Austin ISD screens students in grades K-12 based on nominations received and permission to test. The calendar below shows the nomination window for specific grade bands and screening activities to be conducted at the campus by the Campus GT Advocate.
GATE Assessment Calendar 2019–20
GT Nomination and Screening Process
Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible to be screened for Gifted and Talented (GT) and Talent Explore (TE) in Austin ISD through a nomination and screening process. All campuses in Austin ISD provide screening, identification, and services for Gifted and Talented students. Additionally, students screened for Gifted and Talented who are not identified for GT services are automatically considered for Talent Explore. Talent Explore identification is for high ability students who do not qualify for Gifted and Talented but demonstrate potential to perform at high levels when grouped with Gifted and Talented students. Students may be identified through the screening process 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).
Every campus in Austin ISD has a Campus GT Advocate who can provide information and assistance with the GT nomination and screening process.
In order for a student to be identified as GT in Austin ISD, data from several quantitative and qualitative criteria are collected over a three-week period and reviewed by the campus GT Decision-Making Committee.
The first step in the process is to complete the Checklist for Parents and turn it in to the Campus GT Advocate at your child's school during the nomination window for your child's grade level. Campus GT Advocates are not required to accept these forms for your child's grade level before the nomination window opens or after the nomination window closes.
Parent and Teacher Checklist
The parent and teacher checklist identify characteristics of giftedness based on the Purdue Academic Rating Scales; Frasier’s Traits, Aptitudes, and Behaviors Scales; and Javits’ Gifted Characteristics Checklist for Underrepresented Populations.
Gifted Characteristics Checklist for Parents (required)
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
The Cognitive Abilities Test measures learned reasoning and problem-solving skills in three areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal. Reasoning skills develop gradually throughout a person’s lifetime and at different rates for different individuals. CogAT does not measure such factors as effort, attention, motivation, and work habits, which contribute to school achievement as well.
- The Verbal Reasoning section measures a child’s ability to remember and transform sequences of English words, to understand them, and to make inferences and judgments about them.
- The Quantitative Reasoning tests the child's understanding of basic quantitative concepts and relationships that are essential for learning mathematics. Tasks measure both the understanding of relational concepts and the student’s ability to discover relationships and to figure out a rule or principle that explains them.
- The Nonverbal Reasoning measures reasoning using pictures and geometric shapes and appraises the student’s ability to use cognitive resources in new situations.
The CogAT quantitative and nonverbal scores are the only subtests considered for students who do not speak English or are not at a level of proficiency in English.
Student Common Assessment (Grades K-5)
These interdisciplinary and thematic lessons are designed specifically to serve as work samples for student portfolios.
Student Voice & Choice Assessment (Grades K-12)
Student Voice and Choice Assessment is an independent learning activity on a topic of interest and was designed to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate design thinking using a four-step process of 1) feel, 2) imagine, 3) do, and 4) share to understand situations empathetically, imagine solutions, and put those solutions into action. The student will create a final product that conveys his/her understandings and feelings about the selected topic.
GT Transfers
Transferring GT status within Austin ISD
If an AISD GT student transfers from one campus to another, the student’s area(s) for GT identification will automatically follow the student. The transfer in the TEAMS system is automatic once the student is officially enrolled at the new school.
Returning to Austin ISD after leaving the district
If an Austin ISD student leaves the district and then returns to the district, GT status will be reinstated. The parent/guardian of the student must contact Advanced Academics at 512-414-0139 to verify the student is eligible to participate in the district GT program. Additional documentation may be required.
Requesting GT status in Austin ISD from out-of-district
- Placement in the Austin ISD GT program is not automatic for students identified as GT outside of Austin ISD. Students must be enrolled in Austin ISD before the following can be completed:
- Parents/guardians will begin the GT transfer review by completing the district’s GT Transfer Review.
- The district’s Advanced Academics team will complete the transfer review process within 15 business days of receiving student records from the parent/guardian and the student's enrollment in Austin ISD.
- A transfer recommendation will be provided to the campus decision-making committee to determine if placement in the GT program is appropriate.
- The committee shall make its determination and notify the parents within 15 business days of receiving the district’s recommendation regarding GT placement and whether additional screening criteria needs to be collected.
For the Out-of-District Transfer Review Form, access the button below: