Campus Improvement Plan Advanced Academics

Campus Improvement Plan Advanced Academics

Campus Improvement Plan – Advanced Academics

This information is provided to support the development of your Campus Improvement Plan with regard to GT students and advanced level learners. The following examples can be adapted and used to meet your individual campus’ needs in various sections of the CIP.

Performance Objective: Equity and Access
Campuses and district eliminate barriers and support student participation in and efforts to succeed in appropriate and academically challenging opportunities and courses through the services, programs, and practices implemented.
Strategies / Resources and Notes / ES / MS / HS
Analyze data to identify equity and access patterns with regard to campus demographics. /
  • Austin ISD TEAMS report “District Gifted and Talented Summary AISD” will provide GT campus demographics data for all schools.
  • TEA’s Equity in G/T Education
  • Campus GT Data Profile
  • Campus Advanced Academics Data Profile
/  /  / 
Develop campus initiatives to improve GT student identification for underrepresented populations as reflected in the analysis of campus demographics of GT program. /
  • Include the GT Advocate, Campus GT Decision-Making Committee, and Campus Advisory Council (CAC) in data analysis and discussion in how to improve and strengthen campus GT demographics.
  • TEA’s Equity in G/T Education
  • Campus GT Data Profile
/  /  / 
Improve communication to encourage parents, guardians, and staff members to nominate students of diverse populations for the campus GT Assessment Period. /
  • Determine a variety of effective communication strategies that will be effective in collecting more student nominations from diverse student populations.
/  /  / 
Host parent GT nomination meetings on campus to increase nominations from parents and guardians. /
  • Work with the GT Advocate and Campus GT Decision-Making Committee to plan and host at least one parent meeting per semester to increase nominations.
  • Parent Corner
  • Para Padres
  • Guiding the Gifted (very bottom of the page)
/  /  / 
Host teacher GT nomination meetings on underrepresented GT populations to increase the number of nominated students. /
  • Include information during faculty meetings or campus professional development on underrepresented GT populations and Equity in GT Education.
  • TEA’s Equity in G/T Education
  • No Place for Hate activities
  • Cultural Proficiency and Inclusiveness training
  • Social and Emotional Learning training
  • Teaching Tolerance
/  /  / 
Promote professional development that supports cultural proficiency to recruit and retain students, including underrepresented populations. /
  • College Board Professional Development
  • National Math and Science Initiative Training
  • Cultural Proficiency and Inclusiveness training
  • No Place for Hate activities
  • Social and Emotional Learning training
  • Customized campus GT update based on AP needs
  • Teaching Tolerance
/  / 
Use College Board AP Potential to drive enrollment in AP and dual credit courses to promote equity and access for underrepresented students. /
  • PSAT scores
  • AP Potential website
  • AP Potential training
  • AP Access and Equity Initiative
/ 
Determine resources to recruit students, including underrepresented, into advanced level courses. /
  • Campus Advanced Academics Data Profile
  • Advanced Placement Recruitment Tools
  • Academic Acceleration Digital Presentations
  • AP Potential website
  • AP Access and Equity Initiative
  • AVID, College Readiness Counselors, College GO centers
/  / 
Lead campus-based GT Update Training (through PLCs or traditional PD model) to ensure that all required teachers complete the required 6 hr. update. /
  • Advanced Academic Services offers 2 Campus GT Facilitator Training topics each school year. Schools may select one staff member to attend during the summer or early fall to be trained to lead the campus update training.
  • Schools may design a training of their choice to be pre-approved by Advanced Academic Services before granting GT credit. Information at
/  /  / 
Ensure that all GT Decision-Making Committee members have appropriate GT training on the Identification and Assessment of GT students. /
  • Teachers on committee need to have completed 30 hr. GT training.
  • Counselors and Administrators need to have completed 6 hr. training for their position.
  • The Decision-Making Committee may use GT Assessment Training presentation.
  • The GT Advocate can provide an overview of the Austin ISD GT Identification requirements by using the information provided in the GT Program Guide and GT Documents Manual
/  /  / 
Monitor that all GT teachers have completed the 30 hr. GT Foundation Training requirement within one semester of being assigned GT students. /
  • Advanced Academic Services offers GT Foundation training in the Fall and Spring Semesters. Advanced Academic Services will cover the cost of substitutes for teachers who are assigned GT students.
- 30-hour GT Institute (Elementary)
- 12-hour GT Nature, Needs, and Assessment (Secondary) /  /  / 
Monitor core content area Pre-AP/AP teachers to receive APSI or other appropriate training. /
  • College Board Professional Development
  • National Math and Science Initiative Training
/  / 
