GT Referral and Screening Process
All campuses in Austin ISD offer Gifted and Talented screening in grades K-12 based on referrals received by the Campus GT Advocate. The calendar has the referral window and screening activities.
Students may be identified in one or more of the following areas:
- GT STEM (science and mathematics),
- GT Humanities (language arts and social studies),
- Talent Explore STEM (science and mathematics), or
- Talent Explore Humanities (language arts and social studies).
Qualitative and quantitative measures are collected. Qualitative measures include a Parent Observation Form, Teacher Observation Form, and a student work sample completed at school. The quantitative measure is a standardized assessment.
The Parent Observation Form needs to be completed and signed to provide permission for the student to complete the screening process. The form must be submitted to the Campus GT Advocate during the Student GT Referral Window.
GT Transfers
GT status within Austin ISD
- Austin ISD students identified as GT or Talent Explore will remain in the program even if they change schools within the district.
- No additional documentation or action needed.
Returning to Austin ISD after leaving the district
- The parent/guardian must contact the front office of the school to request the contact information for the campus GT Advocate to have the student reinstated by the district.
- Additional documentation may be required.
Requesting GT status in Austin ISD from out-of-district
- Students must be enrolled in Austin ISD. This process is only available to students identified as GT in school outside of Austin ISD.
- Parents/guardians will complete the Out-of-District Transfer Review Form.
- The campus will request the required student records that document previous GT identification before the review can begin.
- The student’s GT placement decision will be sent to the parent and campus GT Avocate via email after the review of student records is completed.
Austin ISD Elementary GT Services
Elementary GT services include instruction by a teacher with the appropriate GT Foundations training within a cluster grouping model (small group of identified GT students within the general education classroom). Students have a GT Learning Plan based on their grade level. Parents/guardians of identified GT students at the elementary level should expect a GT Student Services Summary each semester completed by the teacher.
Austin ISD Secondary GT Services
Secondary GT services include instruction by a teacher with the appropriate GT Foundations training and any required specialized training in the following options:
- Advanced Courses,
- Advanced Placement,
- Magnet (requires admission to magnet),
- International Baccalaureate (requires admission to IB),
- Dual Credit (requires passing TSI score), or
- Advanced-level CTE courses.
Gifted and Talented Resources
These resources are designed for parents/guardians and school staff.
- GT Parent Manual (1/22/21)
- GT Parent Manual (1/22/21) (español)
-
Sesión informativa sobre el Programa para niños dotados y talentosos
- GATE Talking Points (1-pager in español and English)
- Giftedness Knows No Boundaries (social media)
- NAGC's Managing Grief & Anxiety during COVID-19
- TAGT's Parent Support Groups
- SENG's Parent Groups
- NAGC's Starting and Sustaining a Parent Group (e-book)
- Successful Study Habits (smores)
- Guiding the Gifted (newsletters)
- Guiding the Gifted: Asynchronous Development (English) (español)
- Guiding the Gifted: Heightened Sensitivity (English) (español)
- Guiding the Gifted: Introversion (English) (español)
- Guiding the Gifted: Peer Relations (English) (español)
- Guiding the Gifted: Leadership (English) (español)
- Guiding the Gifted: Learning Styles (English) (español)
- Guiding the Gifted: Perfectionism (English) (español)
- Guiding the Gifted: Moral Development (English) (español)
- Guiding the Gifted: Bibliotherapy (English) (español)
Gifted and Talented Webinars
Austin ISD has purchased a site license for the following SENG webinars. Use access code CP2017 to view webinars.
- Is It a Gift or a Curse? What It Means to Be an Outlier… and What to Do about It!
- Mindfulness: Fostering the Emotional Growth of Children with Advanced Abilities
- Building Resilience in Gifted Children: Fostering a Sense of Autonomy and Confidence
- Stress, Anxiety and Gifted: Coping with Everyday Life
- Strategies for Dealing with Emotional Overexcitabilities