• Birdville ISD follows the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted & Talented Students and collects multiple measures when screening students who may show an educational need for GATE services.  After data is collected, GATE Placement Committees for each campus meet to review the data for each student that was screened for GATE services.  Recommendations for GATE services are based on a review of the data that is collected during the referral process.  The recommended level of service is matched to the identified learning needs of each student screened.

• Transfer GT students: If a student enrolls in Birdville ISD and was identified for gifted and talented services in a previous school district, that student can be referred for GATE services after verification of the GT identification from the previous district. Data from the previous school district that is less than two years old may be considered by the GATE Placement Committee. If the data is more than two years old, new data may be collected to determine if your student shows a current educational need for gifted and talented services. If a student was identified for GATE services at one Birdville campus and transfers to another Birdville campus, that student will continue to receive GATE services.

  Each school year, parents, guardians, and district personnel are invited to refer students for testing for GT services.  These services are designed to meet the unique intellectual and affective needs of gifted children. 

GATE Referrals are closed for the 25-26 school year. GATE Referrals will be open November 1st through Winter break. Information will be posted here as well as shared out through the campuses at that time.

Reach out to the Gifted & Talented Interventionist on your student's campus if you have any questions!

GATE Services and Supports for Kindergarten students:

•  Level I Services:   All kindergarten teachers should have completed required 30 Hour GT Core training and may provide differentiated instruction and enrichment of the core curriculum.  During the first semester, Gifted & Talented Interventionists conduct a series of push-in lessons in all kindergarten classrooms.  These lessons are designed to elicit high-level thinking and gifted behaviors in young students.  Parents, classroom teachers, or gifted and talented interventionists may refer a kindergarten student to be screened for GATE services during the beginning of the second semester. 

• Level II Services:  Kindergarten students who are referred for GATE services and are recommended for Level II GATE services will be placed in a GT clustered classroom in 1st grade with other GT identified peers and begin participating in Level II services in first grade. Pull-out classes offer GATE students the opportunity to work with cognitive peers for extended time weekly under the direction of a Gifted & Talented Interventionist (GTI) that has received specialized training in working with gifted students.  Curriculum in pull-out classes focuses on the GATE Standards with an emphasis in enriching our students' academic potential with creativity, critical thinking, and affective learning. 

• Level III Services:  Grade level acceleration or telescoping in math (requires additional testing as well as a recommendation from a district representative).  Some students who have advanced academic understanding in one or more subject areas may be a candidate for a full grade level acceleration or telescoping in math.  The guidelines for each type of acceleration are listed below:
  • Grade level acceleration:
    • Credit by Exam testing in four core areas (mathematics, reading/language arts, social studies, and science). 
    • Testing must occur before any prior instruction in the grade level.
    • Students must score an 80% or higher on all four subject Credit by Exam tests.
    • In addition to scores from Credit by Exam tests, other academic and affective data are reviewed to determine if a grade level acceleration is the best placement for a student.
  • Telescoping in math:
    • Credit by Exam testing in math only.
    • Testing must occur before any prior instruction in the grade level.
    • Students must score a 90% or higher.
    • In addition to scores from the math Credit by Exam, other academic and affective data are reviewed to determine if a telescoping in math is the best placement for a student.

Read more about Credit by Exam testing

GATE Services and Supports for 1st and 2nd Grade students:

  According to TEA mandates, programming options must enable identified gifted and talented students to work together, work with other students, and to work independently throughout the entire school year.

• Level I Services include classroom teacher supported differentiation to ensure the student's continued academic growth. Level I services are appropriate for student's whose data indicate they are an above-average learner or for students who have a strength in a particular content area. 
  • Level I Services may include: 
    • Clustering of gifted/high ability students in groups of five (5) or more in the general education classroom with a teacher who has completed required 30-hour GT Core training
    • Instructional materials, like Depth & Complexity, that help enhance, enrich, and extend the grade level curriculum are provided by the GT Department and used by classroom teachers based on the educational needs of each student
    • Additional Academic Services called SPARK are offered to those students who show an educational need for academic enrichment beyond the classroom are offered depending on campus and student need.
    • Participation in extracurricular enrichment activities such as Destination Imagination, Battle of the Books, and Camp Invention.  

• Level II Services involve more complex instruction and faster pacing for appropriate growth.  Level II services are appropriate for students whose data reflect high general intellectual ability and evidence of gifted behaviors and traits displayed by the student. 
  • Level II services may include:
    • Participating in weekly GATE pull-out classes for a minimum of 2 hours per week.  GATE pull-out classes offer the students the opportunity to spend an extended period of time working with other identified GT students under the guidance of a GATE teacher who has received extensive training in working with gifted learners. 
    • The curriculum used in GATE classrooms is designed around the GATE standards of independent learning, critical & creative thinking strategies, guided & independent research, social and emotional needs, and elements of depth & complexity. 

