It is our mission and goal of Boerne ISD to ensure that by 2028, 100% of Boerne ISD students will engage in innovative learning experiences so they are college, career, and/or military-ready.
Boerne ISD recognizes the right of all children to a challenging instructional program, which provides opportunities for the full development of their capabilities, talents and gifts. In Boerne ISD, all schools follow BISD Board Policy to identify students as gifted.
Why AP?
Eighty-five percent of selective colleges and universities report that a student's AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions. Discover the benefits of the AP program her
“The TSI Assessment (TSIA) is part of the Texas Success Initiative program designed to help your college or university determine if you are ready for college-level course work in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. This program also will help determine what type of course or intervention will best meet your needs to help you become better prepared for college-level course work if you are not ready. If you are an incoming college student in Texas, you are required to take the TSI Assessment — unless you are already exempt— to determine your readiness for college-level work. Based on how you perform, you may either be enrolled in a college-level course that matches your skill level and/or be placed in the appropriate developmental course or intervention to improve your skills and prepare you for success in college-level courses.”
-Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment, Student Informative Brochure, (2015), College Board, Retrieved from College Board
What is on the TSI?
Math: Elementary Algebra and Functions, Intermediate Algebra and Functions, Geometry and Measurement, and Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability.
Reading: Literary Analysis, Main Idea and Supporting Details, Inferences in a Text or Texts, and Author’s Use of Language.
Writing: Essay Revision, Agreement, Sentence Structure, and Sentence Logic.
How is Dual Credit different from the Advanced Placement program?
Advanced Placement courses, like dual credit, are rigorous college level courses that follow a college curriculum approved by College Board. Students taking these courses are expected to take the AP tests offered in the spring that have additional fees paid by the students. Students scoring a 3, 4, or a 5 on one or more of these tests may gain college credit. Students should consult specific colleges/university websites to verify accepted AP tests and scores and how they will fit into a potential degree plan. Dual Credit is also rigorous; however, dual credit is college credit upon successful completion of the course(s).
Requesting a Dual Credit transcript
You will receive an UNOFFICIAL copy of your dual credit transcript from your high school counseling office in the Spring, around the time your cap & gown is delivered. Please keep this copy to take with you to your college NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION to register for classes. 3-4 weeks after graduation, your official NVC transcript will be available for request. You may go in person to the Northwest Vista College Welcome Center or log in to your ACES account at Alamo EDU and
You will receive credit for English 2332 and English 2333 (World Literature 1 and 2). In order to receive credit for English 1301 and English 1302 (Composition 1 and 2), you must send your AP English Language exam scores to Northwest Vista College if you have not done so already. Once scores have been received, you must then go to Northwest Vista College Testing Center in the Cypress Campus Center Room 207 and request that your AP score be placed on your transcript for credit.
Mission
Boerne ISD recognizes the right of all children to a challenging instructional program, which provides opportunities for the full development of their capabilities, talents and gifts. In Boerne ISD, all schools follow BISD Board Policy to identify students as gifted.
Program Description
Elementary G/T students are cluster-grouped into a trained teacher's classroom where a differentiated curriculum is provided and attend a pull-out program in the GATE classroom on average 90-120 minutes a week. Secondary G/T students are served through Advanced Placement (AP), Dual Credit and Honors courses in the core areas. Middle School students are also placed in trained teacher's classroom for the core academic areas where a differentiated curriculum is provided. Middle school and high school junior and senior students may also participate in an Independent Study Mentorship program.
Boerne ISD screens all kindergarten students for eligibility for gifted and talented services in December/January. Students who score at specified levels on a norm-referenced test will be identified for further assessment to determine eligibility for gifted and talented services.
Parents, teachers, students, or other individuals who know a student well may refer a student for gifted and talented assessment.
Identification criteria include test scores, student product ratings, and teacher ratings. Students who meet the district standard on 3 out of 5 criteria are served through the Gifted and Talented program. Assessments will be completed in the Spring Semester.
Concerned adults can misinterpret high achievement as giftedness. High-achieving students are noticed for their on-time, neat, well-developed, and correct learning products. Adults comment on these students' consistent high grades and note how well they acclimate to class procedures and discussions. Some adults assume these students are gifted because their school-appropriate behaviors and products surface above the typical responses of grade-level students.
High achievers are valuable participants whose high-level modeling is welcomed in classes, but they learn differently from gifted learners. Gifted students' thinking is more complex with abstract inferences and more diverse perceptions than is typical of high achievers.
To allay some of the confusion, Dr. Bertie Kingore has assembled a chart comparing the characteristics of Gifted Learners with those of High Achievers and Creative Thinkers. Please note that these categories are not mutually exclusive; a child can be a mixture of characteristics from all three categories.
A High Achiever...
A Gifted Learner...
A Creative Thinker...
Remembers the answers.
Poses unforeseen questions.
Sees exceptions.
Is interested.
Is curious.
Wonders.
Is attentive.
Is selectively mentally engaged.
Daydreams; may seem off task.
Generates advanced ideas.
