Students enrolled in the Advanced Content courses in middle and high school must take at least one gifted education course and spend a minimum of five (FTE) segments per week in gifted education classes. The students in middle school usually take three or four core subject areas. The district may elect to include students who are not identified as gifted but have demonstrated exceptional ability and motivation in a particular content area. 

Houston County uses the following descriptors to distinguish gifted education services: In middle and high school, gifted education classes may be referred to as gifted, GTE, honors, or advanced content. Advanced Placement (AP) is an opportunity offered by College Board to high school students, both gifted and non-gifted qualified.

Testing for Gifted Services

New students previously enrolled in a gifted program in Georgia will be placed in HCSD Gifted Program upon written confirmation of eligibility and records review. 

Students currently enrolled in the Houston County School District may be referred for testing during the school year. The school's eligibility team will review all referrals for consideration for formal gifted education evaluation. The testing, scoring, and norming will be completed by HCSD gifted diagnosticians. Parents will receive written notification of student eligibility.

Students enrolled in a gifted program from another state or military children served in the gifted/honors/AP program at the sending school will be placed in gifted classes upon written confirmation of eligibility and records review. "This does not preclude the school in the receiving state from performing subsequent evaluations to ensure appropriate placement and continued enrollment of the student in the course(s)." (Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children)

Congratulations to the STAR Student System Winners:

Shiva Soundappan and teacher Daryl Leslie

CRITERION ONE: 

The student must earn at least 22 Carnegie Units of credit for graduation and have taken:

4 Units in English Language Arts

4 Units in Mathematics, including one unit in Algebra II (or its equivalent)

3 Units in Science, including one unit in Physics or Chemistry

3 Units in Social Studies, Including Economics, Citizenship, World History, and U.S. Studies

2 Units in a single Foreign Language

1 Unit in Fine Arts, chosen from Visual Arts, Music, Dance, or Dramatic Arts (Can be waived if Fine Arts are not required by your school district)

CRITERION TWO: 

The student must have a minimum combined score of 1360 on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) at one test sitting; OR a composite score of 31 at one test sitting on the American College Test (ACT).

CRITERION THREE: 

A student has a non-weighted, cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.75 on a 4.0 scale, where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, and D = 1 in core courses.

CRITERION FOUR: 

The student must be registered to vote, if a United States citizen and 18 years of age on or before March 1, 2022.

CRITERION FIVE:

 A student must show evidence of self-esteem and concern for others in day-to-day activities.

CRITERION SIX: 

The student must have participated in at least three (3) different competitive interscholastic activities (e.g., athletics, music and literary events, fairs, and exhibits).

CRITERION SEVEN: 

The student must have been appointed by a school official, or elected to, positions of leadership in a minimum of two (2) different organizations sponsored by the school.

CRITERION EIGHT: 

A student has shown evidence of leadership in a minimum of two (2) different organizations outside the school, including being appointed by an organization sponsor or elected to a position of leadership or role of responsibility in a minimum of one (1) of these activities. Note: This does not include paid positions.​