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HISTORY TAG Magnet was originally located at L. G. Pinkston High School . DISD, though plagued by the common problems of inner-city districts, has always been a leader in alternative education. In the 1990s, the school board allocated money for a new "magnet center" as an experiment in accelerated high school education. This magnet center would house 6 different schools, each which offer college-preparatory and pre-professional programs alongside a solid academic education. Initially, TAG students were taught alongside the students at the other magnet schools. But after it threatened the existence of TREK because of lack of supervising teachers, TAG was given permission to have their own teaching staff, a staff that was specialized in talented and gifted teaching methods for the classroom. PROGRAM TAG Magnet offers a rigourous, Advanced Placement -centric curriculum. To enhance the student experience, graduating-class sizes are generally 40-50 students. The school boasts a 100% graduation rate, has a high turnover rate to colleges, and usually rakes in tens of millions of dollars in total scholarship money. The school also has a high turnover rate to Ivy League colleges. The school is consistently rated #1 by D Magazine 's Best Public High Schools in Dallas. Controversy occurred when President George W. Bush instead chose to visit the rival Science And Engineering Magnet , which is attributed to his agenda to help push more students into the sciences and engineering. In 2006, TAG Magnet was rated the #1 high school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine. TRADITION Integral to the TAG environment, traditions play a major role in school spirit. There are many traditions at the Talented and Gifted magnet, some are student traditions, such as Arts Week, ICAP, and Scrapbook, and some are school traditions such as TAG-IT, TREK, and TAG Forum. While some of these traditions have flagged down in recent years, many students are still working hard to preserve them for future classes at TAG Magnet. Arts Week Arts Week is a well known tradition at TAG that allows each student to show off their artistic talent, or lack thereof. Arts week usually occurs in the fall, but as of lately, due to a lack of participation, it is also scheduled for the spring. The person in charge of Arts Week has a ceremonial duty to relieve themself of their position and induct a new leader at the end of each Arts Week. ICAP ICAP is a bi-yearly pamphlet which contains many of the students poems, artwork, and random submissions. ICAP is where the creativity of TAG students, staff, and friends can be expressed without censorship. It is for the enjoyment of the student body, but it is also a place where different ideas and views may be expressed. ICAP's are sold by individual students with the school's approval and usually sell for $1.00. Scrapbook Scrapbook is a yearly tradition in which the senior class collectively pulls together a scrapbook of events throughout the year, and before graduation, publishes a copy for all the seniors and sells copies to any underclassman that wants one. While usually done in good fun, Scrapbook is notorious for publishing negative statements about certain students. In particular, students who don't contribute leave themselves open to having the editors write stuff for them. Scrapbook was officially sanctioned by the school until a teacher discovered an offensive statement written about him. Inklings Literary Magazine ''Inklings'' is a monthly publication featuring student submissions of editorials, reviews, poetry, and general fiction stories. Started by Caitlin Schneider , who joined TAG her junior year as a member of the class of 2007, and Alfonso Correa , the English III and senior thesis teacher, in '05-'06 school year, it is TAG's first and only regularly published, school-affiliated magazine. SEE ALSO William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard For The Academically Talented And Gifted LINKS
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