What is QUEST?

Creative Awareness Tools

QUEST-G/T: IN A NUTSHELL

WHAT DO QUEST STUDENTS LEARN?

1. Continuum: The skills taught in QUEST are structured in a spiraling curriculum, from Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, focusing on three key areas:

• Creative Thinking Skills - what they are and how they are used to enhance learning

• Critical Thinking Skills - what they are and how they apply to problem solving, decision making, and more in-depth learning

• Research Skills - what they are, how they are used to explore issues and problems, and how findings or results are presented or reported to others.

• Communication - clarity in written and spoken language to become effective communicators for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Students experience these skills at an increasingly sophisticated level throughout the grades. The QUEST-G/T curriculum is interdisciplinary in nature, addressing students’ strengths and interests in the four content areas. Students’ interests and strengths are expanded through their ability to apply the skills to all disciplines. They are also given individual choices in selecting areas to study within the QUEST-G/T curriculum, including structured independent studies.

• Grades K-5 participate weekly in various interdisciplinary, project-based units of study under the direction and facilitation of the campus QUEST-G/T specialists. They also have access to support from the QUEST-G/T teachers through QUEST Lab, as available.

• Grades 6-8 is a daily interdisciplinary gifted curriculum plus access to support from the QUEST-G/T teachers through QUEST Lab, as available. At some campuses, it may be blended with English Language Arts.

• High School QUEST/GT includes QUEST-G/T English, QUEST Lab, and QUEST Independent Study Mentorship (ISM) facilitated by the QUEST-G/T Facilitator Teacher.

• High School G/T students are encouraged to participate in Advanced Courses through open enrollment in grades 6-10 advanced courses, high school AP, and IB courses as well as specialized advanced courses in Career Tech and Fine Arts.

2. Array: An array of learning opportunities is offered to meet students’ various interests and abilities and strengths.

• Grades 4-5 students with advanced abilities in language arts and mathematics may be served through Advanced Language Arts and Advanced Math, which provide flexible grouping patterns, differentiated curricula, and accelerated or advanced curricula.

• On some campuses, the freshINC STEM enrichment is offered.

• Grades 6-7 students with advanced abilities in mathematics may be identified for PACE Math classes.

• Grades 7-8 students may apply to participate in the STEM course, Gateway to Technology. On some campuses, they may participate in mxINC and other CTE Electives. They may also apply to participate in AVID, a college and career preparation class.

• Grades 7-8 students may participate in advanced courses in Fine Arts, as available.

• Grade 8 students may be identified for High School Algebra.

• Grades 6-8 students may choose to participate in Advanced Language Arts. Enrollment is open to interested students.

• Grade 8 students may enroll in Advanced Social Studies and Spanish. Enrollment is open to interested students.

• 9-12 students may enroll in a variety of Advanced courses, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, Fine Arts, Career Tech and other courses in various foundation and enrichment areas. For more information on these programs, please contact your campus counselor.

HOW DO ALL STUDENTS LEARN SKILLS TAUGHT IN QUEST-G/T?

1. The skills taught through the QUEST-G/T curriculum are not only for QUEST-G/T students. Classroom teachers incorporate these skills into the regular curriculum in an age-appropriate manner. The difference is in when the skills are introduced and in the pacing and depth at which they are applied.

2. The QUEST-G/T teacher is available to serve all students through collaborating with classroom teachers in planning instruction, in presenting demonstration lessons or workshop sessions, in working with groups on special projects or skills and other areas as determined by campus need and QUEST-G/T teacher availability.

HOW DO TEACHERS/PARENTS LEARN ABOUT QUEST-G/T?

Information is available in the following ways.

• QUEST-G/T teachers may present campus awareness sessions or open houses. These sessions are designed to explain what the program is, who the program can benefit, what behaviors to look for, how the identification process works, and what the students in the program do.

• QUEST-G/T program information is available on district and campus websites. LISD website is https://www.leanderisd.org/quest/ •

•The QUEST-G/T teacher is available by appointment to give a more in-depth explanation to teachers, parents, students, or community members.

WHAT TRAINING DO TEACHERS RECEIVE?

• All QUEST-G/T teachers receive 30 hours of training in gifted education prior to being assigned as QUEST-G/T teachers. QUEST-G/T teachers receive on-going training locally and through state conferences and other seminars dealing with best practices and current research for educating the talented and gifted (at least six hours annual update in training each year). They then share that learning with their colleagues.

• Teachers of high school Advanced/AP/IB courses receive 30 hours of training in gifted education. This includes twelve hours of nature, needs and identification/assessment of the gifted. The remaining eighteen hours of training are in the teachers’ content areas and other areas of gifted education.

• Teachers of middle school STEM, Advanced Language Arts, Math and Social Studies courses receive training in nature, needs and identification of the gifted and differentiation strategies in their content areas.

• Elementary teachers have opportunities to receive gifted training hours, beginning with nature needs and identification of the Gifted, as well as hours in Differentiation for GT in core content.

• These same opportunities are made available to other interested teachers during LISD Summer professional development, LISD Continuous Improvement Conference, and/or online courses.