District review finds 19% of students qualify for GT services; leaders propose more time and intensity in services

Dr. Walker presented the Alamo Heights ISD annual program review for gifted and talented (GT) services, telling the board that 19 percent of the district’s students currently qualify for GT services and outlining proposed changes to identification, service delivery and reporting.

The review explained that Texas funding caps GT reimbursement at 5 percent and noted the district’s GT enrollment (19 percent) is higher than the state average (about 8.2 percent). Dr. Walker said a 2022 change to GT criteria — which limited the standard error of measurement and restricted outside testing — reduced overall enrollment compared with earlier years but that current identification remains robust. “Alamo Heights, 19 percent of our total enrollment does qualify for GT services,” Dr. Walker said during the presentation.

The presentation described four GT service models used in various districts: differentiation in-classroom, pull-out intervention (the district’s Heights program), cohort models and specialized schools. Dr. Walker reviewed research-based factors that correlate with effective GT outcomes: time (more instructional time), intensity (higher cognitive demand), personalized services, domain-specific instruction and teacher expertise.

For fall 2025 identification, the district proposes replacing COGAT/Iowa testing with universal screeners and maintaining the 90th percentile standard for academic achievement. Dr. Walker outlined a three-domain approach for K–5: (1) academic achievement via universal screeners (reading and math depending on grade), (2) critical thinking and reasoning (including a purchased nonverbal paper-and-pencil test), and (3) academic potential and performance via parent and teacher surveys and grades; qualifying would require meeting criteria in two domains. In secondary grades, Dr. Walker said the district will continue end-of-year reviews and may accept MAP scores for qualification; he also proposed exploring PSAT-8 administration at the middle-school level as a supplemental indicator and noted the district would accept other tests as appropriate for exceptional cases (e.g., emergent bilingual or twice-exceptional students).

Operational changes discussed included increasing the percentage of core teachers with GT certification (30 hours of foundational training plus a six-hour annual update), refreshing GT modification language in the curriculum, expanding acceleration pathways (the junior school acceleration program was cited as an example) and more frequent progress reporting to families. Dr. Walker also described a successful enrichment model where Heights teachers delivered enrichment to non-Heights students and 10 percent of those students later qualified for Heights services.

Trustees asked about evaluation thresholds, funding implications and whether a district with a high GT percentage should tighten identification; Dr. Walker said a safety-net appeals process would remain and that the district would first explore service-model and staffing options before considering further restrictions to eligibility.