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NEW YORK, NY October 30, 2007 —New York City is making the admissions process for gifted and talented programs in the public schools more uniform. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

The city is planning to guarantee admission to a local gifted and talented class to any child who scores in the 95th percentile on two exams. Chancellor Joel Klein says there's no consistency now because the districts each take students based on available seats - and applications vary tremendously.

In one part of Brooklyn, almost half of all kindergarten and first graders applied to gifted and talented programs last winter and nearly 20 percent were admitted. But in the South Bronx, fewer than 5 percent of kids even applied. Klein acknowledges a significant number of children citywide would NOT have been admitted if they had to reach the 95th percentile.

But he says he's also hoping to recruit more children from all racial and income groups by offering free entrance exams in every elementary school this winter, and by testing all kindergarten students starting next year. For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.