Vanguard Magnet Program

Burbank Middle School's Magnet Vanguard Program is one of the original three Vanguard Programs established in HISD in 1975. It serves students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, providing them with an enriched curriculum of advanced classes and electives. Our Vanguard Program is a SWAS Program- a School Within A School.

All Vanguard Programs in HISD are Academic Programs, therefore all our Vanguard students have an advanced academic curriculum in at least two content areas: English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and/or Science. In addition, they may take the following classes for High School or College Credit:

• Algebra I
• IPC
• Spanish for High School credit in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades
• Advanced Placement Spanish (AP Spanish) for college credit
• Principles of Informational Technology (PIT)         

Magnet Tours: If you would like to schedule a tour, please contact Ms. Vasquez, Magnet Coordinator.      

Congratulations on your decision to seek the best education for your child in HISD!

To participate in our program, your child must have been identified as a Gifted and Talented Student. Kindly refer to the information provided below:

1. If your child has been identified as GT and is currently enrolled in HISD, kindly email the HISD GT matrix that verifies his/her GT status to: lrodarte@houstonisd.org.  
2. If your child has been identified as GT and you have moved out of the district, kindly email the HISD GT matrix that verifies his/her GT status to: lrodarte@houstonisd.org.
3. If your child has been identified as GT by a different district in Texas, kindly email the identification proofs to: lrodarte@houstonisd.org.  The District GT committee will evaluate your child's GT status with HISD.

To complete an application, parents/guardians will need:

• An email address
• HISD Student ID# (If a student is an existing HISD student)
• Parent & student contact information
• You may rank up to 10 HISD programs (with your top choices high on your list)
• For Burbank MS, select Burbank MS Vanguard (Gifted and Talented).

If you receive an offer from our Magnet Coordinator, you will need the following documentation for enrollment:

1. Proof of Identity of Parent or Legal Guardian
   • Driver's License, State Identification, Passport, or Military ID
2. Proof of Residence of Parent or Legal Guardian
   • Valid lease agreement, Mortgage statemen, Electric bill, Natural gas bill or City of Houston water bill
3. Proof of Student Identity and Age
   • Birth Certificate, Passport, Hospital birth record, or Adoption records
4. Immunization Records
5. School Records from Last School Attended

If you need assistance completing your application or enrollment, please contact Ms. Vasquez or Ms. Rodarte.

For more information, click here for the HISD School Choice Website: https://schoolchoice.houstonisd.org/

Apply Here- SChool Choice application Link 

School Choice- How to Apply- Flyer

Virtual Application Information Session 

Phase I School Choice Application Opens: December 9, 2025

Phase I School Choice Application is due: February 27, 2026

School Choice Lottery Notification Date: April 8, 2026

Phase II School Choice Application Opens: April 8, 2026

Phase I Offer Acceptance Deadline: April 21, 2026

Phase II Offer Acceptance Deadline: 5 calendar days from offer date

Phase II Application Closes: One week before school opens

All 6th, 7th, & 8th grade G/T students are required to complete a G/T TPSP project as part of the HISD and State Gifted & Talented plan. The project topic is open to the student's interest. Projects will be displayed at the school's GT Expo in March. A timeline will be provided to all G/T students to follow in order to complete the project. 

WHAT IS THE TPSP?

The TPSP is a RESEARCH PROJECT that is designed for you to explore and discover something about the world around you.  You may do this research by yourself or with another person. Once you decide what to investigate, you will use research tools to gather information about your subject and present your findings. In the end, you will give a presentation or a performance as well as create a product.  This paper will help you understand the research tools at your disposal as well as provide you with some ideas for your project.

What are the different RESEARCH TYPES AND TOOLS? In the following sections we will explore the types of research that you can do as well as the tools you have at your disposal to do your work.

TRADITIONAL RESEARCH

 Traditional research involves finding information about your subject which has already been published in some form.  By looking up as much information as possible from a variety of sources, you become an expert on the subject where you can teach others about it.