• Level III Services involve additional GATE Experiences designed to meet the individual GATE students' additional needs for interest, connection and/or academic acceleration to ensure academic and personal growth.  Level III services are appropriate for students whose data reflect advanced knowledge of the current and the next grade level's curriculum without formal instruction.  Students must demonstrate advanced learning by getting a recommended score on a Credit by Exam (CBE) test as well as be recommended by a district representative for the advanced academic acceleration placement to occur.  Because Credit by Exam (CBE) testing must occur prior to instruction in the grade level, the majority of CBE testing for elementary students is completed during the Spring and into June for the following school year.

Read more about Credit by Exam testing  

GATE Services and Supports for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades

  According to TEA mandates, programming options must enable identified gifted and talented students to work together, work with other students, and to work independently throughout the entire school year.

Level I Services include teacher supported differentiation for appropriate growth.   Level I services are appropriate for students whose data indicate they are an above-average learner or for students who have a strength in a particular content area.  Level I Services may include: 

• clustering of gifted/high ability students in groups of five (5) or more in the general education classroom with a teacher who has completed required GT training
• instructional materials that help enhance, enrich, and extend the grade level curriculum are provided by the GT Department and used by classroom teachers based on the educational needs of each student
• participation in extracurricular enrichment activities such as Destination Imagination, Battle of the Books, and Camp Invention.  Students who receive Level I services only are NOT formally identified GT by Birdville ISD

Level II Services involve more complex instruction and faster pacing for appropriate growth.  Level II services are appropriate for students whose data reflect high general intellectual ability and evidence of gifted behaviors and traits displayed by the student.  Students receive Level II services by:

• actively participating in weekly GATE pull-out classes.  GATE pull-out classes offer the students the opportunity to spend an extended period of time working with other identified GT students under the guidance of a GATE teacher who has received extensive training in working with gifted learners.  The curriculum used in GATE classrooms is designed around the GATE standards of independent learning, critical & creative thinking strategies, guided & independent research, social and emotional needs, and elements of depth & complexity. 

Level III Services involve additional GATE Experiences designed to meet the individual GATE students' additional needs for interest, connection and/or academic acceleration to ensure academic and personal growth.  Level III services are appropriate for students whose data reflect advanced knowledge of the current and the next grade level's curriculum without formal instruction.  Students must demonstrate advanced learning by getting a recommended score on a Credit by Exam (CBE) test as well as be recommended by a district representative for the advanced academic acceleration placement to occur.  Because Credit by Exam (CBE) testing must occur prior to instruction in the grade level, the majority of CBE testing for elementary students is completed during the Spring and into June for the following school year.

Read more about Credit by Exam testing

According to TEA mandates, programming options must enable identified gifted and talented students to work together, work with other students, and to work independently throughout the entire school year.

The GT service model for 6th-8th grade students is an advanced academics model. Students have the opportunity to enroll in honors level courses in all four core content areas. These courses are designed to provide academic rigor, deep and more complex content, and a more accelerated pace than on-level courses. Honors level courses will help your student develop necessary skills for future placement in Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and/or Dual Credit coursework. In addition, identified GATE students are able to enroll in both science and social studies Honors + courses.

What Are Honors + Courses?

Honors + courses are designed to be self-contained GT course options available to identified GATE students at middle school. Honors + courses are available for Science and Social Studies. Honors + courses provide opportunities for identified GATE students to spend part of their school day with other identified GATE students. The Honors Curriculum that is already in place is compacted, allowing the GATE students the opportunity to move through the course at an accelerated pace that is aligned to their abilities. A Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) will be embedded as a part of the course curriculum as well as other curriculum modifications to meet the needs of gifted learners. In addition, students will examine a variety of "Habitudes", which are habits + attitudes that allow gifted individuals to invent, create, collaborate, and solve problems. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in a "lived experience" (TEKS-based field trip) that aligns with the curriculum in each content area.

Other details and examples of the project-based learning and TEKS-based field trips can be found here: https://app.smore.com/n/8s120

According to TEA mandates, programming options must enable identified gifted and talented students to work together, work with other students, and to work independently throughout the entire school year.

The GT service model for 9th-12th grade students is an advanced academics model. Students have the opportunity to enroll in Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and/or Dual Credit coursework. These courses are designed to provide academic rigor, deep and more complex content, and a more accelerated pace than on-level courses. Students develop necessary skills for college and career choices after graduation. 

In addition, identified GATE students are able to participate in quarterly GT seminars that offer content fostering awareness, self-advocacy, and goal setting. Students are invited to join a Canvas Course in alignment with their year of graduation that houses a variety of content specific to their nature and needs of giftedness as well as announcements and links with options and opportunities for advanced learners with a variety of interests. Likewise, parents are informed through timely newsletters with opportunities for not only their child, but informative research, parent forums and upcoming seminars/webinars for parents of the gifted and talented. A district advocate maintains a connection with these students & parents for support throughout their high school career with information regarding these very services.

