Allegations of foot-dragging in Montgomery County have led parents and a school board member to blast school administrators for excessive secrecy and an absence of progress on the county’s much-vaunted gifted and talented program.

The program, last updated 13 years ago, is at the center of a debate about how to best educate the county’s brightest students. Some parents and administrators favor more separation by ability level. Others are focused on providing similar high standards for all students.