Performance Objective: Program Implementation and Fidelity
Campuses and district proactively plan, design, and deliver the structure and method for providing services, opportunities, differentiated instruction, acceleration, extension, and enrichment and monitor and adjust for student recruitment and retention, access, equity, consistency, and sustainability.
Strategies / Resources and Notes / ES / MS / HS
Identified elementary GT students will be clustered together in groups of 3 or more in a classroom with a teacher who has completed the 30 hour GT Foundation Training. Cluster grouping allows gifted students an opportunity to work with other gifted students throughout the entire school year. /
  • Austin ISD TEAMS “Campus Gifted and Talented” report will provide a current list of all GT students on campus. The principal and GT Advocate will use this TEAMS report when placing students with teachers for the upcoming school year.
  • When there are enough GT students at a grade level to make more than one GT cluster classroom, the campus should consider grouping students with similar strength areas together with the same GT teacher. For example, one cluster classroom may have all the students who are GT in math and science at the grade level.
/ 
Identified secondary GT students will be enrolled in an advanced-level course in each area of identified giftedness. /
  • Austin ISD TEAMS “Campus Gifted and Talented AISD” report will provide a current list of all GT students on campus. The GT Advocate and counselors will use this TEAMS report when scheduling students in advanced-level courses (Pre-AP, AP, Accelerated, Magnet, IB) for the upcoming school year.
/  / 
Increase opportunities for GT students to work together throughout the school year. /
  • GT advisory classes, interdisciplinary and cross-grade level projects, seminars, and enrichment and extracurricular activities that target GT students (but may be open to other students as well) should be considered.
  • GT Advocate and Counselors will schedule groups of GT students who are identified gifted in the same core content advanced-level courses when possible. For example, several 9th grade students who are identified GT in math will be scheduled in the same Pre-AP Geometry class.
  • Austin ISD TEAMS “Campus Gifted and Talented AISD” report will provide a current list of all GT students on campus. The GT Advocate and counselors will use this TEAMS report when scheduling students in advanced-level courses (Pre-AP, AP, Accelerated, Magnet, IB) for the upcoming school year.
/  / 
Support Out-of-School Options relevant to student strength areas, including academic competitions and academic clubs that are available to gifted and advanced learners on campus. /
  • The GT Advocate and campus principal can view the Advanced Academic Services Out-of-School Options presentation.
  • DUKE Talent Identification Program (TIP) (4-7 grades)
  • National Junior Honor Society/National Honor Society
  • Academic Competitions
  • Distinguished Achievement Program (SSIG, page 143)
/  /  / 
Support academic enrichment opportunities for gifted students on campus by providing a modified pull-out or pull-in GT program on campus. /
  • The librarian, counselor, instructional coach, other staff members, parents, mentors, university students, or community groups may be used to lead a short-term or long-term gifted academic enrichment program on campus. These options may include educational field trips, special projects, guest speakers, or community service projects.
  • TEA’s Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP)
/  /  / 
Provide a GT Student Showcase that provides gifted students an opportunity to share their advanced-level independent or small group projects with an audience outside of the classroom. /
  • Invite parents, district staff, or community members to the GT Student Showcase.
  • Teachers encourage gifted students to select one of their best projects to share.
/  /  / 
Review and align campus Pre-AP course offerings and vertical team sequence of courses. /
  • Master Schedule
  • Secondary School Information Guide (SSIG), Appendix K
/  / 
Use Campus Advanced Academics Data Profile to support improvement of student participation in AP/Pre-AP classes, AP/Pre-AP course offerings, AP exam performance, excellence and equity, and teacher professional development. /
  • Campus Advanced Academics Data Profile
/  / 
Performance Objective: Curricular Support
Campuses and district meet the needs of students participating in Advanced Academics with resources and support for modifying the depth, complexity, and pacing of the curriculum and instruction through differentiation, acceleration, extension, and enrichment.
Strategies / Resources and Notes / ES / MS / HS
Encourage the use of the Austin ISD GT Scope and Sequence Skills Continuum by GT teachers when planning advanced-level differentiated curriculum for gifted learners. /
  • GT Scope and Sequence Skills Continuum presentation
  • GT Scope and Sequence Skills Continuum documents
  • Provide teachers with time to plan and share examples of advanced-level differentiated curriculum using the GT Scope and Sequence Skills Continuum.
/  /  / 
Ensure that GT teachers are completing the Austin ISD GT Student Performance Semester Reports to encourage ongoing communication with parents and guardians. /