Advanced Academics Mission

Birdville ISD offers an advanced and challenging curriculum through an array of learning experiences that provide a depth and complexity extended beyond the district's core curriculum. As students progress through school, BISD offers opportunities for students to produce sophisticated, meaningful products and engage in valuable academic discourse and lived experiences in preparation for success beyond the BISD classroom.

Advanced Academics Program

Birdville ISD believes it is vital for students to have every opportunity to excel academically through rigorous and challenging courses. During the middle school years, identified gifted and talented students are served at the secondary level through Honors and Honors+ courses and during high school via Honors, Advanced Placement courses, Dual Credit, and/or Advanced Career Technology Education which provides options for students to excel in many areas of study. Students and parents should expect these courses to be challenging, thought provoking, rigorous, differentiated, and faster paced.

BISD embraces inclusivity as illustrated via College Board's open access policy which attests "all students deserve engaging, relevant, and challenging grade-level coursework. Access to this type of coursework increases opportunities for all students, including groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in AP and college classrooms." 

For more information see GATE (Gifted & Talented Education) above.

Birdville ISD Advanced Level Courses

Honors (Formerly Pre-AP)

• Prepare students for success on the state-required academic curriculum
• Help build student capacity to understand rigorous course content
• Require advanced reading, writing, and problem solving
• Provide foundational skills necessary for success in a college level course
• Establish a pathway for an advanced academic option in subsequent courses
• Require student and parent signatures acknowledging the expectations of committing to the level of work that meets the standards of the courses

Honors+ 

• Self-contained GT course options available in certain content areas at all BISD middle school campuses:
  • 6th Grade:  Science & Social Studies
  • 7th Grade:  Science & Social Studies
  • 8th Grade:  Science & Social Studies
• Provides opportunities for identified GT students to spend part of their school day with other GT students
• Provides opportunities for curriculum differentiation specifically for GT learners, including independent research, product development, social and emotional needs, and "learned experiences".
• Completion of a Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) that is embedded as a part of the course curriculum.
• Examination, reflection, and application of "Habitudes", attributes modeled by prominent figures in each subject area.

 Advanced Placement (AP®) Courses:

• Designed to provide students exposure to college curricula while in high school and for success on College Board AP exams
• Require rigorous, fast-paced, extensive reading and writing
• May earn college credit with a qualifying score of 3 or higher on the correlating AP exam 
• Contact the institution of higher education to confirm AP credit policy  *Search the College Board AP Credit Policy by Higher Education Institution [opens in a new window]
• Provide students with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory courses
• Cover content that is required by the College Board in addition to state standards (TEKS)
• Require completion of the AP exam for every course in which the student is enrolled
• May result in substantial potential college cost savings 
• Include open enrollment to all students, regardless of ethnic, racial, socioeconomic or traditionally underrepresented learning populations
• Include increased reading from multiple, college equivalent genres, writing assignments, projects or labs requiring complex problem solving
• Require student and parent acknowledgment of the expectations and commitment to advanced level coursework

Birdville ISD offers 31 of 42 courses & exam options including the Arts, English, History, Social Science, Math, Computer Science, Science, and World Languages and Cultures.

Participation

• Participation in advanced level courses is open to all students; however, students and parents must acknowledge the expectations and commitment to the level of work that meets the standards of the courses. Components of these courses include: increased reading from a genre that is at a college level, sophisticated writing assignments, and projects or labs with complex problem solving.  Enrollment into these courses should be based on interest and ability since the curriculum requires more advanced and intensive work.

Student Choice/Staff Recommendation

• Students select courses based on interests, abilities, and selected endorsement or a coherent sequence of courses.

• Staff recommendation for student participation is preferred.

Student and Parent Commitment Contract

• Students understand the academic requirements for success in the course.
• Parents are informed of course expectations.
• Both student and parent sign commitment contract.

 Academic Monitoring

• Designated staff monitors performance of advanced academic students each nine weeks.
• No single individual can withdraw a student from an advanced academic course.
• Collaborative conference is held for students not performing successfully.
• Some form of intervention is designed and implemented to ensure student success.
• Progress monitoring and communication with parents occur.
• After one unsuccessful nine week cycle, a collaborative conference with student, parent, teacher, and counselor is convened to consider continuation or scheduling change.

