{"id":"hisd","name":"Houston Independent School District","short_name":"HISD","url":"https://www.houstonisd.org/","magnet_program_name":"Vanguard","magnet_url":"https://www.houstonisd.org/Page/40835","tests":{"entering_kindergarten":{"primary":"CogAT (all three batteries)","batteries":["Verbal","Nonverbal","Quantitative"],"format":"Cognitive reasoning test — verbal analogies, figure matrices, number series","how_triggered":"Parent request only","matrix_type":"entering_kindergarten","matrix_max_points":63,"threshold_gt":24,"note":"CogAT only — no report card, no teacher observation, no MAP Growth for EK matrix"},"kindergarten":{"primary":"CogAT + NWEA MAP Growth","ability_test":"CogAT (Nonverbal battery — 30 pts)","achievement_test":"NWEA MAP Growth — Reading and Math","how_triggered":"Universal screening — all K students tested mid-November","matrix_type":"k12","spanish_alternative":"Logramos 3 (instead of MAP Growth)"},"first":{"primary":"CogAT + NWEA MAP Growth","how_triggered":"Referral only (parent, teacher, student, district roster)","matrix_type":"k12"},"second":{"primary":"CogAT + NWEA MAP Growth","how_triggered":"Universal district screening — ALL 2nd graders automatically tested","matrix_type":"k12","note":"Biggest universal GT catch-net in elementary school"},"third":{"primary":"CogAT + NWEA MAP Growth","batteries":["Verbal","Quantitative","Nonverbal"],"how_triggered":"Referral only (parent, teacher, student, district roster)","matrix_type":"k12","spanish_alternative":"Logramos 3"},"fourth":{"primary":"CogAT + NWEA MAP Growth","how_triggered":"Referral only","matrix_type":"k12"},"fifth":{"primary":"CogAT + NWEA MAP Growth","how_triggered":"Two paths: (1) Referral, (2) Auto-triggered if 80th percentile+ on MAP Math or Reading","matrix_type":"k12","note":"MAP auto-trigger is the district-initiated universal screen at 5th grade"},"eighth":{"primary":"CogAT + NWEA MAP Growth","how_triggered":"Auto-triggered if 80th percentile+ on MAP Math or Reading","matrix_type":"k12"}},"identification_matrix":{"entering_kindergarten":{"max_points":63,"threshold_gt":24,"components":[{"name":"CogAT Verbal","max_points":21,"scoring":"percentile-based (95-99=21, 90-94=18, 85-89=15...)"},{"name":"CogAT Nonverbal","max_points":21,"scoring":"same scale"},{"name":"CogAT Quantitative","max_points":21,"scoring":"same scale"}],"note":"CogAT only — no MAP, no report card, no teacher input"},"k12":{"max_points":105,"threshold_full_gt":62,"threshold_testing_qualified":56,"threshold_single_content":42,"qualification_types":[{"type":"Full GT + Vanguard eligible","condition":"62+ total pts OR (56-61 pts AND 20+ MAP AND 10+ CogAT)"},{"type":"Reading/ELA GT only","condition":"42-61 pts AND 16+ ELA MAP AND 5+ CogAT"},{"type":"Math GT only","condition":"42-61 pts AND 16+ Math MAP AND 5+ CogAT"}],"components":[{"name":"NWEA MAP Growth Achievement","max_points":40,"breakdown":"Reading 20 + Math 20 (by National Percentile Rank)"},{"name":"CogAT Ability","max_points":30,"scoring":"Score 126-160=30, 121-125=25, 114-120=20, 109-113=15, 104-108=10, 100-103=5"},{"name":"Report Card","max_points":20,"scoring":"95-100%=20, 90-94=15, 85-89=10, 80-84=5"},{"name":"Teacher Observation","max_points":10,"scoring":"90-100%=10, 80-89=8, 70-79=6, 60-69=4"},{"name":"Special Considerations","max_points":5,"criteria":"ELL, low SES, SPED/504 — up to 5 bonus pts"}],"vanguard_magnet_requirement":"Must qualify in BOTH Math AND Reading to apply to any Vanguard magnet school"}},"calendar_2026":{"registration_opens":"2026-01-08","registration_closes":"2026-02-12","testing_window":"2026-02-23 to 2026-03-27","results_release":"2026-04-24","vanguard_decisions_due":"2026-05-15"},"top_elementary_schools":["Oak Forest Elementary","Helms Elementary","Garden Oaks Montessori","Travis Elementary","River Oaks Elementary","West University Elementary","Roberts Elementary","Wilson Montessori","Mark Twain Elementary","Harvard Elementary","Carnegie Vanguard","T.H. Rogers School"],"source_urls":["https://www.houstonisd.org/Page/40835","https://www.houstonisd.org/Domain/8268"],"last_updated":"2026-06-05"}