Skip To Main Content

Advanced Academics

Welcome to the Cedar Hill ISD Advanced Academics webpage!  Advanced academics are educational programs designed to support students toward high achievement in accelerated learning environments.  Advanced courses, offered from 2nd to 12th grade, provide gifted and high-achieving students with authentic experiences and instruction that adds depth to content mastery while allowing students to creatively explore their passions.

Advanced Academics Department Mission

The mission of the Cedar Hill ISD Advanced Academics department is to create and support a cognitively challenging district-wide program that engenders student innovation and academic independence.  Through passion and commitment to all students, the Advanced Academics Department serves to eliminate barriers, provide equitable access, and ensure that the program reflects the diversity of the student population.

National Honor Society

Scholars in Cedar Hill ISD who excel academically and model exceptional responsibility can become members through our local chapters of the National Elementary Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, and National Honor Societies. Membership provides an outstanding means to prepare and shape students for scholarship, responsibility, service, and leadership. 

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) 

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a nonprofit that changes lives by helping schools shift to a more equitable, student-centered approach. Elementary students develop the academic habits they will need to be successful in middle school, high school, and college, in an age-appropriate and challenging way. Children learn about organization, study skills, communication, and self-advocacy. AVID Elementary students take structured notes and answer and ask high-level questions that go beyond routine answers.

AVID Secondary equips students to succeed on a path to college and career success.  To address this need, AVID has developed the AVID Elective course. For one period a day, students receive the additional academic, social, and emotional support that will help them succeed in their school’s most rigorous courses. Cedar Hill ISD expands the AVID program throughout the campus by incorporating AVID strategies to improve engagement and success for all students.

Cedar Hill ISD is thrilled to announce that we are now listed as a Baylor University Talent Identification Program (Baylor TIP) District. Through talent search programs like Baylor TIP, students in Grades 4–9 take above-level assessments to determine how best we can meet their needs as gifted and advanced learners—and transform potential into excellence. 

Baylor TIP’s mission is to identify exceptional talent in STEM and the humanities and provide world-class learning opportunities commensurate with students’ exceptional potential. Baylor TIP focuses on both the identification of talent through our assessments and the opportunity to develop talents and interests through customized educational recommendations and out-of-school programs. 

Students qualify to take our above-level assessments through any one of three avenues: 

  • score in the top 25% on one or more subtests of a state or national standardized exam 

  • be formally identified as gifted or talented by a district, or 

  • be recommended by a teacher, administrator, and/or parent. 

The first step of the talent search is to identify student talent. Cedar Hill ISD will offer two above-level assessments for a discounted price, which can be taken online. More detailed information on the assessments is available on the Baylor TIP website. Students who are qualified to take the assessments will select one of the following to complete: 

  • College Readiness Assessment (CRA) for Grades 7–9 or

  • College Readiness Assessment 8/9 (CRA 8/9) for Grades 4–6.

When dates are available: Parents can register their scholars by going to My Payments Plus to pay for the assessment at a discounted price. Then they will need to complete the registration form to upload a copy of their My Payments Plus Receipt. Scholars who are registered individually will take the assessment online at their own homes using their CHISD Chromebooks.  

After testing, students will receive a detailed score report for Baylor TIP with their results as well as educational recommendations. Once students are a part of Baylor TIP, they are eligible to participate in our educational programs through Grade 12.