Gifted and Talented Services

 

According to the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students, teachers who provide instruction and services that are a part of the district's defined gifted/talented services receive 6 hours annually of professional learning in gifted/talented education that is related to the Texas State Teacher Education Gifted/Talented Standards. (19 TAC §89.2(3) and TAC §233.1) 

 

In addition, a six (6) hour G/T update training should be designed to specifically prepare teachers to meet the needs of gifted students and designed based on identified needs of the district and their G/T students. The content of the training should increase educators' understanding of the nature and needs of G/T students and should be provided by an expert in gifted education. Region 7 ESC's gifted/talented professional development trainings meet all of these expectations. 

 

Region 7 ESC offers two different formats of training to meet the varied professional development needs of schools, online in the Canvas Learning Management System and face to face at the service center or on-site in your district. 

 

Administrators as well as teachers who have supervisory duties for service decisions related to gifted/talented are required to complete a minimum of six (6) hours of professional development that includes nature and needs of gifted/talented students and service options for gifted/talented students according to the State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students (19 TAC §89.2(4)).

 

Counselors
Counselors who work with gifted/talented students are required to complete a minimum of six (6) hours of professional development that includes nature and needs of gifted/talented students, service options for gifted/talented students, and social-emotional learning (19 TAC §89.2(4)).

 

 

 

Region 7 ESC offers informational workshops for teachers and students participating in the various competitions.

 

Teachers will learn how to coach/guide their students. Tips and techniques will be shared, and novice coaches will have the opportunity to connect with experienced coaches/sponsors to learn strategies on how to best prepare their students.

 

Students will learn how to prepare for their leadership roles in the Model United Nations and Mock Trial seminars.

 

Teachers must register themselves to attend either the teacher or student workshop. Select the training and click on the workshop number to register or email Vanessa Spann, [email protected]. 

 

You have just received the honor of being in charge of your district’s G/T program. Some coordinators are lucky enough to be only a G/T Coordinator, but in most cases, G/T coordinators have many other hats to wear. The Region 7 ESC G/T webpage and program resource links offer a great deal of information that can be helpful to coordinators, so we encourage you to keep these pages bookmarked. Here are a few more tips to help you get started on your new job.

 

Tips for New Coordinators

1. Read through the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students. Make notes, ask questions, and reflect on your district’s gifted/talented services.
2. Be sure you have the contact information for the Region 7 ESC G/T specialists handy. There is no such thing as a silly question when you are new, and you will have many of them! The Region 7 ESC G/T specialists are ready to answer all of your questions. They will be happy to help you as you get started as a new coordinator!
3. The Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students states, “Teachers as well as administrators who have supervisory duties for service decisions are required to complete a minimum of six hours of professional development that includes nature and needs of gifted/talented students and service options for gifted/talented students (19 TAC §89.2(4))."  Region 7 ESC offers this training as a face-to-face session to meet the diverse needs of our districts and charter schools.  To register, click on the G/T Professional Development tab and click on Administrators/Counselors  for a list of workshops being offered.
4. Begin to look at your district or charter's G/T program. Find out how each of your campuses is providing services. For example: Pull-out, Push-in, Full-time gifted only, Full-time inclusion, Special day school
5. On each of those campuses, find out who is coordinating and delivering G/T services. Be sure there is documentation to support that each of the assigned G/T teachers has the required G/T training. View the Region 7 ESC's professional development offerings for teachers who need training by visiting the G/T Professional Learning tab and clicking on 30 Hour Basics or 6 Hour Updates.
6. Talk to the administrators on each campus and find out if administrators and counselors have had the required G/T training in nature and needs, service options, and social-emotional learning.
7. Look at your list of identified gifted students at each campus. Confirm that they are in class with a G/T trained teacher and are receiving services.
8. Look at your district or school's assessment and identification procedures. Find out how your students are identified. Is data being collected from multiple sources for each area of giftedness served by the district as required in the Texas State Plan?  Look at your demographics to see if your gifted program reflects the district's demographics. Does your assessment process allow for student exceptionalities? Are students being assessed in languages they understand or with nonverbal assessments?
9. Ask each campus principal to recommend a classroom you could visit to observe challenging curriculum and instruction. After visiting several classrooms, review your district or school's G/T curriculum framework. Did you see evidence of that framework on your visits?
10. Review your district's G/T comprehensive manual or program guide. Compare it to the district's Local EHBB board policy and the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students. Are these three documents aligned? Do they reflect what is happening on your campuses? If you do not have a district comprehensive manual or program guide, contact the Region 7 ESC G/T department for assistance in developing one.

