Plano Academic and Creative Education (PACE) is Plano ISD’s program for gifted and talented students and is designed for students who have demonstrated the need for advanced academic challenges.

The elementary PACE program consists of two elements:

• above-level differentiation in the student’s general education classroom by the classroom teacher when studying math, language arts, social studies, and science;
• the interdisciplinary PACE pull out class.

The PACE pull out curriculum is crafted around interdisciplinary topics of study designed for fast learners and abstract thinkers while emphasizing love of learning, student interest, complex reasoning, creative thinking, critical thinking, problem solving (including mathematics), advanced reading and writing, and advanced presentation skills.

Collectively, the two elements provide PACE students with multiple opportunities to be challenged.

PACE pull out classes vary from approximately two hours a week for first graders to three hours a week for fifth graders. (Participating kindergarten students enter PACE in February and are served in their regular classroom setting.)

Program Assessment and Placement

• In order to be considered for placement in the PACE program, students need to be referred by a teacher (or another professional school staff member), their parent(s), or students can refer themselves for assessment. Assessment occurs once per year. Students who are referred for PACE assessment are administered aptitude and achievement tests. Placement decisions are made by a campus committee comprised of the campus gifted specialist (PACE teacher), the principal, and a committee of teachers familiar with characteristics of gifted students.
• Please be reminded that demonstrating one’s gifts and talents often is developmental so not all gifted and talented children show the need for advanced academic challenges at the same time in their education. Consequently, PISD allows students to be assessed for PACE at any grade level.
• Parents considering having their child assessed for PACE program placement should reflect on their child’s overall intellectual curiosity, degree of self-motivation, task commitment, willingness to work independently, awareness that tasks sometimes have more than one correct solution, and comfort with connections between language arts, history, science, math, etc.
• PACE may not meet the needs of students whose gifts and talents are in areas other than advanced academics. PISD is proud to offer high quality, challenging courses at the secondary level in the fields of visual arts, performing arts, and/or theater. Students are not required to be in the PACE program to participate in these courses.

The PACE page on the Plano ISD website provides more detailed information