Identification
Identification of students is conducted, not to label students as gifted, but rather to locate students who have specific needs which can be more effectively met through differentiated instruction in the EXPO program.
The identification and selection of students for participation in the program is determined by a three-step process
- referral
- assessment
- placement
The final placement decision is made by the District G/T Selection Committee.
Referral
Referrals may be submitted by faculty/staff, parents, community members, or at the secondary level, by self-referral. Persons nominating students must complete a general Referral Form. Please see the GT/EXPO Forms page for more information about referral deadlines.
Assessment
Elementary: In grades one through five, there will be two testing sessions, one in the fall and one in the spring.
- The first testing session will be reserved for students transferring into Denton from a gifted/talented program in another school district.
- The second testing session will be reserved for testing of students in grades one through five.
- Kindergarten students will be tested during the third testing session.
- The fourth testing session will be reserved for testing of students in grades one through five.
All kindergarten students are considered for assessment by the EXPO program and will be involved in assessment activities conducted by the regular classroom teacher and the EXPO specialist during the fall semester. At the end of the general assessment period, a pool of kindergarten students will be selected for further assessment based on teacher observation, student performance in the classroom, and/or parent referrals.
All first grade students are also considered for assessment by the EXPO program and will be involved in an assessment during the spring.
Secondary: In grades six through twelve, there will be two testing sessions, one in the fall and one in the spring.
- The first testing session will be reserved for students transferring into Denton from a gifted/talented program in another school district.
- The second testing session will be reserved for testing of students in grades six through twelve.
- The third testing session will be reserved for testing of students in grades six through twelve.
Placement
The final placement decision is made by the District G/T Selection Committee.
Transfer Students
Students identified as gifted in the school district from which they are transferring will need to complete the EXPO Transfer Form.
EXPO Transfer Form
Elementary and Secondary Transfers
Students transferring to Denton ISD will be evaluated based on previous gifted and talented testing and district program admission. Denton ISD will evaluate the previous district's paperwork and admit students based on the following criteria.
- Intelligence/Abilities Test
- Achievement Test
- Creativity Test
If elementary students have two qualifying scores (95 percentile) and were admitted to a previous district's gifted and talented program, students will be admitted to the EXPO program per evaluation of the campus EXPO specialist and district Advanced Academics Director.
If elementary students do not have two qualifying scores (95 percentile) and are admitted to a district's gifted and talented program, students will be assessed based on the current qualifications of the Denton ISD EXPO program. After testing, students will go through a campus transfer and district committee to determine placement. The district transfer window is August 25-September 19, and the district committee meets on September 25. For additional transfers, the district will assess students within the Fall and Spring testing windows.
