Gifted and Talented Education Program

Parents new to the GATE program can attend GATE Information Night on April 30th from 5:30 - 6:30 PM at the District Office.

GATE TEST SCORE PICKUP! 

You may pick up your student's test score results on March 20th, between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM at the District Office. Please ensure that you bring a photo ID with you when picking up the scores.

To facilitate this process, appointments are required. Please contact Jenna Garofalo at jgarofalo@eurekausd.org to schedule your appointment. The district office staff does not have access to the test scores, and we are not available at all times to assist with score pickup.

If you are unable to pick up the scores by March 27th, please be aware that the test scores will be destroyed due to confidentiality regulations. Should this occur, you will need to submit a formal request to receive the test results.


GATE & High Achieving Students

EUSD recognizes that gifted and/or high-achieving students have unique learning needs that demand a different type of academic intervention, one that matches their capacity for more advanced and complex work.  Our vision is to continue to improve our program for  GATE/High-Achievers Program providing them multiple opportunities to learn and interact with each other. This may included pull out programs, special projects, cluster grouping as well as full time ability grouping, and afterschool learning opportunities as well as summer camps designed for the gifted and advanced learner.

We are looking for GATE Speaker Volunteers for our GATE Speaker Series at our K-6 schools.
Please consider imparting your expertise on any STEAM subject matter.  This will be a "pull out" activity for GATE students during the instructional day, preferably Friday PM.  We will work with you on scheduling.
EMAIL gmyers@eurekausd.org if interested in serving as a GATE SPEAKER.

FUN AT CAMP!

From investigating the diffusion of food dyes, the water content of popcorn kernels, mousetrap cars, submersibles, and chromatography, our GATE/HA camps are fun, learning-filled opportunities for students to learn advanced concepts and expand their academic vocabulary! EUSD's GATE/HA camps appreciate all parent donations as they help pay for staff and materials. 

SAVE THE DATE! 2025 Camps are on June 16 - July 8, 2025!


Ready to register? Please use this LINK.

ANNOUNCEMENT

The 2025 - 2026 testing cycle for GATE will open up next year with testing invites sent before the Winter Break.  Please understand that if you did not (1) register your child for testing, and (2) submit a completed/signed Testing Consent Form, your child will not be administered the test.  The deadline is January 30, 2026 for submission of BOTH forms.

EUSD lacks the funding and resources that will allow us to have an extended testing period and hence, we must follow deadlines.  We are sorry if we cannot accommodate any late registrants. 

My child missed testing...

Here are two options for 2025:

GATE/High Achievers' Camp

Every summer, EUSD offers inquiry-based learning opportunities for GATE/HA students focused on the thinking skills under STEAM: reasoning, design thinking, creativity, and critical thinking.  EUSD uses the award winning Engineering is Elementary curriculum for its GATE/HA Camps.  

We want to have our child qualify for the GATE Program!

Who is eligible to test?

We welcome all 2nd graders!  An invitation to participate in the testing is emailed to all 2nd - 7th grade students annually, before school closes for the winter break.

All students get a 2nd opportunity for a FREE test.  Unfortunately, EUSD does not have the resources (funding, staffing, and time) to test all students every year. 

We have partnered with CSUS for NNAT-3 testing.  Our district uses the Naglieri Non-Verbal Test of Ability, 3rd edition.

🏫 Each site implements a GATE delivery model that serves its unique demographics.  

Excelsior Elementary School

At Excelsior Elementary and all TK-3 sites, GATE students are grouped in clusters and placed in a GATE Certified Teacher's classroom.  This class is heterogeneous by nature, but placement protocols aim to not place at-risk and high needs students in this class to allow the teacher to differentiate without such a wide diversity in learning needs, and support the needs of all groups.  EUSD is fortunate to have many teachers who are GATE-certified and able to differentiate not only for GATE students, but also for high-achieving students. View the various programs for GATE students at Excelsior HERE.

Ridgeview Elementary School

At Ridgeview Elementary School, GATE students are placed in more homogeneous classrooms with a GATE Certified Teacher.  A BIG Cluster grouping is implemented for AY 23-24 .  High performing students (CAASPP scores and teacher referrals are utilized) are often also placed in GATE classrooms.  In such classrooms, teachers differentiate instruction by increasing depth and complexity of learning tasks assigned (this is also done in cluster-grouped classrooms).  Options for specialized pull outs may exist.  

For the most updated information about class placements, please contact your site principal.

GATE Certification for Teachers

EUSD provides multiple opportunities for teachers to learn about ways to differentiate instruction for gifted (and high achieving) students.  These differentiation strategies include varying levels of complexity and depth for any lesson. Teachers learn, collaborate, and discuss research on effective instruction for gifted students. A total of 18 hours of course work and 9 hours of developing differentiated lessons is required to be GATE-certified at EUSD. 

EUSD GATE MASTER PLAN

This handbook plus master plan was board approved on September 14, 2024.  The board reiterated and emphasized its commitment to serve the needs of our high achievers and gifted students.  This is a dynamic document and GATE Advisory Council will be reviewing our progress towards our goal annually.  Access the document HERE and the board presentation HERE.