HOUSTON — Houston ISD will no longer assign scoring value to race, ethnicity, sex, household income or disability when deciding which students qualify for gifted-and-talented programs, a change that is drawing concern because Black and Hispanic children have historically been underrepresented.
The state-appointed HISD Board of Managers approved the revised policy Thursday. It prohibits the district from using those demographic factors in its gifted-and-talented identification system.
The change comes as school districts face growing federal and state pressure to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion practices. The Trump administration has warned schools that policies it views as race-based discrimination may trigger civil-rights investigations or threaten federal funding. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has similarly directed state agencies to follow what he calls “color-blind” standards.
HISD has not been publicly identified as the target of a federal investigation connected to its gifted program.
The district’s own data show a longstanding enrollment gap. During the 2022–23 school year, Black students represented 21.3% of all HISD students but only 10.7% of students identified as gifted and talented, according to a district evaluation reported by the Houston Chronicle. Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students were also underrepresented.
Before the revision, HISD used a matrix that included standardized test results, grades and teacher recommendations. The district could also award points when a student received special-education services or was economically disadvantaged. Those demographic considerations are now prohibited.
HISD began universally screening second graders in 2023, replacing its previous kindergarten screening process. Education researchers have argued that universal screening can uncover gifted students who might otherwise be overlooked because their families do not request testing or because educators fail to refer them.
Critics worry the new restrictions could widen existing gaps unless the district keeps universal screening, uses multiple academic measures and publishes regular data showing which students are admitted. Supporters of demographic-neutral admissions argue that placement should depend on individual academic evidence rather than race or family background.
The policy does not eliminate HISD’s gifted-and-talented program or end student testing. Families can still seek evaluation, and the district’s current testing information lists a Sept. 25 registration deadline for fall gifted-and-talented testing.
The central question now is whether the revised identification process will expand opportunity based on merit or leave more high-potential students in underserved communities unidentified. Future enrollment reports will provide the clearest measure of the policy’s impact.
Sources: Houston Chronicle, Sept. 15, 2026; Houston ISD gifted-and-talented testing and identification information.
