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MSTC INFORMATION NIGHT
MSTC INFORMATION NIGHT
Thursday, September 25th at 6pm in the PLD Library
Any family (parents and students) interested in learning about the MSTC program and how to apply should plan to attend.
INTERESTED IN A DISTRICT GIFTED PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL?
Students must be identified gifted in Math and/or Science
Students interested in attending a gifted and talented high school program will need to complete any necessary testing or auditions THIS FALL. If your student is interested in a GT high school program (Liberal Arts Academy or MSTC), please complete the
District Gifted Programs Interest Form by September 26th.
Completion of the form allows the district to assess if students qualify for placement testing, identify which tests may be necessary, and allows communication between GT programs and parents throughout the school year. The testing window runs from October 6 - November 21, 2025.
PROGRAM ELIGIBLITY
WHO CAN APPLY
WHO CAN APPLY
Any eighth or ninth grade student
Identified GT in math and/or science
A resident of Fayette County
Who will complete Algebra 1 by the end of the eighth grade
Students must have all of the required GT testing completed PRIOR to applying. More information about GT Testing below:
There will not be any testing available during or after the application window.
FCPS Special Programs Application
All special programs including MSTC require the Special Program Application
2026-2027 Application Window- November 3, 2025-January 30, 2026.
SELECTION
SELECTION
Students will be ranked for available spots based on the following criteria:
•Gifted identifications (math and/or science)
•Math Achievement test data (ex: MAP or I-ready) from 8th or 9th grade
(Students without access to achievement test data will need to take the MSTC admissions test- this will be scheduled at a later date)
•Current math class
Timeline for Placement Testing & Applications
Timeline for Placement Testing & Applications
August 15 - September 26, 2025 - Deadline for parents to complete the District Gifted Programs Interest Form to indicate interest in a high school GT program (Liberal Arts Academy or MSTC).
The Gifted Committee will review available MAP data in reading and math for FCPS students whose parents complete the interest form. All FCPS applicants with the qualifying scores (89th percentile or higher) in MAP MAP math will be contacted via email with testing information for MSTC. All applicants that do not have qualifying scores will be notified via email that they do not qualify to continue on with the gifted identification process.
The Gifted Committee will also review all IOWA reading and math scores, if available, to reduce the amount of retesting required for students. Any student already identified as gifted in reading, math or general intelligence by FCPS will not need to retest in that area. Students originally identified outside the county, who cannot produce test scores to accompany the identification, may be required to retest.
All private school applicants will be tested for placement in the program unless they are able to provide qualifying IOWA math and science scores, from their schools. Test scores for the IOWA reading and math and the may be submitted from 6th, 7th or 8th grade.
October 6 - November 21, 2025 - Students in an FCPS middle school who are qualified for placement testing will have an opportunity to test at their middle school. Parents will be emailed the testing information in advance. Private school applicants will also test during this window at an FCPS school.
December 19, 2025 - Families will be notified of the placement test results.
November 3, 2025- January 30, 2026- FCPS Special Programs Application will be open. Families will need to fill out this application.
February 17, 2026- High School Programs Invitation Offer Date
IOWA EXAMS
IOWA EXAMS
The IOWA math and IOWA science exams are the tests given for gifted identification.
Math identification comes from a composite score in the 96th percentile on the IOWA math and IOWA computation exams.
The IOWA-14 math exam consists of 75 items, split into 2 - 30 minute tests and covers number sense and operations (perform operations, compare and order numbers, properties of numbers, estimating and rounding real numbers), algebraic patterns and connections (solving equations and inequalities, numerical patterns, use operational and relational symbols, use equations to model situations), data analysis, probability and statistics (interpret data and make predictions, apply measures of central tendency and variability), geometry (estimate geometric measurements, geometric properties-patterns-relationships, concepts of perimeter-area-volume, identify-classify-compare geometric figures), and measurement (measure length/distance – time-temperature – weight – mass – and volume, apply rate, estimate measurements with proper precision).
The IOWA Computation exam is 20 minutes for 32 questions. Most problems in the Computation test require the use of one arithmetic operation—addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. The problems require operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, or various combinations of these, as well as algebraic manipulations at Level 14. Students must solve a problem and compare their answer with the choices given. The fourth option in each question is “N,” meaning the correct answer is not given among the choices provided.
The IOWA-14 science exam consists of 43 questions given in 35 minutes and covers life science (organisms and their habitat, human body-health-safety, interactions in an ecosystem, changes in organisms), earth and space science (climate and weather, structure of earth, natural events), and physical science (types and properties of matter, forces and motion, forms of and changes in energy).
8th grade students will be given the IOWA-14, 9th grade students will be given the IOWA-15. For a list of topics for the IOWA-15 please reach out to the program manager.
MSTC ADMISSIONS TEST
MSTC ADMISSIONS TEST
MSTC Admissions Test
The admissions test will only be given to students wishing to apply that DO NOT have access to a MAP math or equivalent achievement test at their current school
For those students invited to take the MSTC Admissions Test, it is strongly recommended that students review. While the test focuses predominately on Algebra, there are some computational skills assessed as well. The topics covered include:
Simplify numerical expressions with and without grouping symbols.
Solve equations with variables on one or both sides of the equation.
Graph a line and interpret graphs of lines.
Find the slope of a line given two points.
Find the equation of a line in slope-intercept form, point-slope form, or standard form given 2 points or given a point and slope or given a graph.
Determine if lines are parallel, perpendicular, or neither.
Simplify expressions involving exponents.
Set up and solve word problems involving linear functions.
Add, subtract, and multiply polynomials.
Evaluate functions using f(x) notation.
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