Transitioning to Junior High
KISD Gifted and Talented
Program Options
Department of Gifted/Talented and
Advanced Academic Studies
Sherry Luce
Facilitator
(281)237-5957
Secondary Gifted Program
Subject specific
 Core Content areas
 Service every day
 Additional options available

Secondary Campus Support
Junior High Facilitator, Sherry Luce - on
campus 2 days per week
 Counselors
 GT Content Teachers- who have
completed 30 hours training and 6 hours
of annual update training

When to contact the campus
facilitator…
Questions about Gifted/Talented
Screening
 Concerns about student performance
 Need to exit from the GT program
 Questions about program options

When the campus facilitator may
contact you…

Concerns about student performance

Need to initiate a furlough from GT

Need to exit student from the GT
program
Secondary G/T Program
Content Specific
Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Aligned with Advanced Placement
Courses in these content areas
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
College Level Challenge
 Content Immersion
 Analysis and Synthesis
 Accelerated Learning
 Sophisticated Concepts

PRE-ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Aligned with Advanced Placement
Courses
 Academically Advanced
 Analysis and Synthesis
 Accelerated Learning
 Designed to increase student capacity to
understand rigorous content

Pre-AP/GT and AP/GT
High School Mathematics
Pre-AP
Pre-AP/GT
Write vectors as ordered pairs
and add two vectors
Use the dot product of two
vectors to determine whether
they are perpendicular
Connect composition of
transformation to composition of
functions
Use properties of transformations
and their compositions to make
connections to mathematics and
their music
Create a real world situation…
Pre-AP/GT and AP/GT
English/Language Arts
Pre-AP
Pre-AP/GT
7th grade: 2 classes—Reading and One compacted course
English
Analyze …
The way authors organize and
present ideas such as through
cause/effect, compare/contrast…
And compare…
Analyze the author’s use of
argumentation techniques…
…by analyzing contemporary
editorials.
Pre-AP/GT Social Studies
Pre-AP
Pre-AP/GT
Explain how the rights and
responsibilities of US citizens
reflect our national identity…
…and visually portray the model
US citizen
Summarize and interpret rights
guaranteed in the Bill of Rights…
…and analyze the Bill of Rights in
action in the world today
Identify new ideas in mathematics, And assess their significance
science and technology that
today
occurred during ancient Greek
civilization and trace the spread of
these ideas to other civilizations…
A Note About GPA’s



All high school level courses contribute to
students’ GPAs, including courses taken in
junior high (Algebra 1 and languages other
than English)
All courses designated as AP, AP/GT, PreAP, and Pre-AP/GT carry a weighted grade
point. (This is subject to change.)
Algebra 1 GT does not carry a weighted
grade point
Making a Decision about
PreAP/GT





Analyze standardized test scores
Review semester averages earned in core
classes
Self-assess in terms of student attitudes,
habits, and comfort with ambiguity
Consider personal/academic interests and
strengths
Evaluate time commitments and priorities for
non-school activities
Steps in Transitioning to 6th Grade
Step 1

Parents receive the Request for Course
Consideration form from their child’s
Challenge teacher in early November.

After discussing with your child, submit
the form with your request by the
deadline.
Step 2

Campus selection committee will review
available data (Stanford scores, input
from academic teacher, grades, previous
scores, and parent request) and collect
any additional testing necessary to
ensure appropriate placement.
Step 3
Campus selection committee will notify
the parents of placement by the end of
January.
 Parents who have questions or
concerns must contact the school within
15 school days upon receipt of the
notification letter.

Step 4
During the course selection process,
students will register for GT courses for
which they are identified.
 Carefully check the course verification
sheet that will be sent in late April or
early May for correct placement.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is it advisable to take all PreAP/ GT
classes?
A: It depends on the strengths of your child.
Q: What if my student does not qualify in all
areas?
A: Students may enroll in PreAP classes or
appropriate academic classes. Additional
screening will be available in the spring of 6th
grade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If I do not request consideration for one or
more content areas now, can my child enter
those GT courses in 6th grade?
A: No. The student may enroll in those Pre-AP
courses, but not Pre-AP/GT.
Q: Is it possible to enter in 7th grade or later?
A: Yes, but you will need to request that your
child be screened in those areas during the
regular screening window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My child has been approved for a GT
course, but we decide not to enroll in that
course in 6th grade. Can my child enroll in
that GT course in 7th grade?
A: No. Your child will have to be screened for
that content area during the spring screening
window in 6th grade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I understand that most GT secondary students are clustered in Pre-AP
classes. What is the advantage of GT identification that situation?
A: 1. GT identification is designed to address the particular educational
needs of the gifted learner.
2. The teacher is required to have 30 hours of GT training to have the GT
assignment.
3. The teacher is aware of the GT identification and can address unique
needs of the gifted learners in that class.
4. GT students are a part of a learning community that can help address
the social/emotional and intellectual needs of the gifted learner.
5. A cluster of GT students in a class creates a unique dynamic in the
classroom that is evidenced by the dialogue and the depth of the
conversation in the class.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is GT “more work”?
A: GT student should not receive assignments “in
addition to” the standard assignments, but may
receive assignments “in lieu of” the standard
assignments. Replacement assignments are
typically more open ended and flexible in the way
that the student demonstrates their learning.
More Questions and Answers
Q: What if my child is not successful?
A: Contact the junior high GT facilitator about exit
policies.
Q: What is a furlough?
A: A temporary exit from a GT course for a
compelling reason, such as a schedule conflict,
for one year. Furloughs for reasons other than
academic are limited to a specific timeframe.
More Questions and Answers
Q: What if I disagree with the placement decision?
A: Contact the elementary Challenge teacher or
counselor within 15 school days of receiving your
notification letter.
Q: What if I have questions about junior high or high
school courses?
A: Contact the counselor or GT facilitator at the
campus. Attend course selection nights at junior high
campus.
Program Options
Secondary Gifted Program
G/T Independent Study



Available elective for grades 7 and 8
Emphasis on time management,
research and communication skills
Provides opportunities for in-depth study
of self-selected topic
Destination ImagiNation®



Creative Problem Solving Competition
Extracurricular option for K-12
Students generate solutions for specific
challenges in a variety of formats.
Academic Decathlon

Pentathlon- grades 7-8

Octathlon- grades 9-10

Decathlon- grades 11-12
Questions about your child’s course
selections should be directed to….



Challenge Teacher at the elementary
GT Facilitator at the junior high
Junior High counselors
Additional Resources

Secondary Course Selection Process
• Spring 2012
• Information from junior high campus
• Secondary Course Catalog can be found at
www.katyisd.org

College Board
• www.collegeboard.com