TOOLS OF TRADITIONAL RESEARCH

• Textbooks and Subject Books- Books present a multitude of topics. Because of the time it takes to publish books, they usually contain more dated information than will be found in journals and newspapers. You can find books through the Library Catalog by: author, title, subject area.
• Newspapers- Predominately covering the latest events and trends, newspapers contain very up-to-date information. Newspapers report both information that is factual in nature and share opinions. Generally, however, they will not take a “big picture” approach or contain information about larger trends. You can search for newspapers through their individual websites or by buying a paper copy.
• Academic and trade journals- This is where you can go to find the most up-to-date information and research in industry, business, and academia. Journal articles come in several forms, including literature reviews that overview current and past research, articles on theories and history, or articles on specific processes or research. You can find articles online through a search engine called “Article Plus”. You can use the magazine or journal name, article title, author, or subject.
• Government Reports and Legal Documents- The government releases information intended for its own use or for public use. These types of documents can be an excellent source of information. Examples of a government report are the U.S. Census data and Unemployment Figures. Most government reports and legal documents can now be accessed online.

• Press Releases and Advertisements- Companies and special interest groups produce texts to help persuade readers to act in some way or inform the public about some new development. You can find press releases at the source (such as a government agency, city hall, or a company).

• Flyers, Pamphlets, and Leaflets- While some flyers or pamphlets are created by reputable sources, because of the ease in which they are created, many less-than-reputable sources also produce these. They are useful for quick reference or very general information. Some pamphlets may be collected by libraries, especially the Library of Congress, so you may search the library catalog to locate them.

• Multimedia- Printed material is certainly not the only option for finding research. Also consider media sources such as radio and television broadcasts, interactive talks, and public meetings. Other media include videos, films, CDs, tapes, and records.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

There are specific types of actitivies that need to use the primary research approach. You are going to use primary research if you're going to:

• investigate a local problem that may not have been addressed before and there is little research to back it up.
• write about a specific group of people or a specific person.
• look into a topic that is relatively new or original and few publications exist on the subject.

You can also use primary research to confirm or dispute national results with local trends.

What types of primary research can be done?

Many types of primary research exist. This guide is designed to provide you with an overview of primary research.

• Interviews are one-on-one or small group question and answer sessions. Interviews will provide a lot of information from a small number of people and are useful when you want to get an expert or knowledgeable opinion on a subject.
• Surveys are a form of questioning that is more rigid than interviews and that involve larger groups of people. Surveys will provide a limited amount of information from a large group of people and are useful when you want to learn what a larger population thinks about a specific, well-defined subject.
• Observations involve taking organized notes about occurrences in the world. Observations provide you with insight about specific people, events, or locales and are useful when you want to learn more about an event without the biased viewpoint of an interview.
• Analysis involves collecting data and organizing it in some fashion based on criteria you develop. They are useful when you want to find some trend or pattern. A type of analysis would be to record commercials on three major television networks and analyze gender roles.

  SO WHERE DO I START?

Consider the following questions when trying to decide what to do for your project:

• What type of research do I want to do: traditional or primary?
• What do I want to discover?
• How do I plan on discovering it? (This is called your research methods or methodology)
• Who am I going to talk to/observe/survey? (These people are called your subjects or participants)
• How am I going to be able gain access to these groups or individuals?
• What are my biases about this topic? (What do I already think about it?)
• How can I make sure my biases are not reflected in my research methods?
• What do I expect to discover?

The HISD School Choice Fairs are scheduled on the following Saturdays from 9:00AM to 12:00PM..

November 15, 2025 at Northside High School: 1101 Quitman Street, Houston, TX 77009

December 13, 2025 at Mickey Leland YMCPA: 1700 Gregg Street , Houston, TX 77020

January 10, 2026 at Sharpstown High School: 7504 Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX 77074

February 7, 2026 at Mandarin Immersion Magnet School: 5445 W Alabama St. Houston, TX, 77056