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Greetings Gifted/Talented (G/T) Education Subscribers,
We are excited for the great learning opportunities that will occur this school year. We want to start out with some upcoming events and resources to get the year started.
State Board Of Education
The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted the revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 89, Adaptations for Special Populations, Subchapter A, Gifted/Talented Education. The adopted revisions implement House Bill 1525, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, and codify current program practices. The rules were adopted with changes since published as proposed. The rules are effective September 1, 2024.
The SBOE will approve amendments to the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students at the September 2024 SBOE meeting. The proposed amendments would clarify terminology and requirements related to gifted/talented education that are necessary to align with updates to the rule requirements of House Bill (HB) 1525, 87th Texas Legislature, 2021. Statutory authority is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §7.102 and §29.123.
Commissioner’s Advisory Council for Gifted/Talented Education
The Commissioner’s Advisory Council on the Education of Gifted/Talented Students (CAC) was established in 1992-93 as part of TEA’s commitment to serving all Texas students appropriately. The CAC provides advice to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) regarding policy and practice related to G/T education and advanced academics.
Composition: The CAC is comprised of members from across the state representing the following groups:
| Community (2) |
Elementary Teacher |
Secondary Teacher |
Elementary Principal |
| Secondary Principal |
Superintendent/Board of Trustees Member |
Higher Education |
Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) (2) |
| Gifted Education Family Network |
Regional Education Service Center |
Administrator/Coordinator (Large/Small LEA) |
Parent |
Individuals volunteer to serve for a one or two three-year terms.
Meetings: The CAC meets approximately six (6) times a school year on dates determined by the current membership. In person meetings occur once a semester and last from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The CAC typically meets in Austin at Region 13 ESC, though occasionally other venues are chosen by the membership.
Expenses: TEA is not authorized to reimburse the expenses of CAC members. All expenses related to travel to and from meetings in addition to meals during meetings are the responsibilities of individual members or the entities they represent.
The Commissioner is accepting applications for volunteers to serve on the CAC for G/T Education. The application closes September 20, 2024. Apply here: https://tea.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_da8lZwxn6MVXfim
Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP)
The Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) provides a series of TEKS-based performance tasks and assessments for gifted/talented (G/T) students in grades K-12. These interdisciplinary research units, some of which have a discipline-specific focus, can be used by schools and districts to enrich G/T programming.
The primary, intermediate, middle, and high school level TPSP webpages provide the following resources:
- Several tasks per grade * Updated with the Health and PE TEKS
- Assessment rubrics
- Sample forms that can be adapted to support program administration, communications, and student work
- Samples of student work – NEW student videos are available.
TPSP tasks and K-5 assessment rubrics are available in English and Spanish.
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Equity in Gifted/Talented Education
As the state grows and the population changes, educators need to continually evaluate how best to serve all learners, including those who need G/T services. Ensuring equitable access to G/T services is a critical charge for Texas educators. G/T students come from a variety of cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds and might also be twice-exceptional, both G/T and identified with a disability. These factors need to be considered in assessing if G/T identification processes include or exclude nontraditional students. Visit https://www.gtequity.org/
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Texas SPED Support
Do you work with students who are gifted and talented and also receive special education services? Visit Texas SPED Support to discover FREE special education resources to help with compliance and best practice. Users can search for specific resources by topic, including Evaluation, ARD/IEP Supports, and Child Find among others. Additionally, build your knowledge by taking the FREE self-paced course, “Students Served by Special Education and Identified as G/T.” Check out the Texas SPED Support welcome video to learn how to navigate this website and register for an account today!
Follow us on social media for real-time updates. Follow on Facebook, Instagram, & Threads: @TexasSPEDSupport Follow on Twitter: @TXSPEDSupport
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TEA Emergent Bilingual Support
The TEA Emergent Bilingual Support Division highly values our G/T partners who work to ensure equitable access to G/T services for EB students and encourage your continued collaboration at the LEA and ESC levels! We offer multiple opportunities for LEAs to engage directly with TEA and encourage all stakeholders who serve emergent bilingual (EB) students to join us.
