Allen ISD hosts a yearly informational meeting for parents that provides information on the district's Gifted and Talented services. Please see below for information from this year's informational meeting:

• GT Information Session Slides
• GT Identification & Services FAQ / Spanish FAQ
• 2021-2022 GT Information Webinar

This spring, Allen ISD Gifted & Talented services hosted a parent webinar with NuMinds, titled "How to Foster Our Students' Sense of Purpose". A recording of this webinar can be accessed here (Passcode: Fd+6T91g).

Allen ISD students will provide an opportunity to participate in assessment for G/T services once per academic year. Per the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students, Allen ISD's gifted/talented identification and assessment procedures and qualification criteria consist of a minimum of three quantitative and qualitative measures. These include aptitude and achievement assessment, creative and critical thinking tasks, and parent and teacher input.

Date                          Testing/Assessment/Information

November 8-12: Kindergarten phase I information sent home

December 6-13: Kindergarten phase I testing (districtwide universal screening, no registration necessary)

January 20:       Kindergarten phase I results shared via Skyward Messenger

January 20-24:  Kindergarten phase II registration for students meeting phase I criteria

Jan. 24-Feb. 18: Kindergarten phase II & alternative review (AR)

January 27:       Gifted/talented parent information meeting (Zoom)

Jan. 27-Feb. 7:   Phase I registration open (Grades 1-11)

February 8:        Middle school advanced academics parent meeting (Zoom)

February 24:       Notification of final kindergarten (Skyward Messenger)

Feb. 24-Mar. 3:   Phase II appeal window (kindergarten)

Week of Feb. 28: Kindergarten AIM begins for qualified students

March 21-29:      Phase I testing (school day testing at each campus)

March 24:          GATE Academy parent informational meeting (Zoom)

Mar. 24-April 4:  GATE Academy lottery application window

April 8:              Grades 1-11 phase I results shared via Skyward Messenger

April 8-14:         Phase II & AR registration window (Grades 1-11)

April 21:            GATE Academy lottery student status notification 

April 23:            Phase II & AR testing

May 11:             Grades 1-11 phase II results shared via Skyward Messenger

May 11-24:        Phase II appeal window (Grades 1-11)

August 2022:     Testing for all NEW AISD transfer students identified for G/T services in their previous district 

Overview

Districtwide testing for kindergarten students is administered in December/January. All kindergarten students for whom it is academically appropriate participate in phase I testing. District-wide aptitude screening occurs in February/March for students in Grades 1-11. Parents may refer their child for G/T assessment by registering to participate in testing (see link below). Guardians must provide consent prior to G/T assessment by registering their students for testing.  Students in grades 1-11 who meet the criteria for services during the spring assessment window will begin services the following school year.

New Students

Families of students new to Allen ISD who were receiving G/T services in their previous school/district should email identification data to gifted@allenisd.org. Once these documents are received, the data will be assessed and the next steps will be communicated to families.

Allen ISD Criteria for G/T Services

Students must meet the criteria established by the District Selection Committee to receive AISD gifted and talented services. Students are selected based on both quantitative and qualitative measures.

Aptitude: 97 Age National Percentile Rank +
Achievement: 97 Percentile Rank +
Critical/Creative Thinking Portfolio: 4
Parent/Teacher Inventory: 4

Phase I Testing (Grades 1-11)

Students who are referred for phase I testing take an online ability assessment at n their home campus during the school day. Parents may refer their child for G/T assessment by registering to participate in testing (see link below). Guardians must provide consent prior to G/T assessment by registering their students for testing. Students who meet district criteria are referred for phase II testing.

Phase II Testing (Grades 1-11)

Students who meet the criteria on phase I testing are able to participate in phase II testing, which includes an achievement test and a creative/critical thinking exercise. In grades 3-11, students respond to writing prompts and are scored holistically for purpose, organization, elaboration, depth, and complexity.

Phase II also includes observation inventories completed by teachers and parents. These inventories rate students on observed traits and characteristics and allow for additional qualitative feedback regarding a student’s skills and abilities. 

KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENT

District-Wide Assessment (Phase I)

All kindergarten students will participate in phase I (aptitude) testing on December 6-13, 2021 at their home campuses. Notification of results will go home via Skyward Messenger on Jan. 20, 2022. Click here for information on how to access your student’s assessment results.

Phase II

Kindergarten students who meet phase I criteria are eligible for phase II testing. Phase II testing will take place on campuses during the school day from Jan. 24 - Feb. 18, 2022.

Guardians of kindergarten students who met the district criteria or wish to assess via alternative review (AR) must complete both the registration form and the parent inventory below. Please use Google Chrome if possible. Internet Explorer is not compatible.

• Kindergarten phase II and AR Registration is currently closed. Registration will open from January 20-24, 2022.
• As part of phase II assessment process, parents or guardians provide qualitative feedback about their students. Please complete the linked inventory form here: 
  Parent Inventory (form will be available from January 20-24, 2022).

Gifted and talented scores will be made available for viewing in the "Portfolio" area of Family Access.

Results will be sent to all guardians with email addresses provided. For this reason, it is important to set up your Family Access account and maintain a current email address.

Please note: You must be logged in as a parent or guardian in order to view these results. Logging in under the student account will not provide access to these results.