Well, you are assigned to teach gifted students! Now what?

 

Get ready to embark on what might be the greatest and most rewarding job you've ever had!

 

1. Connect, connect, connect with others in the field of gifted education. Oftentimes, especially in smaller districts, you might be the only teacher of the gifted. 
2. Become familiar with state law and the State Board of Education rule regarding gifted education by reviewing the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students.
3. Know what it means to be gifted. Who are the gifted? Are all kids gifted? What do you think? The State defines gifted students as “… a child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who: a) exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, and/or artistic area; b) possesses an unusual capacity for leadership; or c) excels in a specific academic field.
4. Become an advocate for your students. Stay current in research and best practices regarding gifted education.  
5. Complete (if you haven’t already) the required foundational 30 clock hours of professional learning that includes nature and needs of gifted/talented students, identification and assessment of gifted/talented students’ needs, and curriculum and instruction for gifted/talented students.
6. Understand the curriculum and instructional policies regarding gifted education. Section 4 of the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students encompasses curriculum and instruction. In fact, the section header states, “Districts meet the needs of gifted/talented students by modifying the depth, complexity, and pacing of the curriculum and instruction ordinarily provided by the school.”  Learn about the 11 depth and complexity thinking tools which were developed specifically for teachers to use with their gifted learners.  These tools, represented by icons, help students "dig deeper" and take a more "complex look" at the standard, content, or topic being taught.  Ian Byrd's website contains a wealth of information that will show you how to implement the depth and complexity tools.  It's worth a visit!
7. Differentiate! Do you know what can be differentiated? How? For a quick reference, visit The Differentiator. You’ll like the Differentiation Central website, too!
8. Provide opportunities for your gifted students to shine and accelerate in their areas of strengths. Region 7 ESC offers many opportunities for gifted students through our student seminars.
9. Read this article…it’s worth your time. 
10. Be flexible! Programs and services for gifted students are designed to meet the needs of the students. Students should not be made to conform to a “set” program. In fact, the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students mandates that gifted students are assured an array of learning opportunities that are commensurate with their abilities and that out-of-school options relevant to the their areas of strength are provided.

We hope you find this information helpful! And as always, you have help right here at Region 7 ESC. Be sure to contact us if you have questions or need assistance!

 

 

The Imagination Fair provides gifted students in grades 1 - 6 the opportunity to showcase storytelling in an interactive format. Prior to the event, these students research various forms and genres of storytelling, learn about stories from other cultures, and discover the impact of storytelling throughout history. They then either choose a story or create their own story to tell during the Imagination Fair. A professional storyteller will begin the day telling interactive stories and later will work with a select group of students to help them develop and refine their storytelling skills to share with the Imagination Fair participants. To culminate the event, students participate in a hands-on creative problem solving activity.

 

The event will be hosted at Region 7 ESC as well as at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX and the Mineola Civic Center in Mineola, TX.  Select the location/date that best fits your schedule. To register, contact Vanessa Spann at [email protected]

 

 

Innovative Inventions for grades 4 – 5 provides gifted students with an opportunity to participate in the inventive process. As a result, these students will gain an understanding of the processes of innovation and creative thinking and develop an appreciation of the inventive process through the creation of an original, feasible idea. The investigation will culminate in a student invention showcase held at Region 7 Education Service Center. During the event, students will also participate in Contraption Construction. Contraption Construction encourages creative problem-solving and cooperation among teams of students to solve a simple task by designing a complicated contraption.