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24-25 LEA Live Webinars – we will again offer monthly live webinars to keep LEAs up to date on state and federal guidance as well as recommendations for effective program implementation LEA and ESC stakeholders can register for individual webinars and access recordings from previous meetings.
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Communities of Practice (CoPs) – these LEA-directed virtual groups will meet five times over the course of the school year. This year we will again offer Leadership Systems of Support and Effective Program Implementation Monitoring and add a third topic, Seal of Biliteracy, aimed at supporting LEAs who already have or are considering offering this designation. Registration will be open until September 13.
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Leadership Academy – In its third year of implementation, sessions in this 3-part series (September, January, and May) are designed to support campus administrators tasked with carrying out bilingual and ESL programs effectively on their campus. Session recordings can be accessed for just-in-time recommendations or support.
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Lunch & Learn: New Bilingual Directors – This new engagement opportunity acknowledges that many of our LEA directors are new to the role. This series of stand-alone engagements is one you could recommend to a new colleague! Registration information will be shared at our first live webinar on September 5.
Leadership Academy
Join the TEA Emergent Bilingual Support Division as they host the 2nd annual Leadership Academy. This year, the Leadership Academy is being delivered in a 3-part series that will provide guidance and resources that are timely at those points of the school year. Don’t miss this opportunity check out our Leadership Academy Series flyer for additional information and how to register.
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You Belong at giftED24! Register Today
Prepare to be inspired as you delve into cutting-edge strategies, research-driven insights, and practical approaches to nurturing the unique abilities of gifted learners. With a diverse lineup of speakers, interactive sessions, and collaborative networking opportunities, giftED24 will empower you to continue to make a difference in the gifted community. Register now and unlock a world of possibilities at giftED24! Register Here.
G/T Coordinator Webinar Series
As you begin a new school year, take time to gather with your peers and calibrate topics critical to your role. This 4-part webinar series is designed to help empower you in key areas of your responsibilities. Each webinar will be recorded and include time for discussion and Q&A. View the schedule and topics here.
The Gifted Education Family Network offers connection opportunities for both individual parents and for the leaders of parent groups across Texas!
Parent Support Group: Are you an individual parent looking to connect with other parents of gifted children in Texas? We warmly invite you to join our Parent Support Group on Facebook! To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/GEFN_SupportGroup.
GEFN Parent Resource Group: The GEFN Parent Resource Group helps parent support groups from around the state to grow their membership, to advocate for their students, and to support their families. We have observed that the #1 factor in elevating G/T services in a district is G/T parent advocacy. We are here to help support parent groups with connections and resources to make that advocacy possible, and we will work with groups at any stage of their journey (even if they have yet to be created).
The Resource Group meets monthly, and recent discussions have included goal setting for the new school year and current legislation affecting each district. To find out more about GEFN and our Parent Resource Group, please visit our website at giftededucationfamilynetwork.org or email us at giftededucationfamilynetwork@gmail.com.
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Call for Outstanding Student Nominations - Lone Star Leader Award
Nominate your outstanding 4th-8th graders to receive Education in Action’s Lone Star Leader Award! Each nominee will receive a Lone Star Leader Certificate of Recognition. In addition, you will receive a set of personalized certificates to recognize your nominees at the end of school year award ceremonies. Each nominee will also receive an invitation to apply to join delegations of other nominated Lone Star Leaders from across Texas on summer 2025 Lone Star Leadership Academy camps. Participants travel to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, or Houston/Galveston area for a week of fun, learning, leadership development, and visits to significant Texas destinations. Each day participants explore notable Texas sites, learn about unique careers from professionals, and work in small groups to develop specific leadership skills. All camp facilitators are Texas educators (apply online for this part-time summer employment opportunity). Nominees must be in 4th-8th grade, maintain an 85 or higher overall average, demonstrate leadership ability, and be involved in school/community activities.
Nominate students online at: http://educationinaction.org/nominate-leaders.
Fall Nomination Deadline: November 1, 2024.
For more information, visit http://www.educationinaction.org/LSLA, call 817-562-4957, x3, or email abarnes@educationinaction.org.
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