Allen ISD Where Eagles Soar Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 18

Middle
School
Gifted
Services
Expanded
Cara Harms’ 7th grade humanities class at Ford Middle School combines the disciplines
of language arts and history.
A
llen ISD will expand gifted and talented programming
options for middle school students under a proposal
presented to the Board of Trustees in November.
Currently, gifted middle school students receive gifted and
talented services through Humanities courses in Grades 7 and
8. Humanities is a two-period course that combines content
in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies. In
addition, students in Grade 7 are enrolled in GT Reading
which is designed to develop learning across multiple styles of
literature.
The expansion of the gifted middle school program will
increase opportunities for
learning through 7th and 8th
Grade GT Humanities. The
proposal includes physical
changes to the GT Humanities
classrooms including the
installation of moveable
walls for group activities and
collaboration.
be offered in all four core subject areas.
Gifted and talented services for elementary students were
expanded in 2016 with the opening of the GATE Academy at
Vaughan Elementary School. A total of 276 gifted students are
served at the GATE Academy while another 1,028 gifted students
are enrolled in the AIM program, Allen ISD’s gifted program at
each elementary campus.
The school district explored several options in anticipation of
GATE Academy and AIM students moving into seventh grade
next year. The enhancement of GT Humanities and the addition
of the GT Science course option will offer a comprehensive
program for all sixth grade
gifted students moving forward
to middle school next year and
the current seventh grade gifted
students transitioning into eighth
grade. GT students in the middle
school will attend classes with
their gifted peers in these core
subject areas. The schedule will
still allow them to participate in
fine arts, athletics and other co-
curricular programs.
In an effort to expand gifted
services for middle school
Third-graders in Jennifer Relle’s class at the Allen ISD GATE
students beyond Humanities,
“The enhanced offerings at the
Academy
at Vaughan Elementary would advance into a broader
science courses for gifted
middle school GT program after sixth grade.
middle school will provide gifted
learners will also be offered in
experiences in English Language
grades 7 and 8. The GT Science
Arts,
Social
Studies
and
Science,
”
according to Jennifer Wilhelm,
class will build upon the existing science curriculum through
assistant superintendent for learner services. “These expanded
STEM and project based learni