, higher selectivity): NEST+M (K-12, Lower East Side); Anderson School (K-8, Upper West Side); TAG-Talented and Gifted School for Young Scholars (K-8, East Harlem); Brooklyn School of Inquiry (K-8, Bensonhurst); Queens School of Inquiry (K-8). Several set aside seats for students from low-income families or temporary housing.

Teacher certification: NYC G/T program teachers must hold a Gifted Education Extension Certificate (12 credits G/T coursework plus NYSED CST).
Admissions evolution and equity
From Test-Based to Teacher Recommendation
Pre-2021: Admissions based on a single standardized test administered to 4-year-olds. Resulted in significant racial and economic disparity in program composition. Criticized for excluding gifted students from underrepresented communities.

2021-22 (de Blasio): Announced phase-out of separate G/T programs; test scrapped; “Brilliant NYC” universal accelerated learning for all kindergartners proposed. Reversed by next administration.

2022-present (Adams): Restored and expanded G/T; moved from single test to teacher recommendation; pre-K teachers nominate all pre-K students via Teacher/Program Nomination Form; grades 1-4 applicants evaluated on report card grades (3s and 4s in Math, Reading, Writing). Programs expanded to all 32 districts. Demographic outcomes: increased shares of Black and Latino students, students from low-income families, and students with disabilities.

2025 political debate: NYC’s mayoral campaign placed G/T at the center of a citywide debate, with legislative proposals to expand programming. Ongoing policy evolution.
NYC as an equity laboratory for the state: NYC’s shift from a single test to teacher recommendation illustrates the equity-identification tradeoff at the largest scale in the country. The teacher recommendation model, implemented through the Teacher/Program Nomination Form, asks teachers to consider a broad range of learning behaviors including creativity and imagination, self-reflection and regulation, curiosity and self-initiated exploration, and approaches to learning across verbal and non-verbal modalities. Teachers are explicitly directed to consider the district’s policy of ensuring equal education for all students without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, disability, or weight. The result: a more demographically representative program, and a model that other districts across New York State can learn from in designing equitable local identification procedures.
Platform tools for New York districts

What Renzulli Learning Provides: Supporting Part 117 Screening, Local Program Design, and Gifted Teacher Extension Competencies

Renzulli Profiler, Part 117 Screening Support (Multiple Source Evidence) and Equity Identification Across New York’s Multilingual, Multicultural Population: Part 117’s screening requirement does not specify that a single test is sufficient; it requires a screening that can distinguish students who are possibly gifted from the general population. The Profiler’s structured student self-report generates identification evidence from the student’s own voice, contributing a source type that cognitive ability tests alone cannot provide. For New York’s enormous multilingual population (particularly relevant to the native-language screening requirement), student self-report on interests and strengths is more culturally portable than language-dependent achievement measures. For the written report that Part 117 requires, the Profiler generates documented, structured data that can be described in the report’s description of screening devices and student performance.
Cebeci Test of Creativity (CTC), Visual and Performing Arts Domain (§142.2) and Part 117 Screening (Possibly Gifted in Arts): New York’s three-domain statutory definition explicitly includes visual and performing arts as a named category of giftedness. A district whose diagnostic screening focuses only on cognitive ability and academic achievement is missing identification of students possibly gifted in the arts domain that the law recognizes. The CTC provides scored creativity evidence that contributes directly to arts-domain identification, completing a screening process that otherwise has a systematic gap. For NYC’s rich arts community and for upstate districts with strong arts traditions, the CTC’s arts-relevant creativity data contributes to the multi-source written report that Part 117 requires.
Executive Function Assessment, Twice-Exceptional Students (§142.2: both performance and potential) and Gifted Teacher Extension Competency (Understanding Gifted Characteristics): New York’s definition explicitly includes students who show evidence of exceptional potential even without demonstrated high performance. Twice-exceptional students (gifted with a learning disability, ADHD, autism spectrum condition, or other challenge) are the population where potential most often is masked by performance constraints. The EFA provides self-regulation and metacognitive profile data that reveals where executive function challenges may be suppressing a student’s visible academic performance while giftedness remains present. For the Gifted Teacher Extension competency in understanding characteristics of gifted students who learn at a pace significantly different from classmates, EFA data gives teachers the specific profile they need to differentiate instruction for 2E students. GiftedNYS explicitly addresses twice-exceptional students in its advocacy and educational resources.
Leadership Assessment, Local Program Domain Expansion and Article 90 “Beyond the Regular Program” Programming: While New York’s statutory definition names three domains, districts building local programs can choose to include leadership giftedness in their identification criteria. The Leadership Assessment provides scored behavioral evidence of leadership capability, supporting districts that want to identify a broader range of gifted students than the three statutory domains alone would capture. For Article 90’s program service requirement (identification, instructional programs, planning, inservice, and program evaluation), the Leadership Assessment’s behavioral data informs differentiated programming for students whose primary gift domain is leadership, matching services to identified strengths.
Enrichment Database, “Beyond the Regular School Program” (§142.2 and Article 90) and Local Program Design Across New York’s 700+ Districts: New York’s statutory definition requires services beyond those normally provided in the regular school program. The enrichment database delivers 40,000+ interest-matched, above-curriculum activities that are the content of that “beyond” at every grade level and subject area. For the enormous range of district capacity across New York State (from fully staffed suburban programs to rural single-classroom schools), the enrichment database provides a quality content library that does not depend on local program infrastructure: a teacher in a small Adirondack district can deliver the same depth and complexity as a G/T specialist in a large suburban program. For NYC’s teacher-recommendation model, the enrichment database provides the programming that students identified through that process access.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) Tools, Article 90 Program Services and Gifted Teacher Extension Competency (Curriculum Design): Article 90 requires that G/T services include instructional programs, planning, and program evaluation. PBL tools deliver the original student investigations that constitute genuine instructional programs beyond the regular curriculum: students work on real problems, produce authentic products, and demonstrate growth that can be observed and evaluated. For the Gifted Teacher Extension’s curriculum design competency requirement, PBL provides a concrete framework for developing curriculum appropriate for gifted students. PBL’s measurable student products provide the program evaluation evidence that Article 90’s service requirements reference and that districts need for local accountability reporting.
Personal Success Plan (PSP), Part 117 Written Report Documentation, Article 90 Program Records, and Parent Communication: Part 117’s written report requirement and Article 90’s program evaluation requirement both create documentation obligations. The PSP addresses both: it generates individual student records that document what was found at screening, what referrals were made, what services were provided, and what progress the student made. For parent communication (both Part 117’s notification requirement and Article 90’s parent participation provision in §4452(1)(e)), PSP’s exportable summaries provide structured, accessible documentation for parent meetings. For BOCES-coordinated programs serving multiple small districts, PSP records provide the documentation continuity that cooperative delivery requires.
State requirements and Renzulli alignment