Alternative Review (AR) Process (upon completion of phase I testing)

Alternative Review offers an additional opportunity to assess for students who scored within three percentile points of the 97th percentile (i.e., 94th, 9th, 96th) during phase I testing. Requests for alternative review must be received within ten days of receipt of your student's phase I testing results. Directions to apply for alternative review are included in your student's phase I testing results, which are uploaded via Skyward Messenger. 

Appeal Process (upon completion of phase II testing)
The appeal process provides an additional opportunity to consider a body of evidence demonstrating a student’s need for G/T services. Typically, strong cases for appeals feature scores that are near the 97th percentile (i.e., 94th, 95th, 96th). Appeals will be reviewed by the District Selection Committee.

The District Selection Committee makes the final decision on student identification and qualification for gifted/talented services. The District Selection Committee includes classroom teachers, gifted specialists, counselors, campus administrators, and district instructional specialists and coordinators.

To pursue an  appeal, submit an email request to gifted@allenisd.org no later than midnight on: 

• March 3, 2022, for kindergarten students testing during the designated spring window.
• May 24, 2022, for students in grades 1-11 testing during the designated spring window. 

A final decision will be made by the District Selection Committee over the summer. Notification of the committee decision will be communicated prior to the beginning of the new academic year. 

Furlough & Exit Procedures

Please email gifted@allenisd.org for information on furlough or exit procedures.

A furlough may be granted at the request of a teacher and/or campus committee, student (K-12) and/or parent. Per the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students, a student may be furloughed for a period of time deemed appropriate by the selection committee. Typically, a furlough lasts no longer than one academic year. At the end of the designated furlough period, the student’s progress will be reviewed.  At that time, the student will either re-enter G/T services for the following school year or permanently exit services. Any student who exits gifted/talented services must reassess in order to re-qualify for future services.

• Elementary: A student may furlough once in grades K-6.
• Middle School: A student may furlough once in grades 7-8.
• High school: Identified students may choose the gifted course or other option and will remain in G/T services through graduation.

District-wide Assessment (Phase I)

All kindergarten students will participate in phase I (aptitude) as described in the previous section

Phase II

Kindergarten students who meet Phase I criteria are eligible for phase II testing. Phase II testing will take place on campuses during the school day from Jan. 24 - Feb. 18, 2022.

Kindergarten students who met the district criteria of 97 age percentile rank or above need to complete both the registration form and the parent inventory below to register your eligible kindergarten student for phase II or alternative review (AR) testing. Please use Google Chrome if possible. Internet Explorer is not compatible.

• Kindergarten phase II and AR Registration  Registration will open from January 18-23, 2022.

As part of phase II assessment process, parents or guardians provide qualitative feedback about their students. Please complete the linked inventory form here: 

• Parent Inventory (form will be available from January 20-24, 2022).

Notification of final results via Skyward messenger: Feb. 24, 2022.

In order to register for testing, students must:

• be enrolled in and attending an Allen ISD school at the time of registration and testing
• be currently in grades 1-11
• not already be identified as gifted/talented in Allen ISD
• not have participated in phase I testing during the 2021-2022 academic year

Allen ISD administers an online aptitude test for all students in grades 1-11. Students will complete this assessment on their home campus during the school day.

Registering Your Student

• Phase I registration form (open from January 27-February 7)
• Parent inventory form (open from January 27-February 7)

Please use Google Chrome if possible. Internet Explorer is not compatible. If your child is registered to test, you will soon receive more information about the specific date and time of their testing session.

To qualify for phase II testing, students must score a 97 Age Percentile Rank (APR) or higher in one or more areas of the aptitude assessment administered in phase I (unless otherwise notified via a district selection committee decision on a previously filed appeal).  Students may also pursue phase II assessment via Alternative Review (AR) (see below).

Students who qualify for phase II testing will be notified via Skyward messenger.

Alternative Review (AR) Process for Phase I

If your child did not meet the criteria of 97 APR but scored a 94-96 APR in any of the areas assessed on the aptitude test, they are eligible to complete an alternative review (AR). If your child qualifies for AR and you would like them to complete the process, an email request must be submitted to gifted@allenisd.org no later than midnight on: 

• Thursday, April 14, 2022 

Registering Your Student

For a child who has met the criteria in phase I testing, a guardian must complete both the phase II registration form and parent inventory link below. Both forms are due by midnight on April 14, 2022.

• Phase II registration form (available April 8-14)
• Parent inventory form (available April 8-14)

Please use Google Chrome if possible. If your child is registered to test, you will soon receive more information about the specific date and time of their testing session.

Phase II and AR for qualified, registered students will take place on Saturday, April 23, 2022. Test day details will be emailed to families of registered students the week of April 18, 2022.

Notification of final testing results will be communicated via Skyward Messenger. Students who are identified for gifted and talented services will begin receiving those services beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. Secondary students (grades 7-12) who have already made course selections will have an opportunity to change their schedules to accommodate G/T coursework.

If your student did not meet the criteria during phase II assessment and did not complete an alternative review (AR), guardians may file for an appeal. The appeal process provides an additional opportunity to consider a body of evidence demonstrating a student’s need for G/T services. Typically, strong cases for appeals feature scores that are near the 97th percentile (i.e., 94th, 95th, 96th). Appeals will be reviewed by the district selection committee.

 If you would like them to complete this process, an email request must be submitted to gifted@allenisd.org no later than 4:00 on: 

• May 24, 2022 for students in grades 1-11 who completed phase II testing on April 23, 2022. 

A decision will be made by the District Selection Committee over the summer. Notification of the committee decision will be communicated before the new academic school year begins.