GATE Program

Jedadiah came home with a permission slip to be signed allowing him to be GATE tested. All second graders, with parents' permission, will be tested in December for the GATE program. Of course, this sparked my curiousity about the test and the GATE program, so I had to do some research: History of Legislation GATE Program In 1961, the California Legislature established the Mentally Gifted Minor (MGM) program for students scoring in the 98th percentile or above on standardized intellectual ability tests. By 1980, 454 school districts and 160,000 students were participating in the program. Assembly Bill (AB) 1040, enacted in 1980, established the GATE program allowing districts to set their own criteria for entrance. AB 1040 expanded service beyond the intellectually gifted to students who were gifted and talented in areas such as specific academic ability, leadership, visual and performing arts, and creativity. In 2000, two pieces of legislation were enacted that amended provisions of the EC for GATE. AB 2313 amended EC 52200 requiring that GATE programs be planned and organized as differentiated learning experiences within the regular school day and established a GATE funding formula based on the average daily attendance for all students in the district. AB 2207 amended EC 48800 providing options for gifted and talented pupils to attend classes at postsecondary institutions regardless of the pupil's age or grade level. The acronym "GATE" represents Gifted And Talented Education. The definition of a "gifted" student, according to the No Child Left Behind Law, is as follows: The term 'gifted and talented', when used with respect to students, children, or youth, means students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities. (Title IX, Part A,Section9101(22)(Page 544) In simpler terms, GATE students, when compared to students their own age, are high-ability and usually learn at a faster pace, use a larger vocabulary, ask many questions, and need activities that are complex and challenging. They may also be highly sensitive, creative, and intense. Though each GATE student is different, one thing most have in common is the ability to perform complex mental functions. According to John P. DeLandtsheer, board member of the CA Association of the Gifted, GATE students can "form generalizations and see unique relationships between concepts; they can synthesize information from various sources and come up with their own innovations." CNUSD utilizes the CogAT and NNAT as an initial screening tool. This test is administered in the winter at each school site. All parents and schools are notified of the assessment results and student qualifications by mid to late spring.