Fort Bend Independent School District officials used a November 9 board meeting to review the performance of its gifted‑talented (GT) and emergent bilingual programs. Chief Academic Officer Matt Warford shared data on student growth, achievement scores and upcoming goals that will shape the district’s education strategy through the summer of 2027.

Gifted‑talented program shows strong results

The GT program serves 5,542 students, about 7.4% of district enrollment. Identification relies on a cognitive ability test plus teacher and parent inventories. GT students posted higher Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores than the district average, and a larger share of their work was rated as advanced or expert.

Warford noted that more than half of Fort Bend schools held new‑to‑GT meetings to involve parents. The district set three key targets for the GT program by June 2027:

• Raise the percentage of students meeting GT rigor expectations from 21% to 35%.
• Increase completion of GT Learning Plans from 73% to 85%.
• Boost the share of GT projects rated advanced or expert from 29% to 35%.

Emergent bilingual program lags in state tests but excels in English proficiency

The emergent bilingual program enrolls 14,680 students, roughly 20% of the district. Students are placed after a language‑proficiency assessment, committee review and parental consent. Across grades three through eight, emergent bilingual students scored lower on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) than the district average.

Nevertheless, from third through 12th grade these students outperformed the state average on the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), which measures English proficiency for emergent bilingual learners.

Warford outlined three objectives for the bilingual program by the summer of 2027:

• Raise English‑language proficiency rates from 68% to 80%.
• Increase the percentage of certified ESL teachers from 17% to 50%.
• Achieve full compliance with the state‑mandated Language Proficiency Assessment Committee.

Board will use data to set priorities

Board President Kristin Tassin said trustees will consider the presented metrics as they shape upcoming board priorities and goals. The focus will be on sustaining GT excellence while narrowing achievement gaps for emergent bilingual students, ensuring both programs receive the resources and parental involvement needed for continued improvement.

Original reporting: Community Impact — Sugar Land — read the source article.