Generates complex, abstract ideas.
Overflows with ideas, many of which will never be developed.
Works hard to achieve.
Knows without working hard.
Plays with ideas and concepts.
Answer the questions in detail.
Ponders with depth and multiple perspectives.
Injects new possibilities.
Performs at the top of the group.
Is beyond the group.
Is in own group.
Responds with interest and opinions.
Exhibits feelings and opinions from multiple perspectives.
Shares bizarre, sometimes conflicting opinions.
Learns with ease.
Already knows.
Questions: What if...
Needs 6 to 8 repetitions to master.
Needs 1 to 3 repetitions to master.
Questions the need for mastery.
Comprehends at a high level.
Comprehends in-depth, complex ideas.
Overflows with ideas--many of which will never be developed.
Enjoys the company of age peers.
Prefers the company of intellectual peers.
Prefers the company of creative peers but often works alone.
Understands complex, abstract humor.
Creates complex, abstract humor.
Relishes wild, off-the-wall humor.
Grasps the meaning.
Infers and connects concepts.
Makes mental leaps: Aha!
Completes assignments on time.
Initiates projects and extensions of assignments.
Initiates more projects that will ever be completed.
New Teachers
The Texas Education Code requires teachers who provide instruction and services to gifted and talented students in the four core subjects to complete 30 hours of training in gifted education. In Boerne ISD, this means that all cluster teachers must have completed their 30 hours of required coursework by the end of the first semester. The 30 hours must include a minimum of six hours of training in each of the following areas:
Yearly 6-Hour Update for Teachers
The Texas Education Code requires teachers who provide services to gifted and talented students in the four core subjects to take six hours of GT workshop hours each year. This update must be completed once a year.
NOTE: Courses eligible for the required 30 hours or the 6-hour update include Region XX and district workshops approved for GT credit. In addition, courses taken outside the district, such as AP courses, may be eligible for whole or partial credit, but teachers must have prior approval by the Advanced Academics Dept. If a course is taken outside the district, teachers must add it to their online portfolio in Eduphoria - Strive.
Under HB 3, school boards are required to adopt plans in early childhood literacy and math, as well as college, career, and military readiness. All plans are required to include:
at least one assigned district-level administrator or employee of the regional education service center for the district’s region to coordinate implementation and submit annual report to the board on the district’s progress;
an annual review by the board at a public meeting;
an annual report posted on district and campus websites; and
specific, quantifiable, annual goals for five years at each campus.
Early childhood plans are required to include:
annual goals for aggregate student growth on 3rd-grade math and reading STAAR;
annual targets for students in each group evaluated under closing the gaps domain;
targeted professional development for classroom teachers in kindergarten through 3rd grade for campuses that the board identifies as not meeting the plan’s goals and that considers the unique needs of students in bilingual education or special language programs.
annual targets that may be set for students in bilingual or ESL programs.
College, career, and military readiness plans are required to include:
annual goals for aggregate student growth on CCMR readiness indicators evaluated under the student achievement domain; and
annual targets for students in each group evaluated under closing the gaps domain.
Required Notification Regarding Algebra II as a High School Graduation Requirement A student is not required by state law (Texas Education Code, Section 28.025) to successfully complete Algebra II as a requirement for high school graduation. However, there are potential consequences to a student who does not successfully complete an Algebra II course. A student is eligible for automatic admission to a Texas public college or university as an undergraduate student if the student earned a grade point average in the top 10 percent of the student's high school graduating class or in the percentage of qualified applicants that are anticipated to be offered admission to The University of Texas at Austin*, and the applicant— • successfully completed the requirements for the distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school program at a public high school; or • satisfied ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks on the ACT assessment or earned on the SAT assessment a score of at least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the equivalent. A student may not earn the distinguished level of achievement or be eligible for automatic admission to a Texas public college or university as an undergraduate student if the student does not successfully complete high school Algebra II. There are several state financial aid programs available for certain Texas public high school students. Certain state financial aid programs include curriculum requirements that should be considered when planning a student’s high school career to ensure eligibility for financial aid under one of these programs. Please note that this is not a complete list of requirements and additional eligibility requirements apply. A full list of requirements is available through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (THECB) financial aid webpage at http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/financialaid/tofa.cfm?Kind=GS For initial eligibility for a TEXAS grant, a student enrolling in an eligible institution must be a graduate of a public or accredited private high school in this state who completed the Foundation High School Program or its equivalent and have accomplished any two or more of the following: • Successful completion of the course requirements of the International Baccalaureate diploma program or earning of the equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours of college credit in high school through courses described in Texas Education Code (TEC), Sections 28.009(a)(1), (2), and (3) • Satisfaction of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the THECB under TEC, Section 51.334 on any assessment instrument designated by the THECB or qualification for an exemption as described by TEC, Section 51.338(b), (c), or (d) • Graduation in the top one-third of the person's high school graduating class or graduation from high school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale or the equivalent • Completion for high school credit of at least one advanced mathematics course following the successful completion of an Algebra II course or at least one advanced career and technical or technology applications course
