GAP Expectations for Education in PISD 

General Issues:

1. Children should be able to achieve an education that offers them a springboard to entrance at their university of choice.

2. PISD should create a system of communication with parents/students so that information related to the their education can be easily disseminated.

3. Adopt an “Excellence Track” in PISD: it should be available to students who desire this kind of academic challenge

4. The International Baccalaureate Program including all levels should be adopted and available to all Pearland ISD students

GT-Specific Issues:

5. Identified GT students should not be dropped from the program for lack of grade achievement.  Inherent ability does not change.  Achievement should not be a requirement once identification occurs.

6. A seamless system of GT education that flows with progression, articulating from Kindergarten through 12^th Grade with a defined philosophy and centralized cross-district accountability, should be defined and adopted.

7. Generalized GT training to all teachers should be abandoned in favor of specialized training to specific teachers

8. Earlier cross-cultural identification should be achieved.

9. Establishment of a “School Within A School” GT program at the elementary, middle, and junior high levels should be pursued.  Simply offering Pre-AP classes does not address the social/emotional/educational needs and differences of GT students.

10. Money for GT programs should be used for true programs and not be utilized to underwrite overhead or minimum requirements.

11. GT programming and all it entails should be accountable to the GT specialist.

12. Programs such as FPS should be made continuously available to students introduced into the program (articulation).