Parents, teachers, administrators, counselors, or community members may refer a child for testing during designated referral windows. District testing for the gifted and talented program is done annually. Please contact the GT/ESL Coordinator, info at the bottom of the page, for further information if you would like to refer your child for testing. Your phone calls and emails will be returned as soon as time is available. District testing dates and a list of GT teachers may be found on LPS’s website.

Our current LPS Gifted and Talented guidelines do not allow us to automatically place previously identified gifted and talented students into the GT program until they are assessed and determined to be eligible. Each district in Texas is able to set its own criteria for admission into its gifted and talented program based on the services it provides. For previously identified students, LPS strives to complete all required assessments within the first six weeks of enrollment.

It is always helpful for parents to share GT testing documentation with the campus GT Teacher. The coordinator will verify that your child was served in a gifted program before proceeding with assessment. National, state, and district testing information, report cards that show gifted placement, and letters of acceptance into a gifted program can expedite the screening process.

GT identification does not involve a quota. All students who qualify under the district guidelines will be eligible to participate in the gifted and talented program.

Identified gifted students who move away from LPS and later return may to be re-assessed. They are not automatically placed back into the gifted program. If they have been gone less than two (2) years or their original testing is less than two years old, the student will be re-admitted to the program. Otherwise, the student must be assessed and qualify again before being placed in the program.

No. Students do not have to re-qualify for GT services when they move from elementary school to secondary school. Once a student is identified as needing GT services, then he or she will continue to be enrolled in the GT program in LPS. We have found that as gifted students get older, they select advanced courses that best suit their academic needs, talents, interests, and future academic plans. Most students stay in GT, but some do choose to exit the GT program. GT teachers are available on each campus to discuss this decision and course options with you.

Gifted learners on the elementary campus are served in the general education classrooms with a teacher trained in gifted and talented education. These teachers work to individualize differentiated curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the students when it is appropriate or deemed necessary.

Contact the GT/ESL Coordinator by calling the school office or by email. Your phone calls and emails will be returned as soon as time is available.