Gifted & Talented » Program Overview

Program Overview

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WISD's Quest Program

Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals

 

District Mission

The mission of the Weatherford ISD is to educate, engage, and empower all students in a safe and positive learning environment to discover and reach their greatest potential.


GT Department Mission

The mission of the Weatherford ISD gifted and talented program is to provide opportunities that challenge and empower gifted individuals to become innovative learners, researchers, and communicators.


GT Department Vision Statement

Weatherford ISD will be a premier program that provides opportunities that meet the needs of all gifted and talented learners.


GT Department Value Statements

  1. We value, encourage, and respect all stakeholders in our gifted community.
  2. We cultivate students to become visionary leaders.
  3. We engage in and share personal and organizational learning.
  4. We make data-driven decisions.
  5. We maintain an expectation of ethical behavior and personal integrity from all gifted   stakeholders.

GT Department Strategic Goals

  1. Modify the depth, complexity, and pacing of GT curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of gifted students.
  2. Provide a learning continuum to reinforce the strengths, needs, and interests of gifted students.
  3. Encourage family and community participation in the gifted program.
  4. Provide enhanced learning experiences allowing gifted students to develop innovative products and performances that reflect individuality and creativity and are advanced in relation to students of similar age.

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WISD's Gifted & Talented Program Services

 

Grades Kindergarten through one will be served by the classroom teacher, with 30 hours GT training, through differentiated instruction in language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.


Grades two through five will be served through differentiated instruction in a weekly pull-out program with certified gifted/talented teachers.


Grades six through twelve will be served through AP and PreAP classes with differentiated instruction in language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. Students must be enrolled in at least one AP or PreAP course to remain in the program.  

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Program Overview

 

Quest, the WISD gifted and talented program, identifies and serves gifted students in grades kindergarten through twelve. The district program provides a differentiated curriculum in the four core academic areas to meet the needs of the gifted learner. Students engage in a variety of activities in all four (4) core content areas: language arts, science, social studies and mathematics with an emphasis on project and research based learning experiences. Students are provided a learning environment where depth and complexity are the focus in both individual and group settings.

19 TAC 89.3.1-4

A typical Quest student...

The Quest curriculum is designed to...

Is creative and curious.

  • Provide an environment in which the child is encouraged to explore and make discoveries on their own.
  • Encourage creative thinking.
  • Allow students to pursue interests which may seem irrelevant, but are important to the child.

Likes challenge.
  • Provide a range of difficulty so that students are challenged, but not overwhelmed.

Is able to conceptualize and develop relationships.
  • Provide a higher degree of complexity of content.
  • Use learning experiences that require higher order thinking processes, such as analyzing, creating, and evaluating.

Displays independence in learning.
  • Respect independence while the teacher gives guidance as needed.  The teacher serves as a facilitator.
  • Provide for independent study and work.
  • Allow freedom to learn apart from the usual curriculum.

Needs structure.
  • Encourage individual interests with rules and procedures in place.  Students are given liberty within limits.

Has a fund of information.
  • Provide opportunities for students to share information with others.

Is realistic, questioning, and interested in the application of concepts.
  • Provide opportunities for students to address real-life problems.

Has highly advanced achievement, often including advanced language skills.
  • Give students access to content and resource materials that are “out-of-level.”

Is self-critical and impatient.
  • Teach students to evaluate themselves critically, but also to realize their own worth.

Displays perseverance and concentration.
  • Give students the opportunity to complete cycles of activity without intervention by the teacher.

Finds pleasure in learning.
  • Offer interesting activities which students do not see as “work.”
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Quest
 
GT BulbWISD’s GT Pull-out Program (Quest) incorporates interdisciplinary units, aligned with the TEKS, using the Texas Performance Standards. Our goal is to provide students with opportunities to think critically and make connections in real world situations.  Each unit has guided instruction and opportunities for independent research in multiple content areas. Emphasis will be placed on extending research skills, problem solving techniques, and utilizing higher level thinking skills. These skills help prepare students to succeed in the global environment.
 

Personal Learning Time

Personal Learning Time (PLT) in students’ regular classroom is an extension of Quest learning to allow students to study their topic choice in-depth. Activities, specific to the students’ project choice, will be provided by the Quest teacher to complete during this time.