Overview

Our GT program delivers school-wide enrichment for K-12 students through an inclusive model. Middle and high school students are enrolled in advanced courses featuring specialized instruction. Enrichment opportunities include advanced projects such as TPSPs (Texas Performance Standards Projects) and GT extensions integrated into WIN time or Advisory periods. TPSP provides tailored standards, curricula, and assessments to enrich the educational experience for gifted and talented students from kindergarten through high school.

Elementary GT elementary students receive services in an inclusion setting where teachers differentiate instruction. They benefit from a range of options, flexible grouping, and varying acceleration or pacing. During WIN time, they are pulled out to work on advanced projects, such as TPSPs and curriculum-based extensions. Students present their findings at a campus expo. Additionally, Mesita Elementary offers services through cluster grouping and a dual language program.

Middle School GT middle school students receive services in an inclusion setting with differentiated instruction across core, Pre-AP, and honors courses. Murphree, Don Haskins, and Richardson offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program. Students benefit from varied options, flexible grouping, and adaptable pacing. During advisory time, they work on advanced projects like TPSPs and present their findings at a campus expo. They also have access to Khan Academy for further GT extensions and can participate in National History Day, advancing to regional and state levels at UTEP and in Austin, TX. Additionally, Wiggs Middle School offers services through a dual language program and the Connecting Worlds Mundos Unidos program.

High School GT High School students thrive under an inclusive model that provides differentiated instruction across pre-AP, AP, IB, dual credit courses through the National Education Equity Lab, and AP Capstone. They work on advanced projects like TPSPs during advisory or core classes and present their findings at the campus expo. Additionally, they can participate in National History Day, advancing to regional and state levels, including UTEP and Austin, TX. Students also have access to GT enrichment resources via Khan Academy.

School-wide Enrichment (SWE) offers instruction in all core subjects by a GT-trained teacher in a mixed GT/non-GT environment. The SWE Gifted & Talented Program covers all four core subject areas, as well as fine arts, creativity, and leadership, and provides appropriate differentiation in content, process, and product. Students receive an array of learning opportunities that cater to their abilities and emphasize content in the four foundation curricular areas. Services are available during the school day and throughout the entire school year.

The program is comprehensive, structured, sequenced, and appropriately challenging for gifted/talented students. Teachers use Dr. Sandra Kaplan’s Depth and Complexity model, and students learn through flexible grouping patterns and independent investigations. School districts provide options relevant to the student’s areas of strength whenever possible. Teachers utilize the GT Teachers Toolkits (I and II), available through TEA. These resources help teachers teach research skills to students and ensure that students can produce sophisticated and expert-level products to meet the State Goal for Gifted and Talented Education.

Below is a sample of resources available through the toolkits.

Kaplan’s Scholarly Behaviors, including the Elements of Depth and Complexity
Resources for differentiating instruction
Product Development, including Developing Advanced Products and Preparing and Making Oral Presentations
Research processes such as "Conducting Quantitative Research," "Conducting Qualitative Research," "Using Mixed Methods of Research," and Basic Research Skills.
Models of Inquiry, including Creative Problem Solving, Inquiry Processes, and Advanced Thinking Skills.

Additionally, a continuum of learning experiences is provided, leading to developing advanced-level products and/or performances such as those provided through the Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP). Participation in the Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) or other experiences that result in developing sophisticated products and/or performances targeted to an audience outside the classroom is available at Texas PSP.