Northside Independent School District (NISD) provides instructional opportunities and various services designed to meet the unique needs of students with significantly advanced general intellectual ability and/or specific subject matter aptitude in language arts, science, social studies and/or mathematics. These programs provide an appropriately differentiated curriculum in an effort to help students work to their fullest potential. GT program services may include instruction for students that provides for greater depth, more complex content, and enrichment activities. Specific GT program services are available in kindergarten-12th grades. GT program teachers serving identified GT students have met the state requirements necessary for the teaching assignment. NISD’s GT program design is based upon the work of Dr. Joseph Renzulli's concept of "giftedness," which addresses the student's intellectual ability, creativity, and task commitment. Northside Independent School District recognizes that all gifted students are entitled to a program of educational experiences which provide opportunities to maximize the development of their capabilities.
Click here for more information about NISD's Gifted & Talented programs.
Our Steubing GT Specialist is Courtney Segura, courtney.segura@nisd.net, who is responsible for the services listed below, while also managing the GT referral, screening, and testing process.
Pullout Services
Gifted students in grades 1-5 attend classes weekly with the campus GT Specialist where they participate in activities that promote creative and independent thinking. These small groups focus on interdisciplinary, process-centered learning opportunities that are embedded in a specially-designed curriculum that meets the requirements of the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students.
Kindergarten students in NISD are screened for GT testing during the Fall semester. All NISD Kindergarten teachers have completed 30 hours of training in gifted education and are required to complete a yearly 6 hour update. Identified Kindergarten students begin attending weekly classes in March with the campus GT Specialist.
Math and Clustering for GT Students (MaC-GT)
MaC-GT is a program offered in 1st-5th grades at Steubing and other select elementary campuses that clusters high-achieving math students with GT students in the same general education classroom. Teachers of MaC-GT classrooms receive specialized professional development in order to better meet the needs of advanced learners. Based on the work of Dr. Marcia Gentry, this program is a specific, research-based, total-school application of cluster grouping combined with differentiation, focused on meeting the needs of students identified as gifted while also improving teaching, learning, and achievement of all students.
MaC-GT offers students the opportunity to receive a differentiated curriculum that facilitates intellectual stimulation and challenge for much of the day. In addition to increased academic rigor, cluster grouping allows gifted students to make social connections and learn with same-aged peers who may think and learn in similar ways.