The DeSoto Independent School District administration presented an early proposal to the Board of Trustees during the Monday, March 4, 2024, workshop which outlined plans to introduce a Talented and Gifted Academy at Ruby Young starting in the 2024-2025 academic year.
The proposed Talented and Gifted Academy at Ruby Young will serve scholars in kindergarten through eighth grade and will be accessible by special program application and academic assessment and will feature enrichment opportunities, instructional flexibility and innovation, and accelerated learning programs.
The Ruby Young Talented and Gifted Academy will focus on fostering growth and critical thinking through individualized impactful experiences and immersive learning experiences which are slated to include capstone projects, project-based learning experiences, learning beyond the classroom and in-depth exploration of concepts and curriculum.
As presented to the Board, the program will focus on TAG-centered education and advanced academics to prepare scholars for optimal personal and educational outcomes by:
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guiding and developing scholars’ internal and external emotional intelligence;
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allowing scholars to explore their interests and the relationships of those interests to society;
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supporting scholars’ development of learning outputs that reflect those explorations;
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creating platforms for scholars’ presentations of learning and discovery designed to challenge conventions;
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and deepening scholars’ sense of belongingness and community to support pride in academic achievement in a more rigorous environment.
DeSoto ISD administration will present a follow-up to the proposed Talented and Gifted Academy at the Tuesday, March 19, 2024, board workshop.