• Gifted and Talented/Vanguard Program

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    Kolter Elementary has a G/T Neighborhood Program for students in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. This program can begin in the fall of the Kindergarten year and continue through Fifth Grade. The official definition of the term "gifted" from the Texas Education Code: "Gifted and Talented student" means a child who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment. The child also
    • exhibits high-performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area,
    • possesses an unusual capacity for leadership, or
    • excels in a specific academic area.

     

    The focus of the G/T Program is to serve the top achieving students with a differentiated curriculum by modifying the general academic program in depth, complexity, and pacing. HISD’s G/T Curriculum Framework provides a continuum of learning for G/T students. Instructional strategies that are emphasized throughout the framework are pacing and differentiating the core curriculum with concept-based instruction, adding depth and complexity, independent research, interdisciplinary studies, and developing creativity. The teachers who provide instruction and services to the G/T students have a minimum of 30 clock hours of Gifted and Talented professional development. They also receive 6 hours of G/T professional development each year. 

     

    The Kolter Elementary Model

    Our G/T students receive the majority of their core subjects with peers who are not identified as gifted and talented. We do not offer a pull-out or push-in program. Our curriculum offers differentiation and special instruction in the areas of content knowledge, product development, and research processes.
    Project Based Learning 

    We are a Project Based Learning (PBL) school and all students in K-5, regardless of G/T status, complete PBL projects throughout the year. Project-based learning (PBL) or project-based instruction is an instructional approach designed to give students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects set around challenges and problems they may face in the real world. 

    Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience. As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. Project Based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among students and teachers.