  • GT Performance Reports presentation
  • GT Performance Reports documents
  • Encourage teachers to communicate student performance with parents during parent conferences and send home the completed reports each semester.
/ 
Ensure that teachers differentiate the curriculum by providing an array of appropriately challenging learning experiences that connect to the interests, abilities, and strength area(s) of gifted students throughout the school year. /
  • GT Exemplary Lessons (K-5)
  • AP Vertical Teams Curriculum Manuals (6-12)
  • Pre-AP Resource Banks (6-10)
  • TEA’s GT Teacher Toolkits: or
  • TEA’s Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP)
  • 100 Free and Useful Tools for AP Students and Teachers
/  /  / 
Support academic acceleration learning options available to gifted students in their strength area(s). /
  • The GT Advocate and campus principal can view the Advanced Academic Services Academic Acceleration presentation.
  • TEA’s GT Teacher Toolkits: or
  • National Repository of Online Courses
  • 100 Free and Useful Tools for AP Students and Teachers
/  /  / c
Review AP course syllabi prior to authorization to ensure that College Board curricular requirements are met at a level which confers college-level coursework and appropriate scaffolds. /
  • AP Course Audit website
  • AP Course Descriptions
  • AP Vertical Teams Curriculum Manuals
  • Pre-AP Resource Banks
/ 
Provide tools to support students in the AP program. /
  • AP Digests (very bottom of the page)
  • AP Free Response Bookmaps
  • Response to Invention (RtI) documentation tools
  • AP Vertical Teams Curriculum Manuals
  • Pre-AP Resource Banks
  • College Board Explore AP
  • National Repository of Online Courses
  • 100 Free and Useful Tools for AP Students and Teachers
/  / 
Expand Accelerated and AP Spanish Language courses for native speakers at the middle school level. /
  • College Board AP Summer Institute
  • Texas Middle School Program for AP Spanish (TEA)
  • AP Spanish Language and Culture Course Home Page
/  / 
Implement AP Human Geography as an AP expansion course for 9th grade students. /
  • College Board AP Summer Institute
  • College Board AP Human Geography Course Home Page
/  / 
Support campus administrator attendance at College Board professional development to support program implementation and improvement. /
  • College Board “Organizing your AP Exam Administration”
  • College Board “Building an AP Program”
  • College Board “Fall Counselor Workshop”
  • College Board “AP Administrator Institute”
/ 
Provide tools to support students on the AP exam. /
  • AP Digests (very bottom of the page)
  • College Board released practice exams
  • College Board Explore AP
  • McGraw-Hill Prep Center for AP Exams
  • CourseNotes
  • AP Free Response Bookmaps
  • National Repository of Online Courses
  • 100 Free and Useful Tools for AP Students and Teachers
/ 
Performance Objective: Parent and Community Advocacy
Campuses and district engage parents, families, and community members as advocates for the needs of students participating in Advanced Academics through communication, education, events, and opportunities for involvement.
Strategies / Resources and Notes / ES / MS / HS
Host parent GT nomination meetings on campus to increase nominations from parents and guardians. /
  • Work with the GT Advocate and Campus GT Decision-Making Committee to plan and host a minimum of one parent meeting per semester to increase parent nominations.
  • Parent Corner
  • Para Padres
  • Guiding the Gifted (very bottom of the page)
/  /  / 
Host parent meetings or social events for parents of GT students. /
  • Provide ongoing communication and idea sharing through various campus events.
  • The Advanced Academic Services website provides resources (English & Spanish) to support parent meetings.
  • Parent Corner
  • Para Padres
  • Guiding the Gifted (very bottom of the page)
/  /  / 
Increase parent and community involvement with the campus GT program. /
  • The librarian, counselor, instructional coach, other staff members, parents, mentors, university students, or community groups may be used to lead a short-term or long-term gifted academic enrichment program on campus. These options may include educational field trips, special projects, guest speakers, or community service projects.
  • TEA’s Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP)
/  /  / 
Develop liaisons with business and community organizations and/or establish the use of community resources to strengthen the campus GT program. /
  • Consider writing grants, soliciting donations, and/or volunteers and mentors from businesses and community groups near your school community to strengthen your GT program.
/  /  / 
Celebrate student performance on advanced measures. /
  • AP exam performance leading to AP Scholar distinction
  • IB exam performance leading to IB Certificate and IB Diploma distinction
  • PSAT exam performance leading to National Merit Scholarship distinction (including Hispanic Recognition, Academic Achievement, National Merit Finalist/Semi-Finalist)
  • DUKE Talent Identification Program (TIP)
  • National Junior Honor Society/National Honor Society
  • Academic Competitions
/  / 

Austin ISD Advanced Academic Services

DRAFT – Working Document 03/17/2014

Top View