Middle School GT Options

6th Grade World Discoveries, 7th Grade Texas Discoveries and 8th Grade American Discoveries
These courses replace Language Arts (Reading & English) and Social Studies. This class provides the opportunity for identified GT students to see the relationship between reading, writing, and history. Included in the course will be the study of art, music, literature, architecture, geography, culture, government, and folklore. Students are expected to communicate written ideas effectively by maintaining focus and coherence, developing ideas fully, expressing their unique voice or perspective, and increasing proficiency of conventions such as spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. The differentiations from Advanced curriculum will include the opportunity to develop sophisticated products and/or performances. Discoveries also provide opportunities for extended learning, possible field trips to local historical sites, and hands-on experiences. These courses require a high level of reading, comprehension, and writing skills.

6th Grade and 7th Grade Accelerated Mathematics
Accelerated math courses are designed to prepare students for entry into Advanced/AP courses at the high school level and meet the needs of accelerated or identified GT math students. All of the sixth, seventh, and pre-Algebra TEKS objectives are compacted to prepare the student for Algebra I in the 8th grade. Critical thinking skills are incorporated through the use of non-routine problems, contrasting, classifying, deducing, discarding irrelevant information, evaluating solutions, and verbal written justifications of solutions and strategies. Creative Problem Solving and exploration will incorporate the use of technology and stimulate creative and logical thought processes. Students must process advanced facility with numbers and have a sincere interest in mathematics.

8th Grade Advanced Algebra I
This course is designed to prepare students for entry into Advanced Placement (AP) courses at the high school level and meet the needs of the accelerated or identified GT math students. For course description, please see the GCISD Official Program of Studies.

6th Grade and 7th Grade Accelerated Science
These courses are designed to prepare students for entry into Pre-AP/Advanced Placement courses at the high school level and meet the needs of the district's advanced and gifted/talented science students. This compacted science program integrates technology and science lab experiences into hands-on, inquiry-based curriculum. Students will receive instruction in TEKS objectives from sixth, seventh, and eighth grade programs as a means of compacting middle school science in preparation for eighth grade science with a focus on Chemistry and Physics. In-depth individual problem-based investigations will be required of each student.

8th Grade Advanced Science and/or Advanced Biology
This course is designed to prepare students for entry into Advanced Placement (AP) courses at the high school level and meet the needs of the district's Advanced and gifted/talented science students. Students conduct field and laboratory investigations, use scientific methods during investigations, and make informed decisions using critical thinking and scientific problem-solving. This course integrates the disciplines of physics and chemistry in the following topics: force and motion, waves, energy, transformations, properties of matter, chemical changes in matter, and solution chemistry.
To ensure preparation for the advanced mathematics skills needed in AP Science courses, enrollment in Algebra I in middle school is highly recommended.

Grades 6-8 GT Independent Study (GTIS)
GT students may choose GT Independent Study as their English Language Arts elective. This class allows students to explore areas of interest and passion through research. Reading, writing, listening, speaking, and presentation skills are reinforced through GT Independent Study

High School Advanced Academics Options

Advanced and Advanced Placement (AP)
Advanced Placement (AP) courses will challenge students with the college level material that enables them to successfully pass the Advanced Placement exam and receive college credit. Reading requirements include the textbook written on the college level and additional outside reading. These classes are rigorous with more depth and complexity. They require time management and a high degree of task commitment.

Advanced and AP courses are available in all four core content areas: English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies as well as in Computer Science, Fine Arts and World Languages.

For a complete list of courses with descriptions, please see the GCISD Official Program of Studies.

High School GT Option

All Advanced and AP teachers receive required state training in gifted education. GT students may be served in any Advanced or AP class. In addition, the following courses are offered as GT sections of Advanced and AP courses:

9th Grade: GT Advanced English I and GT AP Human Geography
10th Grade: GT Advanced English II and GT AP World History
11th Grade: GT AP English III Language & Composition and GT AP United States History
12th Grade: GT AP English IV Literature & Composition, GT Economics, and GT Government

GT students are also encouraged to seek the AP Capstone Certificate by participating in AP Seminar and AP Research with successful course and exam completion. An AP Capstone Diploma includes successful completion of AP Seminar and Research and any four additional AP courses/exams.

Additional Advanced Academic Opportunities:

Dual Enrollment
Concurrent Enrollment
Virtual Coursework