FAQ 

Question: What's the difference between Talent Development & TAG?

Answer:  ALL students who qualify for TAG (talent and gifted) services will spend time, outside of their regular classrooms, in Talent Development. The amount of time per week varies per grade level. Not all gifted students will show academic (math, language arts, science and/or social studies) needs for gifted services, but every TAG student will have Talent Development. 

Question: What will Language Arts, Science and Social Studies services look like? 

Answer:   services are provided by homeroom teachers who have received the 30 hour TAG foundational training and annual updates.

Question:  How are primary students (Kinder-2nd grade) served in the RRISD TAG program?

Answer:  Kinder students are not formally identified until after January testing.  Whole classroom enrichment provided by a TAG specialist happens throughout the first semester.  First and second grade students who are identified as needing TAG services will participate in Talent Development. Second grade TAG students are subject tested second semester and will begin subject services in 3rd grade. Primary TAG students are required to complete the spring project, but it will be completed with your student's respective TAG specialist.

Question:  What scores are you looking for in order for my student to be identified for the TAG program?

Answer:  The TAG committee looks for a preponderance of evidence that a student is in need of gifted services.  We automatically qualify students with two scores or more in either test that are in the very superior range of the bell curve (shown below) when looking at the results of the nationally normed tests.  As it is best practice to qualify students based on local norms, we and surrounding area RRISD schools, will qualify students that have these two or more scores that are based on the same age, experience and environment.   Additionally, we look at both qualitative and quantitative evidence to support placement. 

If you're interested in learning more about ability tests in general and what they measure, you may read more about them here: 

https://www.psychometricinstitute.com.au/psychometric-test-guide/aptitude-test-guide.html 

Question:  When will  my child be retested for a subject area?  Can I refer my child again if they're not already identified for a subject? 

Answer:  There are no formal test screenings once a child is identified for needing gifted services. However, we may give additional informal assessments for additional data points with a recommendation from the homeroom teacher. 

The TAG committee collects data about current TAG students throughout the school year including our observations in the TAG classroom and information the homeroom teacher provides.  The TAG Screening and Placement Committee reviews this information once at the end of the first semester and again at the end of third quarter during the annual review. Changes may be made based on a preponderance of evidence provided during Talent Development and/or homeroom teacher observations/evidence.  Parents will be notified of this change if additional services are determined to be needed.   If you do not hear from the TAG placement committee, please know that they have determined that your child will be more academically successful in the general education classroom with differentiation.  

Question:  Can you look into adding TAG Math (or LA) services for my child?  

Answer:  This is not parent initiated.  The TAG committee collects data about current TAG students throughout the school year including our observances in the TAG classroom and information the homeroom teacher provides.  The TAG Screening and Placement Committee reviews this information once at the end of the first quarter and again at the end of the third quarter during the annual review. Changes may be made based on a preponderance of evidence provided during Talent Development and/or homeroom teacher observations/evidence.  There are no formal test screenings, although we may give additional informal assessments for additional data points.   Parents will be notified at the end of the school year if a decision to add services has occurred.  If you are not contacted, then the committee believes at this time that your child would be more academically successful in the general education classroom with differentiation.

Question: What is the process for having TAG services for a transfer student?  If they were in a G/T program at a different school are they automatically in TAG at Sommer?

If a student is identified in TAG and transferring from a school within RRISD then they would be in the TAG program automatically here at Sommer.  If a student is currently in a TAG program from another district or out of state then two things may occur:

a) if the student has qualifying scores AND the assessment was completed within 2 years, the TAG Screening and Placement Committee may accept those as automatically qualifying for our TAG program at Sommer depending on the testing measures.

b) If there are no qualifying scores, one qualifying score, old qualifying scores or assessments aren't common for G/T,  then the student will be retested.  The student must  have qualifying scores in order to be identified for needing TAG services. 

Question: At the end of 2nd grade, will my child be given additional subject matter testing?  Is the subject matter testing automatic for each child in 2nd grade in TD (Talent Development)?

Answer: Per district procedures, it is automatic for ALL current TAG 2nd graders to have additional subject matter testing for possible subject placement for the following school year.  

TAG Math Flowchart - for middle school and high school

Current TAG Math 5th Graders will go to Accel 2-TAG

Here is a brief explanation of the different math options for 6th graders next year (this information is from the Cedar Valley parent Google Slides):

• Sixth Grade On level Math - Follows the 6th grade state math curriculum. Students will be on track to take algebra 1 in 9th grade.

• Accel 1/TAG Accel Math  - Follows 6th grade curriculum at a faster pace and moves into the 7th grade curriculum. Students will be on track to take algebra 1 in 8th grade (newly identified TAG Math 5th graders automatically placed here).

• Accel 2/TAG Accel 2 Math - Follows 7th and 8th grade curriculum.  Students will take algebra 1 in 7th grade and geometry in 8th grade. (Students must already have qualified for and have completed the TAG math course in 5th grade due to the fact that the TAG 5th grade students are currently covering the 6th grade math curriculum. Students who are not TAG or qualify for TAG math this spring will be required to pass the 6th grade math Exam for Acceleration with a score of 80 or better in order to skip 6th grade math. Newly identified TAG Math 5th graders will receive instruction about this from the TAG teacher prior to May. Everyone else will go through the counselors.)

For 5th grade students that are not currently in 5th TAG Math, they do have the option to take the 6th Grade Math EFA test at the end of this school year to see if they can be placed in 6th Grade Math Accel 2.  If a student scores an 80% or higher on the 6th Grade Math EFA test, they will be able to be placed in the 6th Grade Math Accel 2 course.  Please note that if your child does pass this test and is able to be placed in that course, he/she will not be considered to be in TAG Math, but still in the same class as other TAG Math students.  THIS IS DONE WITH THE COUNSELORS.

6th Grade Math Accel 1 will also have other TAG Math students (if they are newly identified) and is a great option for students who want to take a faster pace math course next year.  Students do not have to pass a test in order to get into Accel 1 Math.

If you are interested in signing your child up for this test, there is a very short "application" that will have available starting after Spring Break from the counselors.  Please contact Mrs. Macre, the counselor.  They will be accepting applications until mid/late April, and then will do the testing sometime in May before the end of the school year.

Question: Where is information about the Science Accel offered in Middle Schools? 

You can find information on RRISD Advanced Academics website or click here.