Alene Zimmer
Director for Gifted/Talented & Advanced Academic Studies

Gifted & Talented Program

Elementary students identified for the Katy ISD gifted and talented program participate in Challenge, a program that seeks to develop critical and creative thinking, problem solving, independent inquiry, research skills and affective learning. Through the use of rigorous and challenging curriculum, Challenge provides gifted and talented students the opportunity to develop individual interests and abilities. In grades 1-5, identified students spend one day a week in the Challenge classroom, participating in thematic units of study that extend and enrich the core curriculum. For example, thematic units of study for 2008-2009 are Fine Arts, China and Chemistry. Destination ImagiNation®, an international creative problem-solving competition, is available as an extracurricular option.

At the secondary level, identified students are served in one or more of the four core content areas, depending on their strengths. Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-AP curricula are differentiated to enable gifted students to maximize their potential for high-level performance. High school seniors may participate in PACE, a mentorship program in which students intern with adult professionals to acquire career knowledge and experience while still in high school.  Additionally, many junior high and high school students participate in Destination ImagiNation®.

 Identification of students for the gifted/talented program is based on a combination of quantitative measures, such as ability and achievement scores, and qualitative measures, such as parent and teacher observations. Parents and staff members have the opportunity to refer students for screening each year. Each year, students in grades 1-4 and 6-11 may be referred beginning in December for service beginning the following fall;  kindergarten students in October for service beginning March 1; and 5^th grade students in December for secondary program service beginning the following fall.