The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 2124, which automatically enrolls incoming 6th graders in advanced mathematics courses based on objective data measures (Texas Education Agency, 2023). Prior to this legislation, student enrollment in middle school advanced courses was primarily determined by teacher or counselor recommendation (Richman, 2023). Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, Texas school districts implemented Senate Bill 2124. To determine eligibility, districts identify fifth grade students who scored in the 60th percentile on the state assessment or perform in the top 40% on a local measure and automatically enroll those students in an advanced mathematics course for the sixth grade.
Leader Action Resource: Identifying Gifted Multilingual Learners (MLs)
In the gifted education space, much of the research highlights students’ socio-emotional needs, equitable identification practices, and classroom intervention strategies to support advanced learners. However, far less research exists that focuses on the secondary space, and even less on a student’s transition into secondary. Gifted-identified students still need and deserve advanced services in middle and high school. This resource includes guidance to help understand the gifted education landscape and what the research says about students’ unique instructional and socio-emotional needs as they transition into secondary. As a series of resources, these one-pagers provide research-driven key takeaways and specific action steps you can begin immediately to support students’ transition to secondary.
