QUEST-G/T: In a Nutshell

1. Students in grades K–12 may be referred for G/T services at any time by district personnel, parents, self, peers, or others.
   • The person referring a student should complete a referral form.
   • These forms are available from the QUEST-G/T teacher or on the campus QUEST page.
   • Referred students follow the identification process described below.
2. Identification is a multi-step process.
3. Identification windows will occur at least once during the school year for referred students.

Step 1: Screening

• The purpose of screening is to identify students who demonstrate exceptional ability or potential in academics. While referrals may be submitted throughout the school year, screening is done during the fall semester and spring semester.
• All students new to the district previously identified as gifted have records reviewed to determine a need for placement. All student new to district in in grades 1–5 will be screened for possible referral for testing in the next testing window. Secondary students (grade 6-12) are screened after referral for GT services.
• All kindergarten students are screened in January and February, and kindergarten QUEST-G/T classes start on March 1.

Step 2: Assessment

• If a student meets the screening criteria in Step 1, permission from the parent is requested if not already received for the assessment of GT abilities.
• Multiple measures of intellectual ability are administered, and other documentation of intellectual ability collected by the campus QUEST-G/T specialist teacher.

Step 3: Identification

• All data is reviewed by a GT identification committee, which makes the final decision for placement.
• Students in grades K–12 must qualify in the 95th percentile or higher on at least two measures of general intellectual ability.
• All screening and testing data is reviewed by the QUEST-G/T Identification and Placement Committee.
• If the data indicates that the student would benefit from receiving QUEST-G/T services, written parental permission is required.

Continuum

The skills taught in QUEST-G/T are structured in a spiraling curriculum, from Kindergarten through Grade 12, focusing on these key areas:

• Creative Thinking Skills: What they are and how they are used to enhance learning
• Critical Thinking Skills: What they are and how they apply to problem solving, decision making, and more in-depth learning
• Research Skills: What they are, how they are used to explore issues and problems, and how findings or results are presented or reported to others.
• Communication: Clarity in written and spoken language to become effective communicators for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Students experience these skills at an increasingly sophisticated level throughout the grades. The QUEST-G/T curriculum is interdisciplinary in nature, addressing students’ strengths and interests in the four content areas. Students’ interests and strengths are expanded through their ability to apply the skills to all disciplines. They are also given individual choices in selecting areas to study within the QUEST-G/T curriculum, including structured independent studies.

Grades K–5 participate weekly in various interdisciplinary, project-based units of study under the direction and facilitation of the campus QUEST-G/T specialists. They also have access to support from the QUEST-G/T teachers through QUEST Lab, as available.

Grades 6–8 is a daily interdisciplinary gifted curriculum plus access to support from the QUEST-G/T teachers through QUEST Lab, as available. At some campuses, it may be blended with English Language Arts.

High School QUEST/GT includes QUEST-G/T English, QUEST Lab, and QUEST Independent Study Mentorship (ISM) facilitated by the QUEST-G/T Facilitator Teacher.

High School G/T students are encouraged to participate in Advanced Courses through open enrollment in grades 6–10 advanced courses, high school AP, and IB courses as well as specialized advanced courses in Career Tech and Fine Arts.

Array

An array of learning opportunities is offered to meet students’ various interests and abilities and strengths.

Grades 3–5 students with advanced abilities in language arts and mathematics may be served through PACE Language Arts and PACE Math, which provide flexible grouping patterns, differentiated curricula, and accelerated or advanced curricula.

On some campuses, the freshINC STEM enrichment is offered.

Grades 6–7 students with advanced abilities in mathematics may be identified for PACE Math classes.

Grades 7–8 students may apply to participate in the STEM course, Gateway to Technology. On some campuses, they may participate in mxINCedu and other CTE Electives. They may also apply to participate in AVID, a college and career preparation class.

Grades 7–8 students may participate in advanced courses in Fine Arts, as available.

Grade 8 students may be identified for High School Algebra.

Grades 6–8 students may choose to participate in Advanced Language Arts. Enrollment is open to interested students.

Grade 8 students may enroll in Advanced Social Studies and Spanish. Enrollment is open to interested students.

Grades 9–12 students may enroll in a variety of Advanced courses, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, Fine Arts, Career Tech and other courses in various foundation and enrichment areas. For more information on these programs, please contact your campus counselor.

1. The skills taught through the QUEST-G/T curriculum are not only for QUEST-G/T students. Classroom teachers incorporate these skills into the regular curriculum in an age-appropriate manner. The difference is in when the skills are introduced and in the pacing and depth at which they are applied. Training in the teaching of these skills and processes are available to all teachers.
2. The QUEST-G/T teacher is available to serve all students through assisting classroom teachers in planning instruction, in presenting demonstration lessons or workshop sessions, in working with groups on special projects or skills and other areas as determined by campus need and QUEST-G/T teacher availability.

Information is available in the following ways:

• QUEST-G/T teachers may present campus awareness sessions or open houses. These sessions are designed to explain what the program is, who the program can benefit, what behaviors to look for, how the identification process works, and what the students in the program do.
• QUEST-G/T program information is available on district and campus websites. LISD website is:. LISD QUEST-G/T page
• The QUEST-G/T teacher is available by appointment to give a more in-depth explanation to teachers, parents, students, or community members.

• All QUEST-G/T teachers receive 30 hours of training in gifted education prior to being assigned as QUEST-G/T teachers. QUEST-G/T teachers receive on-going training locally and through state conferences and other seminars dealing with best practices and current research for educating the talented and gifted (at least six hours annual update in training each year). They then share that learning with their colleagues.
• Teachers of high school Advanced/AP/IB courses receive 30 hours of training in gifted education. This includes twelve hours of nature, needs and identification/assessment of the gifted. The remaining eighteen hours of training are in the teachers’ content areas and other areas of gifted education. They also receive an annual six-hour update in gifted education each year.
• Teachers of middle school Advanced Language Arts, PACE Math and Social Studies courses receive training in nature and needs of the gifted and differentiation strategies.
• All elementary QUEST cluster classroom teachers receive an initial six hours of training in gifted education. Then, each year thereafter, they receive on-going training locally (at least three hours each year).
• These same opportunities are made available to other interested teachers during LISD Summer professional development, LISD Continuous Improvement Conference, and/or online courses.