AP Scholar Awards for Birdville ISD

Birdville Independent School District recognizes 368 AP® Scholars in the 2025 administration

Advanced Placement courses are offered at all high schools in the district and at middle schools with an AP World Language program.  AP exams are administered each May, providing students an option to earn college credit by attaining a qualifying score of 3, 4 or 5.  A student's award status is calculated based on exams taken in the current year as well as in previous years. Students may be represented in multiple categories. The AP Scholar Awards are academic distinctions for students to cite among their credentials. 

Award Levels

AP Scholar - granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP

AP Scholar with Honor - granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more AP exams taken

AP Scholar with Distinction - granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more
AP exams taken

National AP Scholar -  granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more AP exams taken

AP Seminar and Research Certificate - granted to students who earn scores of 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research in addition to earning scores of 3 or higher on 4 AP exams throughout high school. 

To find out more about the Advanced Placement program visit the College Board's student page.

https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses

Benefits of Dual Credit Courses

• Receive college credit while also receiving high school credit;
• Graduate from high school with transferable college credits;
• Fast-track undergraduate or vocational degrees; 
• Save on tuition and fees by accelerating time to complete a degree;
• Have access to the full range of college services;
• Experience college culture;
• Gain confidence to succeed in college

Our higher education partners:

Tarrant County College

Texas Woman's University

Tarleton State University  

For more information about our dual credit options, contact your high school counselor. To prepare for the TSIA2 college readiness test, see the district's TSIA2 page. 

DIGITAL SAT SUITE STUDENT RESOURCES

• Bluebook Practice Resources
• SAT Suite Practice
• Prepare with 2024 PSAT 8/9 Student Guide 
• Prepare with 2024 PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide
• Prepare with 2024 SAT School Day Student Guide
• Connect with Colleges - Student Search Service (SSS)
• Access Scholarship Opportunities with BigFuture

 

 

ADVANCED LEVEL COURSES

Advanced coursework for secondary students is designed to provide academic rigor, deep and more complex content at an accelerated pace in addition to opportunities to work independently and collaboratively through authentic learning. Birdville ISD offers advanced coursework in English, history and social sciences, math, science, computer science, arts, and world languages and cultures.

Birdville Independent School District considers multiple levels of identifying indicators for potential success in advanced level courses, based on various data sets, to ensure all students have program access and to encourage a representation of a school’s diverse student population.

DUAL CREDIT

What are the benefits of taking Dual Credit courses in high school?

• Receive college credit, while also receiving high school credit
• Graduate from high school with transferable college credits
• Fast-track undergraduate or vocational degrees
• Save on tuition and fees by accelerating time to complete a degree
• Have access to the full range of college services
• Experience college culture
• Gain confidence to succeed in college

• Birdville ISD partners with the following institutions of higher education to provide Dual Credit courses:

  New!!! Tarrant County College announced that the College is waiving tuition for all dual credit students, following a unanimous vote by its Board of Trustees. The Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program waives tuition for students enrolled in dual credit courses. For more information, visit FAST Program FAQs

  • Tarrant County College
  • Texas Woman's University
  • Tarleton State University

• If you are interested in finding out more information on Dual Credit courses in Birdville ISD, please contact the Dual Credit Counselor at your high school.

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) College Readiness System

• AVID’s mission is to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society.

  In 1977, AVID Founder Mary Catherine Swanson identified the important skills necessary for a student to be successful at the post-secondary level. These components form the foundation of AVID, including its philosophy, practices, and curriculum, and include:

  1. A non-traditional classroom setting meeting the academic and emotional needs of individual students.
  2. The teacher as advisor/counselor/student advocate
  3. An emphasis on objective data
  4. The student at the center of decision-making regarding educational goals
  5. A student contract outlining willingness to work and setting learning goals
  6. Student support from teachers and skilled, trained tutors
  7. A curriculum emphasizing academic reading and writing
  8. Reliance on the Socratic process

  ("AVID's History." MYAVID. AVID, 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2015. <www.avid.org/history.ashx>.)

  AVID at a Glance  

  Birdville ISD AVID Schoolwide System

  Currently, BISD has expanded the AVID College Readiness System (CRS) to six middle schools (Haltom Middle School, North Oaks Middle School, North Richland Middle School, North Ridge Middle School, Richland Middle School, Watauga Middle School) and two high schools (Haltom High School, Collegiate Academy of Birdville). Haltom High School received the distinction of AVID National AVID Demonstration School in 2015 and was re-validated in 2018 and 2024. AVID National Demonstration Schools are exemplary models of the AVID College Readiness System which foster the highest level of schoolwide systemic visibility of AVID essentials.

  The AVID schoolwide model integrates 5 core elements:  writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading (WICOR). AVID is governed by 4 domains: instruction, systems, leadership and culture. The student interest process begins on campus with a student campus recommendation for the AVID CRS or a student/parent request with interest.  Program criteria and academic commitment will be communicated by the campus AVID Site Coordinator of the aforementioned campuses.