Students are admitted into the HISD Gifted and Talented Program only after they have been identified as Qualified by the HISD G/T Identification Matrix. All students who are identified as gifted and talented in HISD will retain their G/T identification providing they subsequently enroll in an HISD Gifted and Talented program upon identification and are continuously enrolled in an HISD Gifted and Talented program thereafter.  If an HISD G/T student leaves the district and returns to HISD within 60 instructional days, the student retains his/her G/T identification. A gifted and talented furlough is required in order for the student to retain his/her GT identification in HISD if his/her absence will be greater than 60 instructional days.

Vanguard Magnet applicants will adhere to the Office of School Choice Admissions Guidelines.

• Intradistrict transfer students who have been identified as G/T according to established District criteria shall continue in the gifted and talented program at the campus to which they transfer. If a HISD G/T-identified student has not been coded in HISD’s Student Information System (SIS), the student’s Qualified HISD G/T Identification Matrix must be provided to the Gifted and Talented Coordinator at the campus to which they transfer. 
• Out of district transfer students who have been identified as G/T by a previous school district must follow the HISD G/T identification process.
• Children of active military families who have been identified as G/T according to their previous school’s criteria shall be served in the Gifted and Talented Program at the HISD campus to which they enroll provided the student’s Gifted and Talented identification documentation is submitted.

Furloughs are considered on an individual basis for students currently identified as Gifted and Talented in HISD. The purpose of a gifted and talented furlough is for the student to retain his/her G/T identification only. The gifted and talented furlough does not guarantee the student a seat at an HISD school to which he/she is not zoned to attend.

The following guidelines regarding gifted and talented furloughs shall apply:

• The completed and signed Furlough Request for Gifted and Talented Programs, must be submitted in writing to the campus Gifted and Talented Coordinator. This request must include the timeframe of the furlough
• The Gifted and Talented Coordinator submits the furlough request form to the Advanced Academics Department which will grant or deny the furlough.
• If a furlough is granted, the student shall retain his/her Gifted and Talented identification for a maximum of one school yea
• Furloughs are considered on an individual basis and may include, but are not limited to, the following: custody issues, divorce, parent/guardian sabbatical leave, foreign exchange programs, and medical probl
• Furloughs may not be granted to Entering Kindergarten Gifted and Talented students.
• The student will retain his/her G/T identification during the length of the furlough, but will be coded G/T Identified Not Served in the Student Information System (SIS).
• If the student resumes HISD G/T services within the furlough’s specified timeline the student will be coded G/T Identified and Served in the Student Information System (SIS).
• If the student does not resume HISD G/T services within the furlough’s specified timeline, the student will lose his/her HISD G/T identification.

Students may be exited from HISD G/T services at the request of a parent/guardian. The Gifted and Talented Voluntary Exit Form must be submitted to the Gifted and Talented Coordinator at the student’s campus. The campus must add SIS coding to reflect the student’s exit from HISD’s Gifted and Talented Program.