Crissy Poulis, director of Advanced Academics and College, Career and Military Readiness for BISD, shared an update on student advanced academics during the Oct. 27 board meeting.
The breakdown
As of Sept. 15, around 10.3% of students in the district are identified as being either gifted or talented, Poulis said.
One of the primary goals of the district is to ensure students are ready for college, a career or the military upon graduation. By 2028, the district aims to have 100% of students engaging with innovative learning experiences.
Poulis said the enrollment of students in advanced academics has increased from 7,537 in the 2023-24 school year to 9,211 in the 2025-26 school year. These enrollment numbers duplicate students who take multiple courses.
The total number of students participating in AP courses increased by 14% between 2023-24 and 2025-26, and the number of students who received at least a 3 on the AP exams increased by 9%. The highest score on an AP exam is 5.
Through advanced programs, Poulis said the district has helped save families around $1.8 million in the 2025-26 school year, due to students getting college credit prior to graduation.
Utilizing these efforts and programs, the number of students meeting the CCMR requirements has increased from 70% in the 2020-21 school year to 95% in 2024-25.
What else?
In college readiness exams, BISD students outperform state and national averages. Comparing SAT scores in spring 2025, BISD students scored around 90 points higher than the state average and around 80 points higher than the national average.
In BISD, all juniors take the SAT during school days, and the test is offered on select Saturdays during the school year.