 

 

The event will be hosted at Region 7 ESC as well as at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX and the Mineola Civic Center in Mineola, TX. To register, contact Vanessa Spann at [email protected]

 

 

 

How does a team get started?

A team advisor - a teacher, an attorney, or even student leaders – will need to register his or her team online and pay the registration fee. Early registration is encouraged even before all team members are gathered, so that current members can be ready/prepped before the case materials launch in October. Important: There can only be one team of 6-10 members per high school. Therefore, if many students are interested, please have an internal competition, or try-outs, to determine who is on the Varsity team. Also, please notify the school principal and others at the school who may be interested in starting a team of your participation, so that more than one team does not register. Once the team is registered for the competition, teams are provided with a copy of the case materials for the year (included in the registration fee) and these contain the rules, procedures, and the case problem itself. The case for the year is usually released each October. Teams should secure assistance from a local attorney or judge to help with courtroom decorum and trial skills – even for one day this is helpful! Also, helpful materials and links are provided to new teams via this website.   

 

2023- 2024 Competition Information Coming Soon!

The Region 7 ESC Model United Nations is a long-term simulation in which gifted students in grades 6-12 can research the social, political, and economic factors and issues that determine the identity of a sovereign state. The research culminates in a two-day Model United Nations competition in which the students serve as delegates from their chosen nation. Debates, resolution writing, student products, decision making, collaboration, problem solving, and persuasive, impromptu, and formal speaking all play a significant role in the success of each delegate and in the Region 7 ESC Model UN itself.  All resolution content is student researched and written under the guidance of district personnel and reviewed by committees made up of teachers from participating districts. Students are also provided with myriad opportunities during the event to showcase their research through issue collages, maps, and a digital documentary and multimedia presentation.

 

Region 7 ESC facilitates this event to help districts meet the requirement of the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students by providing out-of-school options relevant to students' areas of strength whenever possible (19 TAC §89.3(3)).

 

 

We offer four events in two different locations for students to participate. This is a two-day event. You will need to register for both days. Select the grade level, location, and date that best fits your schedule. To register, contact Vanessa Spann at [email protected]

 

 

Region 7 ESC offers a robotics showcase celebration for gifted students in grades 1 – 3 rather than a competition. Robotics at this level provides these students with opportunities to explore and investigate simple machines, learn iconic programming, design schematics, incorporate math, literary, language, and science, solve problems through creative problem solving strategies and design and create working robotic models. Students can showcase their skills and design during the Primary Robotics Celebration held annually.

 

Region 7 ESC facilitates this event to help districts meet the requirement of the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students by providing out-of-school options relevant to students' areas of strength whenever possible (19 TAC §89.3(3)).

 

Region 7 ESC offers several dates for students to participate. To register, contact Vanessa Spann at [email protected]

 

 

Region 7 Education Service Center offers robotics programs for gifted students in grades 4 – 12. At this level, students are afforded opportunities to explore concepts associated with robotics through cross-curricular connections. There are two different competitions, a design competition in the fall and an arena competition in the spring. Participation in the design competition is not required to compete in the arena competition. Teams may choose to participate in the spring arena competition but not submit a competition board for the fall design competition.

 

The fall design competition, consisting of 2 divisions, 4-8 and 9-12, engages students in the exploration of the state standards (the TEKS)  to create a multi-disciplinary theme that incorporates tasks for the robot to complete on the board. The design competition is aligned to the state goal for gifted/talented students giving them opportunities to demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication as evidenced by the development of innovative products.

 

The spring arena competition features the winning designs from the fall competition. Grades 4 - 12 are divided into three divisions where teams compete head-to-head, navigating their way around formidable obstacles and performing complex tasks.

 

Region 7 ESC facilitates this event to help districts meet the requirement of the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students by providing out-of-school options relevant to students' areas of strength whenever possible (19 TAC §89.3(3)).

• Intermediate: Grades 4 - 5
• Middle School: Grades 6 - 8
• High School: Grades 9 - 12