The mission of Advanced Academic Services (AAS) is to work collaboratively with District staff to design, guide and supervise academically advanced programs that promote rigor, depth, complexity, and challenge for the District's advanced and gifted learners. The department ensures that all of the District's students have access to a wide selection of challenging courses to enhance and broaden opportunities for future education and career options. 

Advanced Academic Services will support all of our campuses in the development and implementation of a comprehensive program for the gifted that complies with the state regulations from the perspective that true G/T compliance requires the delivery of a comprehensive and rigorous K-12 curriculum with instruction aimed at mastery rather than minimum expectations. Our AAS service model is a coordinated interdisciplinary effort focused on building a strong academic foundation in the elementary grades which logically extends to college level instruction at the secondary level.

Advanced Academic Services Destination:College website is designed to help students, parents, teachers and administrators navigate the processes of college preparation, selection and application to increase the probability of eventual college success. Middle school and high school students, and those dedicated to their success, will find a quantity of useful information contained in the following pages.


Click on the services (links) below to read more.

College Level Programs and Preparation

Advanced Placement (AP)/Pre-AP. AP courses are college level courses taught in high school (additionally, AP Spanish Language in middle school) with a national, standardized exam at course-end enabling a student to earn potential college credit.

International Baccalaureate (IB)/Pre-IB. IB is a prestigious 4-year college preparatory program offered at Burbank High School emphasizing academics but also including student leadership and service, cultural awareness, theory of knowledge and an extended essay. Outstanding performance on the series of IB exams offers the student the potential for college credit.

Dual Credit. College-level courses offered during high school years earn the student both high school and college credit simultaneously.

AVID(Advancement via Individual Determination). AVID is a support program for students in the middle (2.0-3.5 GPA) during the school day which emphasizes organization and study skills as well as providing tutoring for pre-AP and AP courses and college campus visits.  The San Antonio ISD pioneered AVID in Texas.

CollegeEd. CE is a college awareness and orientation program in the classroom for the 7th grade students and parents.

Standardized Testing

EXPLORE. A national standardized assessment administered to all San Antonio ISD 8th graders in the fall, EXPLORE measures student progress in four academic areas – English, Reading, Mathematics and Science – to assist in the selection of a college preparatory high school course load.

PLAN. A national standardized assessment administered to all San Antonio ISD 10th graders in the fall, PLAN measures student progress in four academic areas – English, Reading, Mathematics and Science – to assist in choosing possible modifications to the high school college preparatory course load.

ACT. A national standardized assessment, ACT is taken voluntarily by San Antonio ISD high school juniors and seniors in four academic areas – English, Reading, Mathematics and Science – the results of which colleges use for admission selection, course placement and scholarship awards.

PSAT. A national standardized assessment taken by San Antonio ISD 9th grade G/T students, all 10th graders and voluntarily by 11th graders, PSAT measures college readiness in three areas – Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing. This is a prep exam for the SAT. PSAT results for 11th graders are used as qualification for National Merit Scholarships, National Hispanic Scholar Scholarships and National Achievement Program (African American) Scholarships.

SAT. A national standardized assessment taken voluntarily by San Antonio ISD 11th and 12th graders, SAT measures college readiness in three areas – Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing – for college use in admission selection, course placement and scholarship awards.

Gifted and Talented (G/T)/Advanced Student Services

G/T is a state mandated academic servicing program for qualifying K-12 students comprising approximately 6-7% of the San Antonio ISD population.

Duke Talent Search is a voluntary program for high-performing students selected in the 4th/5th grades or 7th grade which offers them the opportunity to take above-level standardized tests (EXPLORE for elementary or SAT/ACT for middle school).

PREP is a voluntary 3-year summer pre-engineering program primarily for 7th, 8th and 9th graders excelling in Math and/or Science offered on all the local college/university campuses.

Parent Meetings (refer to the Upcoming Events and Calendar on this page)

Middle/High School GT/AVID/AP/IB Parents. The September meeting will introduce the goals of these programs and stimulate parental support for student success.

Elementary G/T Parents. The September meeting will introduce the goals of the G/T program and stimulate parental support for student success.

Middle School G/T Parents. The November meeting will discuss EXPLORE results, high school course placement, the coherent sequence of courses for college prep and high school magnet programs.

G/T Parents (all levels). The March meeting prepares parents for the May G/T Showcase displaying the results of G/T student long-term projects.