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Identification and Services

Referring your child for G/T and what to look for in services

How do I refer a child for G/T services? If my student participates in G/T services, what should I expect? The following resources exist to better inform you as you navigate Gifted/Talented services in your child’s district.If you have district-specific questions, you can refer to your child's school district's publicly available, board-approved policy.

Identification of G/T students

Identification of G/T students may vary from district to district, however you should expect to see the following take place:

  • Awareness session

    Awareness session that will provide you with an overview of the assessment procedures and services that can exist for your child.

  • Open referral period

    An open referral period that will result in a testing window for G/T services. Districts will assess for services at least once a year. It is important to contact your district early in the school year to see when this window will occur.

  • Assessments

    Assessments will be provided to your child to determine if services are appropriate.

  • G/T Placement Committee

    A G/T Placement Committee will meet on every child that has been referred to determine if G/T services are the most effective way to meet their needs. An important note here is that some districts may perform grade-level screeners. This is separate from the referral process and helps districts identify students who might otherwise be overlooked. If you want to ensure that your child goes through the entire identification process, your child must be referred for G/T assessment. Members of the Placement Committee are to be G/T trained according to the State Plan.

  • Appeal

    If you do not agree with the decision, you do have the opportunity to appeal the decision. Contact your child’s school to learn more about this process.

  • Qualitative and quantitative measures

    Districts must provide a minimum of three measures for students in K-12, and include subjective and objective measures for grades 1-12. For reference, section 2.22 states that in grades 1–12, qualitative and quantitative data are collected through three or more measures to determine whether a student needs gifted/talented services.

General Questions to ask during the referral process

  • how do I refer my child for G/T services?
  • when will the G/T awareness meeting take place (This is an important meeting where you will learn more about the identification process and services available in the district. This can take place as a district or campus based meeting)?
  • what are ways that I can support my child at home?
  • will my child be assessed by a local or district based G/T Committee (local is based at the campus level and district is a district based committee)?
  • how will I learn of the results of the G/T assessment and what are my options?
  • if my child is identified for G/T services, when will the services begin?
  • what types of supports will exist if my child is in the G/T Program?
  • what support/advocacy groups exist in the district for students in G/T services.
  • what are examples of advanced services that will take place for my child?
  • what are some curricular modifications/accommodations that will take place in my child’s academic classes?

Students receiving specialized services

When your child is being assessed to see if services are appropriate, they will take into consideration any learning differences that may exist with your child. This is important if the school is meeting the state definition of identifying students “who perform or have the potential to perform at high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment”. As advocates for our children, we need to also be understanding of learning characteristics that may arise when your child is in other specialized programs in the school setting.

Learn more about Gifted Emergent Bilingual (EB) Students

Texas is a wonderfully diverse state where more than 30 languages are spoken. Approximately 25% of Texas residents are identified as EB students and may speak another language and English. Of that group, 85% speak Spanish. A linguistically diverse gifted student is a child or youth who have the characteristics of gifted students with the potential for high achievement and whose primary language is other than English and whose English language skills are such that the student has difficulty performing ordinary classwork in English.

Emergent Bilingual (EB) Considerations

  • Will my child be assessed in their preferred language? If not, what are ways that this will be taken into consideration?
  • Will my child’s TELPAS scores be taken into consideration (TELPAS is the assessment that is given to Emergent Bilingual students to assess language proficiency)?
  • If my child demonstrates a need for G/T services, what are the ways that their linguistic and G/T needs will be met?
  • What support/advocacy groups exist in the district for students in G/T services?

Twice Exceptional Learners

Students who are gifted may also have a disability. The term “twice-exceptional,” also referred to as “2e,” is used to describe gifted children who, have the characteristics of gifted students with the potential for high achievement and give evidence of one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria. These disabilities may include other health impairment (OHI) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism (AU), or a specific learning disability (SLD) such as dyslexia.

Twice Exceptional Learner (2e) Considerations

  • What are ways that my child’s learning differences will be taken into consideration during the assessment process?
  • If my child demonstrates a need for G/T services, what are ways that their different needs will be met in the classroom?
  • How will my child’s strengths be promoted in their services?
  • What support/advocacy groups exist in the district for students in G/T services?

Gifted/Talented District Service Options

Districts have a variety of models to provide G/T services. It is important to note that districts may offer one or more of these options. It is important to be familiar with your rights and know the expectations of the modes of delivery. Your child will be provided their services for acceleration and enrichment through these models. Take a look at the following district approved service options and questions that you are able to ask to advocate for your child.

The approved models of service are below.

Pull-out

Part-time services in a classroom, other than the student's regular class, that take place on a regular schedule.

  • Examples: Pull-out or resource classroom
  • Grade Levels: Elementary and Middle School

Push-in

Occasional services to a student while the student is in their regular classroom.

  • Examples: Visiting teacher or coordinator
  • Grade Levels: Elementary and Middle School

Full-time gifted only

receives the majority of their core subjects with peers who are all identified as gifted/talented. 

  • Examples: G/T only foundational core classes
  • Grade Levels: All grade levels

Full-time inclusion

receives the majority of their core subjects with peers who are not identified as gifted/talented

  • Examples: Differentiated Instruction, cluster grouping, or flexible grouping
  • Grade Levels: All grade levels

Special Day school

A special school which is administratively separate from regular schools and is organized to serve gifted/talented students

  • Examples: G/T campuses serving only G/T students
  • Grade Levels: All grade levels

Acceleration and Enrichment

Your child may be provided their services for acceleration and enrichment through these models.

Acceleration can take place in the following ways. Contact your child’s school to see what is available for you.

  • Acceleration is recommended service option for gifted students. Especially highly gifted students can exhibit extremes in asynchronous development. Single-subject acceleration assists districts to address the “appropriately challenging” requirement (State Plan 3.3,4.9, and State Plan Glossary).
  • Districts must provide “opportunities to accelerate in areas of strength” for GT-identified students in grades K-12 (19 TAC §89.3(4); (State Plan 4.5)).  The process of identifying “strengths” for purposes of 19 TAC §89.3(4) and determination of eligibility for these acceleration opportunities are left to local districts to decide.  Acceleration should allow students to move ahead in the curriculum without requiring the student to repeat content the following year (see State Plan Glossary for Acceleration definition).
  • Credit by Examination:  Districts must also permit acceleration through the Credit by Examination process for all students, regardless of GT identification (19 TAC §74.24).  The process and criteria for qualifying for full-grade acceleration in grades K-5 and both single-subject and full-grade acceleration in grades 6-12 are specified in the statute.  Section 74.24 does not prohibit additional acceleration placements made pursuant to 19 TAC §89.3(4), and §74.24(5) specifically provides flexibility in acceleration assessment and placement.
  • Subject acceleration for GT students in grades K-5:  Because 19 TAC §89.3(4) is separate from the Credit by Examination statute, specifically applies to GT-identified services, and specifies acceleration in “areas of strength,” districts should develop a process for identifying GT students as candidates for single-subject acceleration in grades K-5 and facilitating acceleration in “areas of strength,” per statute.