The goal of the BISD Gifted and Talented Program is to provide opportunities to meet the educational, psychological, and social needs of gifted students by helping them develop:

• a deeper understanding of how intellectual potential affects self-development, relationships with others, and responsibilities to society,
• creative thinking abilities by increasing fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality
• critical thinking abilities by increasing divergent thinking processes, problem- solving strategies, logical reasoning skills, and organization tools
• higher level thinking skills of synthesis, analysis, and evaluation
• complex research techniques that allow creation of products in areas of intense interest, and
• skills of managing time and resources in order to set and meet goals.

The BISD Gifted and Talented Program is designed to serve students who exhibit characteristics that indicate general intellectual ability or high ability in a specific domain. General intellectual ability is defined as general intelligence, aptitudes, or abilities to reason, perceive, and understand. Students who are gifted in general intellectual ability are likely to exhibit many of the following traits:

• Extensive and detailed memory
• Prompt recall
• Advanced vocabulary
• Inquisitive mind
• Sound judgment
• Rapid acquisition of information
• Broad base of knowledge
• Advanced concept formation
• Analogical thinking or reasoning
• Keen observation

A student may be nominated by a parent, teacher, administrator, peer, or self. Once the nomination form has been generated, the assessment/screening process involves several components.

• Parents provide information through use of a "Parent Checklist."
• They also must give written permission for screening/assessment to occur.
• Parents must also give permission for their child to be served in the Gifted and Talented Program if they meet eligibility criteria.
• The assessment/screening is voluntary, and parents may request to suspend the process at any time.

• Teachers complete a "Teacher Checklist" which provides information regarding the student's level of acquired knowledge, motivation, and creativity as observed in the classroom setting.

• Personnel from the Advanced Academics Department administer several tests to students.  These tests measure knowledge the student has acquired from the formal school setting, and ability to perform divergent thinking, and reasoning ability.
• All information is gathered and plotted on a "Student Profile" sheet.  This information is given to appropriate individuals, trained in the nature and needs of gifted students, to review and determine student eligibility in the Gifted and Talented Program.

To determine whether a student is eligible for participation in the Gifted and Talented Program, the following process is utilized:

• All assessments/screening information is plotted on a "Student Profile" sheet;
• On the profile is an indication of district expectations for consideration for participation in the Gifted and Talented Program;
• Students must score at or above district expectations in at least three indicators to be eligible for the Gifted and Talented Program;
• Students must score in the superior range on the ability test and one achievement test. The must also score superior in one qualitative area;
• The information is provided to the Campus Placement Committee.  Each campus has a committee composed of at least three members.  In BISD the three members are required to have State required Gifted and Talented training;
• The Placement Committee reviews the information on the profile and determines if the Gifted and Talented Program is the appropriate educational setting for the student.  This information is returned to the Gifted and Talented Department;
• The child's campus and parents are notified in writing of the decision of the Campus Placement Committee;
• Parents are provided with a copy of the Appeals Process.
• Eligible students are placed in the Gifted and Talented Program as soon as possible.

Every school year, the Gifted and Talented department will attempt to schedule testing dates for each campus to help ensure better communication with the campus, to create an appropriate testing environment and to make better use of time for students.  

The first few weeks of school are focused on screening transfer and secondary students. October and November wraps up elementary screening across the District, and December and January prepare kindergarten profiles for placement committees.

When a student identified as gifted and talented by a previous school district transfers into the District, the student's record shall be reviewed by the Advanced Academics Coordinator to determine if placement in the district's program is appropriate. The decision will be based on information received from the previous district, observation reports of district teachers who instruct the student, and any additional testing information conducted by the District. Parents will be notified in writing of the placement decision.

According to Texas State Law, military dependents placed previously in a gifted and talented setting will be transferred in with confirmation and data from the previous school.

The request for furlough must go through the Coordinator for Advanced Academic Services. Request for furlough does not go through the Campus Placement Committees

• Parents must make a written request to place a student on furlough.
• Students may be furloughed for a period of time deemed appropriate by the selection committee. 
• Campuses are notified that the student is placed on furlough.
• While a student is on furlough, he/she will not be accounted for in the PEIMS reporting system.
• The Advanced Academics office will notify parents prior to the expiration of the furlough to determine parent wishes regarding student reinstatement in the program.  At the end of the furlough period, the student’s progress shall be reassessed.
  • If parents wish, students are reinstated in the program with no further assessment.
  • If parents wish, students are exited from the program at this point.
  • Campuses are notified of the parents’ decision.

The following steps MUST be taken to exit a student from the program:

• The teacher conferences with the student.
• Parents are notified that the student is experiencing difficulty.
• The teacher documents date of conference, method of conference, and information shared with parent.
• The teacher continues to document difficulties the student is experiencing on an on-going basis.
• If no improvement occurs, the teacher contacts the parents to inform them that a Campus Placement Meeting will be held to discuss the student’s progress and the possibility of placing a student on furlough for a period of time or exiting him/her from the program.
• The teacher(s) contact the Coordinator for Advanced Academic Services to arrange a Placement Committee Meeting.
• A Placement Committee Meeting is scheduled.
• Placement Committee Members consider all information (both from the teacher and from parents, if provided).
• The Placement Committee may determine that student participation in the GT Program is not an appropriate placement for the student.
• They will consider all documentation and information and provide the rationale for their decision.
• The teacher conferences with the student to share the decision.
• Parents are notified in writing (from Advanced Academics) of the Placement Committee decision.
• The parents are provided a written copy of the Appeal Process