GT Learning Plan in FBISD
Parent Guide
What is a GT Learning Plan?
A GT Learning Plan is a written record, as outlined in the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students and is recommended for all GT students in order to “detail the individual gifted/talented needs and services.” Fort Bend ISD requires a learning plan for all identified GT students.
What are the essential components of a GT Learning Plan (GTLP)?
1) Each student will have child-specific goals that support their academic needs and social/emotional needs. At least one academic goal and one affective goal (social/emotional) goal will be developed. Visit this link/website for example goals: GT Learning Plan Example Goals
2) A designated teacher will identify 5 research-based strategies to support student classroom achievement and to support fulfillment of the student’s goals. Examples of these strategies may include, but are not limited to, flexible pacing, varied work spaces, acceleration, cross-curricular
learning options, and independent studies.
How does having a GT Learning Plan benefit my child?
By inviting students to reflect on where they think they need to improve both academically and affectively, students can begin to take ownership of their learning. When students actively engage in goal setting, it provides teachers and other support staff with a more complete picture of individual students, which will help in providing appropriate levels of instruction, resources, and social/emotional support that each student needs.
What if we want to opt out of the GT Learning Plan? Are GTLPs required?
The GT Learning Plan is a part of the FBISD Gifted and Talented program. Parents may elect to furlough, have their child not receive GT services, for up to one academic year. At the end of the furlough, if the parent does not want to continue with GT services, which includes the GT Learning Plan, the parent may request that their child be exited from the GT program.
How can I access my child's GTLP?
The GTLP is housed in the Forms section of Skyward. Parents may sign on to Family Access through Skyward to access their child’s GTLP. GT Learning Plan Family Access Job Aide
Who do I contact if I have more questions about my child's Learning Plan?
Your child’s GT Monitoring Teacher is the primary contact for questions about the GT Learning Plan. The GT Monitoring Teacher is recorded on the GT Learning Plan. An additional contact would be your Campus Champion of Gifted Services (COGS), GT Administrator, or GT Counselor. A listing of GT Campus Contacts is available on the Campus Contact Page of the FBISD GT webpage.
How does the GTLP differ or connect to the TPSP or Innovation Hour?
The GT Learning Plan and Texas Performance Standards Projects (TPSP)/Innovation Hour are different services. The completion of a TPSP or Innovation Hour project may assist the student with meeting one or more goals for their GT Learning Plan. However, the student may select goals that are not reflected in the completion of a Texas Performance Standards Project or an Innovation Hour Project.
Is the GT Learning Plan and annual or long-term tool?
The GTLP serves both purposes, as well as being a record of goal progress monitoring. While a GTLP certainly contains information pertaining to how instructional services will be utilized in the specific year, however it is an active document that serves as both a record and a tool to aid students with monitoring growth. GTLPs are reviewed at least biannually and may be adjusted as needed. Some goals that are developed and monitored may extend greater than one academic year until full completion. To see an example goal, use the link: GT Learning Plan Example Goals
Why is the district requiring learning goals?
The implementation of GT Learning Plans creates a shift in FBISD gifted services from “General” service to alignment with the district focus on student ownership and independence through “Evidence-Based” service. Evidence-Based service includes student work and examples, documented differentiation, growth in student learning, and opportunities for reflection and goal setting.
Are GT Learning Plan goals graded?
The process of creating the goals is not graded, but completed products or outcomes of the goals may be. GTLP goals identify specific areas of interest and/or personal growth that a student identifies in collaboration with teacher(s) and parent(s). The goals help to provide the student with a plan of how to progress within GT program services provided in a general education classroom setting that are specific to their area of interest and/or personal growth.
How are GT Learning Plan goals monitored?
The GT Learning Plan Monitoring teacher will monitor progress to ensure that gifted programming services are provided and tracked for students to meet their academic and affective goals. Teachers will conduct progress checks, help student to establish action steps/weekly goals, identify resources and/or additional support need to reach goals.
How is a GT Learning Plan Monitoring Teacher selected at the secondary level?
Each campus assigns GT Monitoring Teachers based on their campus population of GT students. The GT Monitoring Teacher may be the student’s advisory teacher or content teacher (ELA/Math/Science/Social Studies).
How often are GT Learning Plan student-teacher conferences held?
A GT Learning Plan student-teacher conference must be held at least once each semester. The GT monitoring teacher conferences with the gifted student at least once each semester. Additional conferences may be held when a parent or teacher requests a meeting to review or revise a student’s goals.
How often will I receive updates about my child’s progress on their goals?
Teachers will provide feedback to parents every nine weeks. Feedback about GT Learning Plan goal progress may be provided in different ways, such as a report from the teacher or a student self- evaluation that has been reviewed with the teacher. Parents may access the GT Learning Plan through Family Access at the end of the school year to view the final GT Learning Plan document, which includes whether or not the student met the goals.
What role do I play as a parent in the development of my child’s goals?
Collaboration is key to the GTLP process and involves: 1) developing child-specific academic and affective goals for gifted students, 2) reviewing progress toward these goals, and 3) revising goals as needed. We want parents to work with their children to help them in discovering well-suited goals. For example, if you know your student is an excellent writer, but struggles with spelling, you may help guide him towards creating an academic goal that will help him to improve in spelling. Or if you know your child often comes home with questions about material covered in class, you may help your child draft an affective goal that focuses on self-advocacy skills. Also, once your child’s GTLP is drafted, you will receive a copy and you will be asked to provide your signature acknowledging receipt of the GTLP. You will be asked to review goals and let the teacher know whether you agree/disagree. If you disagree, your child’s teacher will contact you to set up a conference to rework the goals. By working together, teachers, students and parents will ensure goal development aligns with the child’s interests and needs and will also collaboratively determine if additional resources and/or experiences beyond in-school support, may promote increased success towards reaching the child’s goals.
What GT services does FBISD have to support my child in achieving his/her goals?
A list of instructional interventions and program services is available on the GT Learning Plan webpage. To view the list, use this link: FBISD GT Program Services
