"The School for the Talented and Gifted is one of the greatest high schools in the country." –Jay Matthews, Newsweek Contributing Editor and Washington Post reporter.
TAG graduates are accepted to and attend the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country, such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, NYU, Caltech, MIT, Cal-Berkeley, Vassar, Amherst, Oberlin, Middlebury, Univ. of Chicago, Swarthmore, Rice, Bard, Reed, Morehouse, Emory, Howard, the Honors Programs at UT-Austin, Texas A&M, Washington University-St. Louis, and the U.S. Military Academies. The 2009 graduating class of forty-eight students was offered cumulative scholarships in excess of $16 million.
All students follow the Distinguished Achievement Program as outlined by the State of Texas and the Texas Education Agency. In 2009, ALL graduates were recognized as DAP Texas Scholars. The TAG curriculum includes interdisciplinary activities such as TREK, TAG-IT, TAG Forum, and grade-level seminars that reflect the principles of gifted education as outlined by the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students and national standards for gifted education.
Students also follow an extensive Pre-AP and Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum that includes a minimum of eleven required AP courses. In addition, TAG offers many opportunities for academic, civic, and personal enrichment through its wide variety of honor societies, academic competitions, clubs, and organizations.
Some notable accomplishements:
Ranked #1 public high school in the nation (2009, 2007, 2006). Ranked #2 (2008)
Ranked #14 by in the magazine's first inclusive ranking of high schools (2007). TAG was also ranked as the #1 magnet program among all similar programs on the list.
National Blue Ribbon School (2003)
A national award presented by the U.S. Department of Education for consistent exemplary performance of its students over the previous seven years.
Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) Honor Roll
This award recognizes schools in Texas "for academic performance, and honors those students, teachers [and] principals who have won their championships in the classroom."
The organization ranks TAG as the #2 public high school in the Metroplex based on its method that includes 14 measures of performance.
The Best Texas High Schools in 2005
TAG is ranked #1 in: African-American Achievement, Latino Achievement, and Overall Achievement by the Texas Educational Excellence Project (TEEP) at Texas A&M University.
Advanced Placement (AP) Worldwide Leader
TAG has been recognized by the College Board for having the highest passing rate in Art History (2004), Computer Science (2004), and Human Geography (2004, 2005)
Best High School in the Metroplex
Recognized in the November 2001, November 2003, and April 2006 issues of D Magazine as the outstanding AP school in the region.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Class of 2009 – 46 of 48 graduates were offered academic scholarships and grants totaling more than $16 million
National Merit Awards (NMSC)Class of 2009 –recognition for its 48 members:
- 6 National Merit Scholars
- 6 National Merit Semi-Finalists
- 1 National Hispanic Scholar
- 10 National Merit Commended Scholars
- 3 National Achievement Outstanding Participants
- 1 National Hispanic Scholor Honorable Mention
AP Scholar Awards
2008-2009 AP Exams:
- 18 National Scholars – students who receive an average grade of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.
- 38 Scholars with Distinction (average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams)
- 5 Scholars with Honor (average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams)
- 42 Scholars (grades of 3 or higher on 3 or more exams)
- Texas Outstanding Scholars – one male and one female student in each state with grades of 3 or higher on the greatest number of AP Exams and the highest average grade (at least 3.5) on all AP Exams taken. TAG students have been named as the outstanding state scholar FIVE times since 2002.
Honors for AP Exam Results
- Highest passing rate (percentage) in Texas (2004-2005, 2005-2006)
- Highest percentage of juniors and seniors taking the exams in Texas (2004-2005, 2005-2006)
- TAG’s AP Exam grade average is 3.51 (2004-2005)
Independent Study/Senior Thesis
TEA Exit Level Performance Standards Project – at least half of the projects given the top score of 5 by the Texas Education Agency since 2002 have been completed by TAG seniors.