About the program
Sylvania's Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program is designed for students in grades 3 to 5 who show exceptional talents and abilities. GATE focuses mainly on 4th and 5th grade students, helping them excel in English Language Arts (ELA) and math. This program prepares them for the challenges of honors courses in junior high and beyond.
How Does it Work?
Targeted Subjects: GATE zeroes in on ELA and math, boosting skills that are vital for success.
Teacher Connection: Your child's homeroom teacher is their GATE guide. These teachers receive special training in working with gifted students, ensuring your child's growth and potential are nurtured.
Expert Support: Three Gifted Intervention Specialists (GIS) collaborate with teachers. They provide consultation, enter classrooms, and work with small groups of students. This means your child gets extra enrichment tailored to their needs. Our GISs are available to work with any student ready for enrichment, not limiting themselves to only gifted labeled students.
Models of Service
Push-In: Our Push-In Model exemplifies this commitment as our Gifted Intervention Specialists team up seamlessly with your child's homeroom teacher. Together, they craft a vibrant learning atmosphere using strategies like centers, model lessons, choice boards, parallel teaching, Socratic seminars, team teaching, and student conferencing. This collaborative approach ensures that your child receives a well-rounded and engaging education that sparks curiosity, fosters critical thinking, and caters to individual growth.
Pull-Out: Additionally, our "Pull-Out" sessions take learning a step further. Students engage in Project-Based Learning (PBL), dive deep into standards with enriched exploration, and unleash their creativity through passion projects. For those who are ready for more advanced challenges in ELA or math, our targeted pull-out groups provide a focused and supportive environment.
Gifted services are continued to be provided for students throughout their time at Sylvania Schools. Once a student is identified as gifted that identification follows them until graduation. Our continuum of services can be seen in the infographic to the left.
How did my student get into GATE?
Students are admitted into the GATE program after they have been identified as gifted in ELA, math, or cognitively gifted. This means that on an assessment approved for gifted identification by the state of Ohio, your student either scored in the 95% nationally for ELA or math OR they scored in the 95% nationally based on their IQ testing. Sylvania Schools currently uses iReady, TerraNova, NNAT3, and Iowa Assessments for gifted identification at the elementary level.