New York’s G/T Framework and Renzulli Learning: Side by Side

Part 117 8 NYCRR §142.2 Ed. Law §4452 Gifted Teacher Extension
New York Requirement or Framework Renzulli Learning Contribution
Part 117: Diagnostic Screening
Screen every new entrant (pre-K through grade 12); written report with screening devices used, student performance, referral; native language if home language other than English; by qualified staff; within 15 days of transfer		 Profiler (student self-report interest and strength data), CTC (creativity including arts domain), Leadership Assessment (behavioral leadership), EFA (executive function and developmental profile) contribute four evidence types to a multi-source written report that documents screening devices and student performance as Part 117 requires.
§142.2 Definition: Three Domains
General intellectual ability; special academic aptitude; visual and performing arts; both performance and potential; requires services beyond the regular program		 CTC directly addresses the visual and performing arts domain. Profiler addresses intellectual interests and academic aptitude. EFA addresses potential masked by disability (twice-exceptional students). Together, all three statutory domains are addressed with purpose-built instruments.
Part 117: Parent Notification
Student identified as possibly gifted must be reported to the superintendent and to the parent or legal guardian		 PSP exportable summaries provide the structured individual student documentation that supports formal parent notification. Reports include what was screened, what was found, and what programming has been provided, creating a foundation for parent meetings under Part 117’s notification requirement and §4452(1)(e)’s parent participation provision.
Article 90 §4452: Program Services
Services include identification, instructional programs, planning, inservice education, program evaluation; referral by parent/teacher/administrator; parent approval before diagnostic testing; BOCES contracts allowed		 Enrichment database and PBL deliver the instructional programs and planning. PSP provides program documentation and evaluation evidence. All tools support BOCES-coordinated cooperative delivery across multiple small districts.
Gifted Teacher Extension
Knowledge of gifted characteristics; identification tools and methods; curriculum design; differentiated environments; collaboration with staff/families/community; 50+ hours college-supervised field experience; G/T CST		 Renzulli Learning tools directly support each Extension competency: Profiler and CTC (identification tools and methods), enrichment database (curriculum design for gifted students), PBL (planning differentiated environments), PSP (collaboration documentation and program coordination), EFA (understanding gifted characteristics including 2E).
Equity: Native Language, All Domains, Performance + Potential
Screening in native language; arts domain explicitly included; both performance and potential; NYSED is non-endorsing; NYC teacher recommendation model; 2E students included		 CTC provides arts/creativity evidence less dependent on verbal English performance. EFA supports twice-exceptional identification where disability masks potential. Profiler self-report is more portable across cultural and linguistic contexts than adult-nominated referrals. Together these tools address the equity gaps that single-instrument screening systematically creates.
NYC Teacher Nomination Model
Teacher/Program Nomination Form; observations of learning behaviors across verbal and non-verbal modalities; creativity and imagination; self-reflection and regulation; curiosity and self-initiated exploration; DOE equity policy		 Profiler student self-report aligns directly with the NYC nomination form’s focus on curiosity, self-initiated exploration, and approaches to learning. CTC provides scored creativity evidence that complements teacher observation of “Creativity and Imagination.” EFA contributes self-reflection and regulation data. Together they provide structured, documented evidence of the behavioral dimensions the NYC nomination form assesses.
Frequently asked questions

