BSISD recognizes "Gifted"ness may manifest in a variety of ways including intellect, creativity, artistry, leadership, or core academia.

Within Big Spring ISD, we serve our identified gifted students within the general education classroom through modifications and accommodations. In the case of gifted and talented, the curriculum may be modified through deeper investigation of the content, providing a greater understanding. The instruction may be modified through challenging, higher level questioning focused on the content. Students may also have a choice in how they demonstrate their learning of the taught knowledge and skills.

The National Association of Gifted Children defines and identifies gifted students when their ability is significantly above the norm for their age.

The Texas Education Agency's goal for gifted and talented students is to ensure that those students who participate in G/T services demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication. G/T students develop innovative products and sophisticated performances that reflect individuality and creativity and are targeted to an audience outside the classroom.

Click HERE for the Texas State Plan for Gifted and Talented Education.

Gifted and Talented students are served in a variety of ways through specially trained teachers. Teachers must complete 30 hours of specially designed gifted and talented training before they are allowed to begin working with gifted and talented students. These teachers must then update their G/T training with 6 additional hours each year.

Modifications allow for teachers to change the curriculum expectations in order for gifted and talented students to express their individual mastery of the skill. Examples may include research and inquiry at varying levels, independent projects of specific interest, or even real-world application and solution.

Accommodations center around how students are given access to the curriculum and their proficiency in understanding the expectation. Identification of learning styles allow for gifted and talented students to be served in the way they learn best along with permission to prove their mastery in a variety of ways.

All students, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status can be evaluated for the BSISD Gifted and Talented program. Students in the 90th percentile on state achievement or ability tests will be further evaluated. Additional measures such as teacher and parent surveys are also taken into consideration when identifying Gifted and Talented students.

Please contact your campus principal, counselor, or teacher about further information concerning gifted and talented opportunities for your child.