Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)

Introduction

Children are gifted when their ability is significantly above the norm for their age.  

Giftedness may manifest in one or more domains such as; intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or in a specific academic field such as language arts, mathematics or science.

It is difficult to estimate the absolute number of gifted children in the U.S. and the world because the calculation is dependent on the number of areas, or domains, being measured and the method used to identify gifted children. However, many consider children who are within the top 10 percent in relation to a national and/or local norm to be a good guide for identification and services.

Parents, educators, and the broader community have a responsibility to support all children as they reach for their personal best.  It is essential to support the growth and development of the whole gifted child including their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical domains.

Student Selection

Students are assessed for their eligibility in our Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, like many of our specialty education programs, based upon a multiple-measures system throughout the Beginning, Middle and End of the school year.   Similar to Basic Skills Instruction (BSI), there are two major points regarding the development of the student selection process.  One is the setting of a district standard/norm which will be used to determine the pool of educationally gifted and advantaged students, and the second is the setting of selection criteria to determine which students will be selected.  We have established district standards so that we assess all students equitably.  Multiple measures are used to select children based on the district norm and placement on the following:

Multiple Measures Matrix

 Eligibility

Second grade students must score 17 out of 20 to qualify for the GATE program.  Fourth grade students must score 27 out of 30 to qualify.  If group numbers are low exceptions will be made for students who score just below those numbers.  

The CogAT is a cognitive abilities screening test used by many schools across the nation to qualify students for gifted and talented placement.  The CogAT measures a student’s general, abstract reasoning skills following the universally-accepted CHC theory on human cognitive abilities.  The CogAT has several features to ensure reliable, valid, and accurate data for all students, regardless of language, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status.  It measures a student’s verbal, quantitative, and figural (nonverbal) reasoning skills which helps measure the cognitive abilities needed to learn and succeed in school. 

GATE Curriculum and Activities