Students who are high achievers and/or wish to take the higher-level academic classes that best prepare them for college benefit greatly from advanced-course preparation in middle school. With this in mind, Leander ISD middle school students may begin taking Pre-AP (Preparation for Advanced Placement) courses in Mathematics or Language Arts.

The Pre-AP courses that are available to Leander ISD middle school students include PACE Math, Algebra I and/or Geometry, and 8th-grade Pre-AP Language Arts or QUEST Pre-AP English. These courses are designed to prepare students to take future AP and/or IB courses in high school. Students in these advanced courses are introduced to the type of work and expectations they will encounter in those advanced classes.

LISD’s middle school PACE (Programs for Advancement, Challenge and Enrichment) and Pre-AP (Preparation for Advanced Placement) Mathematics Programs are designed to meet the needs of students who excel in mathematics.

The purpose of the Leander ISD Middle School PACE (Programs for Advancement, Challenge and Enrichment) and Pre-AP (Preparation for Advanced Placement) Mathematics Programs is to prepare them for success in upper level mathematics classes. The curriculum of the 6th grade PACE/Pre-AP course focuses on the entire body of the 7th grade TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). The curriculum of the 7th grade PACE/Pre-AP course focuses on the entire body of the 8th grade TEKS.

The PACE/Pre-AP experience in grades 6 and 7 prepares students for Pre-AP Algebra I in grade 8. Currently, students enrolled in PACE/Pre-AP mathematics courses will take the next grade level STAAR test, which corresponds with the above grade level content in which they have been instructed. Students successfully completing PACE/Pre-AP mathematics courses will continue to be enrolled in PACE/Pre-AP mathematics courses each year. Algebra I students must take the STAAR End of Course exam as a part of their graduation requirements, regardless of whether the course is taken at middle or high school. Middle school students who pass 8th grade Pre-AP Algebra I will receive high school credit for this course. As high school students, they are required to take a minimum of three additional mathematics courses, which at this time include: Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus and AP Statistics.

Success in PACE/Pre-AP classes requires a high level of commitment and responsibility. The increased rigor of these courses provides challenge and deep understanding for students who have shown a need for acceleration in the area of mathematics.

Students moving into LISD may qualify for the PACE/Pre-AP mathematics program with a transcript showing successful participation in accelerated mathematics courses from their previous school or by showing mastery on the LISD PACE Screener Test. Students and parents may request testing information and dates upon registration.

LISD PACE (Programs for Advancement, Challenge and Enrichment) Language Arts is designed to meet the needs of middle school students who excel or show potential to excel in language arts. Students in grades 6 and 7 PACE Language Arts receive instruction that provides a greater depth and complexity than the grade-level curriculum, meeting these students’ need for academic challenge. This instruction may include compacting some curricula so that students may move through it at a faster pace based on their readiness, or reading books that are above grade-level. The complexity of writing assignments is also increased. Students in PACE Language Arts receive instruction within their grade-level Language Arts classroom.

“QUEST” is an acronym for Quality Utilization and Enrichment of Student Talents. Leander ISD’s QUEST Program is designed to meet the needs of identified gifted students who have demonstrated above-average ability in the following two areas of giftedness as defined by the Texas State Plan for the Gifted: 1) high general-intellectual ability at the 95th percentile; and, 2) creative and productive thinking.

In grades 6 – 8, QUEST students participate in a daily Pre-AP QUEST Studies. The QUEST curriculum is designed to provide challenging learning opportunities for identified QUEST students. QUEST students receive advanced instruction in an interdisciplinary gifted curriculum, utilizing Pre-AP teaching strategies.


Secondary Quest Quotes

Director for College and Career Readiness – Lisa Brittain, 570-0309
Director for Gifted and K-8 Advanced Programs – Kathy Wood, 570-0211