A student in the Gifted and Talented program may be exited if the committee determines the GT program is not meeting the student’s educational needs. The District’s identification committee will review documentation from both the core and GT classrooms. As the parent (or guardian), you would be present at this meeting and would be included in this decision.

Students may take a leave of absence from gifted/talented services if they are not succeeding academically in the G/T class and/or in core classes. The most common reasons students furlough are related to medical or family challenges resulting in a student’s need to “take a break” from the GT program’s rigor. The student’s parent or guardian is included in this decision.

The length of time for the furlough is determined by the GT identification committee but should not be for longer than the remainder of the current school year. Students on furlough do not have to retest to be placed back into the program, however we recommend a parent/teacher conference to discuss the student’s progress before the student re-enters the GT program.  

In our middle school and high school, GT students will receive complexity and rigor through subject specific Pre-AP, AP, and Dual Credit courses offered.  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.

Intermediate students in Grades 5 and 6 are served through Social Studies with a GT trained teacher.  Students participate in project-based learning and develop a TPSP project.

The Elementary Gifted Program (Kindergarten – 4th Grade) is a pullout program which provides the GT student the opportunity to work with a GT Specialist on each elementary campus. The times for each grade level are as follows:

• Kindergarten (beginning by March 1) – 1 hour per week

• First Grade – minimum of 1 hour per week

• Second Grade – minimum of 2 hours per week

• Third Grade – minimum of 3 hours per week

• Fourth Grade – minimum of 4 hours per week

No. Students do not have to re-qualify for GT services when they move from elementary to intermediate school or from intermediate to middle and high school.

Identified gifted students who move away from Royse City ISD and later return may need to be reassessed. They are not automatically placed back into the gifted program.

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.

Objective and subjective data assessments are used for placement in the GT program.  Assessment tools may include, but are not limited to, the following: ability tests, achievement tests, grades, and observation inventories completed by teachers and parents.

RCISD is unable to use assessments conducted outside of a school environment, such as those conducted by a private counselor or clinician when making placement decisions for RCISD’s gifted and talented program.

District testing for the gifted and talented program is done annually. Kindergarten screening and testing will take place in December and January. All other referrals will take place in February and March. Testing is conducted in April. Please contact your child’s principal for further information.

If you have any GT testing information from your child’s previous school, please provide it to the school at the time of enrollment. The campus GT teacher will verify that your child was served in a gifted program before proceeding with assessment in our district. National, state, and district testing information, report cards that show gifted placement, and letters of acceptance into a gifted program, etc. can expedite the screening process.

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 this reason, RCISD does not automatically place incoming GT students into our GT program. 

Grades 1-6

When a student identified as gifted by a previous school district enrolls in the District, the District shall place the student in the District’s program for gifted and talented students if his or her records indicate the previous district uses the same screening instruments as the District and the scores are less than two years old. All other transfer students shall be screened using the District’s screening measures, and the selection committee shall make a determination within six weeks of the student’s first day of school attendance.   

Grades 7-12

Secondary Gifted/Talented students are served in RCISD through our Pre-AP and AP programs, which are open enrollment. Contact your child’s middle or high school counselor for scheduling assistance.

District testing for the gifted and talented program is done annually. Kindergarten screening and testing will take place in December and January. All other referrals will take place in February and March. Please refer to the timelines listed in the following chart: