GT Testing Timeline

Thank you for your interest in referring your child/ren for gifted services in Richardson ISD. Please review this entire document before completing the online referral form.

Please check back often as we update information as needed.

Richardson ISD universally tests all students in certain grades. If your child/ren is in these grades, you do not need to complete a referral form for them to be tested.

• kindergarten, 1st grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade: referral form required
• 2nd grade: Please do not complete a referral. All RISD 2nd grade students are universally tested.
• 5th grade (Lake Highlands Learning Community): Please do not complete a referral. All LHLC 5th grade students are universally tested.
• 5th grade (Berkner, Pearce, or Richardson Learning Communities): referral form required
• 6th grade (Berkner, Pearce, or Richardson Learning Communities): referral form NOT required. All 6th grade students at elementary schools are universally tested.

Please note: All 2nd and 5th grade (Lake Highlands Learning Community) or 2nd and 6th grade (Berkner, Pearce, and Richardson Learning Communities) students are automatically tested, including GT2 students. Please do not complete a referral form for your GT2 child/ren if they are in these grades.

No preparation is necessary. These assessments are designed to determine if a student has advanced instructional needs that warrant gifted services. Please do not use prep materials prior to testing. Doing so may invalidate test results, making a child ineligible for gifted services.

Please complete the appropriate referral form during the referral window. You will need your child's six-digit RISD student ID number. (This is not their lunch number.)

• 2025-2026 Kindergarten GT Testing Referral Form
• 2025-2026 Grades 1, 3, & 4 GT Testing Referral Form (Lake Highlands Learning Community only)
• 2025-2026 Grades 1 & 3-5 GT Testing Referral Form (Berkner, Pearce, & Richardson Learning Communities)

If you're not sure which learning community your child's school is in, click here.

I'm not sure if I should refer my child/ren. What should I consider?

This is a frequent question from parents. Click HERE for a list of characteristics that may help you. Please remember to consider if gifted services may be a good fit for your child's educational needs, which includes the possibility of them being pulled out of their core content classroom 45 minutes to two hours per week.

The referral form includes a section for you to check characteristics you see in your child. Please take the time to consider what you observe in your child on a frequent basis, so Advanced Learning Programs & Services may see your child/ren in a more holistic way and determine if they have an instructional need for gifted services.

October 3-17, 2025: referral window open

November 5-21, 2025: testing window (Your campus Advanced Learning Teacher will communicate specific test dates.)

February 20, 2026: Results and qualification decisions available in Focus Parent Portal (*subject to change)

Week of March 2, 2026: kindergarten GT services begin

October 3-17, 2025: referral window open

January 20-30, 2026: testing window (Your campus Advanced Learning Teacher will communicate specific test dates.)

March 31, 2026: Results and qualification decisions available in Focus Parent Portal (*subject to change)

Week of April 6, 2026 (Texas GT Awareness Week!): GT services (30-45 minutes per week) begin for all newly identified GT students. If your child qualifies for GT3 services (2 hours per week), those services will begin in the 2025-2026 school year.

*Please note: If your child is in the 5th grade at a Lake Highlands Learning Community elementary school, you do not need to refer them for testing. They will be universally tested. Please see below for details on their testing timeline.

All RISD 2nd grade students are universally tested, including those already identified for GT2 or GT3 services. Please do not complete a testing referral for your 2nd grade child/ren.

December 1-19, 2025: All 2nd graders participate in a universal testing unless deemed inappropriate because of learning needs. (Your campus Advanced Learning Teacher will communicate specific test dates.)

March 31, 2026: Results and qualification decisions available in Focus Parent Portal (*subject to change)

Week of April 6, 2026 (Texas GT Awareness Week!): GT services (30-45 minutes per week) begin for all newly identified GT students. If your child qualifies for GT3 services (2 hours per week), those services will begin in the 2025-2026 school year.

All students entering secondary school (middle school or junior high) in 2025-2026 will be tested. If your child is in 5th grade at a Lake Highlands Learning Community elementary school or in 6th grade at a Berkner, Pearce, or Richardson Learning Community elementary school, you do not need to refer them for testing.

November 5-21, 2025: testing window (Your campus Advanced Learning Teacher will communicate specific dates.)

January 16, 2026: Results and qualification decisions available in Focus Parent Portal (*subject to change)

Please read the our Secondary GT Services Smore newsletter for more information on GT courses in our middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools.

If your 1st-5th grade child (1st-4th in LHLC) does not qualify for gifted services but you feel they have an instructional need, you may file an appeal of the decision via the GT testing appeal form. The form will be linked here when the appeal window is open.

We do not accept outside testing as alternative qualitative data.

• January 16-30, 2026: 6th grade (5th grade in LHLC) appeal window
• March 21-April 14, 2026: K-5 (K-4 in LHLC) appeal window
• June 1, 2026: appeal decisions posted in Focus

1. What happens if my child is absent on the day of testing? We will schedule makeup testing as time is available. Contact your campus Advanced Learning Teacher.
2. Does my child need to retest if they are already receiving services? Your child does not need to retest once they have qualified for services. However, students who are qualified for GT2 services may retest to determine if they qualify for GT3 services. Additionally, we retest in 2nd for updated scores to determine if a child qualifies for a change in placement to GT3 services or the Responsive Acceleration Pathway (RAP) program. We also test all 5th graders (LHLC only) and 6th graders (Berkner, Pearce, and Richardson Learning Communities) to determine secondary course qualifications. Regardless of the scores, students are not removed from services.
3. My child did not qualify last time they were tested. Can they be tested again? Yes, students may test once per academic year to determine if they qualify for gifted services. In deciding if you should refer your child multiple times, consider the child's instructional needs and their response to potentially testing and not qualifying. Sometimes students internalize this as a failure because they do not understand the nature of this kind of assessment and process.

Email: kelsey.karcher@risd.org