Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Gifted And Talented topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts 2026–27 gifted‑and‑talented plan after presentation on identification changes
Summary
Trustees unanimously approved ECISD’s 2026–27 gifted‑and‑talented plan. Staff cited the district’s shift to the Naglieri nonverbal exam, expanded referral access, and a strategy of in‑class clustered inclusion for K–2 and targeted pullouts for grades 3–6.
Ector County ISD trustees voted to approve the district’s 2026–27 Gifted & Talented (GT) plan after a presentation from district academic staff outlining identification, service delivery and outcomes.
The presenter said the district has adopted the Naglieri nonverbal exam as a primary identification instrument to reduce language‑based barriers and increase equitable identification. He described a three‑year push that included staff training, an open referral link for families and community members, and data systems that now track GT outcomes. "We eventually want those bars to even up," he said, referring to demographic representation in GT identification; staff reported identification rates are approaching state averages and that the district now serves roughly 3,000 GT‑identified students.
Services will emphasize clustered inclusion at kindergarten through second grade to preserve core instructional time and minimize disruption, with pullout services and more targeted delivery beginning in third grade. Staff outlined typical service levels (about two hours per week of GT services) and campus scheduling approaches for schools with varying GT enrollment sizes.
Trustees asked about supporting general education teachers to maintain rigor when GT students return to class and whether pre‑K identification is appropriate; staff said best practices do not identify GT in pre‑K and that services begin as early as March 1 of kindergarten. The motion to adopt the plan passed by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will implement the plan in the 2026–27 school year, continue community outreach for referrals and use the district data systems to monitor GT student outcomes.