New York State Gifted and Talented Education: Common Questions

No. New York is one of fewer than ten states with no state mandate for gifted and talented programming. GiftedNYS (Gifted New York State, Inc.) confirms that New York does not mandate identifying or providing programming for gifted learners, and does not provide any state funding for gifted education. Part 117 requires diagnostic screening of all new entrants and notification when a student is identified as possibly gifted. But no further action is required by state law. The decision to operate a gifted and talented program is made entirely at the local school district level. NYSED does not maintain a directory of districts with G/T programs.
Part 117 of the Commissioner’s Regulations requires every school district to establish procedures for diagnostic screening of every new entrant (pre-K through grade 12) to determine which students are possibly gifted, possibly have a disability, and/or are possibly English Language Learners. The screening must be conducted by appropriately trained or qualified staff and in the student’s native language if the home language is other than English. Pre-K entrants must be screened before the school year starts or no later than December 1st; transfer students within 15 calendar days. The results must be reviewed and a written report prepared, including a description of the screening devices used, the student’s performance, and any required referral. If a student is identified as possibly gifted, the superintendent and the parent or guardian must be notified. No program is required.
Under Education Law §4452(1)(a) and 8 NYCRR §142.2, the definition of gifted pupils includes those who show evidence of high performance capability and exceptional potential in: (1) general intellectual ability (broad cognitive capability across domains); (2) special academic aptitude (exceptional ability in one or more specific academic subjects or fields); and (3) outstanding ability in visual and performing arts. Both demonstrated performance and potential are included in the definition. The “beyond the regular school program” service trigger also appears in the definition: gifted pupils are those who require educational programs or services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order to realize their full potential.
The Gifted Teacher Extension is an add-on certification available from NYSED for teachers who work with gifted students. It requires knowledge of gifted student characteristics, identification tools and methods, curriculum design for gifted students, skills for planning and providing differentiated learning environments, and college-supervised field experiences of at least 50 clock hours teaching gifted students. Candidates must also pass the NYSED Gifted and Talented Content Specialty Test (CST) and complete fingerprint documentation. In New York City, teachers assigned to G/T programs are required to hold a Gifted Education Extension Certificate (12 credits of G/T coursework plus the CST). Outside NYC, the Extension is voluntary but signals meaningful professional preparation. GiftedNYS notes the Extension pathway for teachers who work exclusively with gifted students, coordinate a gifted program, or choose to obtain the certification.
NYC’s G/T admissions underwent significant changes. Before 2021, admissions were based on a single standardized test administered to 4-year-olds, which produced significant racial and economic disparities. In October 2021, Mayor de Blasio announced a phase-out of separate G/T programs in favor of universal accelerated learning for all kindergartners. Mayor Adams reversed course in 2022, restoring and expanding G/T programs to all 32 districts while replacing the single test with a teacher-recommendation process. Current kindergarten admissions: all pre-K students are evaluated by their current teachers using the Teacher/Program Nomination Form, which assesses learning behaviors across verbal and non-verbal modalities including creativity and imagination, self-reflection and regulation, curiosity and self-initiated exploration. Current grades 1-4 admissions: report card grades (3s and 4s in Math, Reading, Writing) plus teacher evaluation. The demographic composition of programs has become more diverse since the shift from test-based to recommendation-based admissions.
Districts outside NYC have full local design authority and can build G/T programs of any structure. Best practices for local program design include: (1) using Part 117 screening as the entry point for a more comprehensive identification process; (2) adopting a local definition that addresses all three statutory domains (general intellectual, academic aptitude, and visual/performing arts); (3) using multiple evidence sources including student self-report, teacher observation, product evaluation, and cognitive assessments; (4) ensuring the process is conducted in students’ native languages and is responsive to students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; (5) considering BOCES partnership for program delivery and professional development if the district lacks local G/T program infrastructure; and (6) considering the Gifted Teacher Extension as a professional development pathway for educators serving gifted students. GiftedNYS (giftednys.org) provides additional resources and advocacy support for districts working to build quality programs within New York’s permissive framework.
Official sources

New York State Gifted and Talented Education Resources

Explore Renzulli Learning’s gifted and advanced learner alignment for neighboring states:

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