Frequently Asked Questions about Boise School District’s
Gifted Pull-out Classes, GATE
1. What is the curriculum for the GATE Pullout classes? Goals for the pull-out classrooms are built on the GATE content/process standards and the Boise School District standards. The GATE standards include leadership, affective skill building, communication, critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, research and arts/humanities. Each standard is introduced, developed and mastered as the student progresses in GATE through grades one through six. These standards are integrated with relevant, high interest content and units may be interdisciplinary and/or thematic. Gifted pull-out classes will incorporate key processes and goals from the new Common Core.
Writing, speaking and presentation strategies are highly emphasized. Technology is embedded in all process areas. Research and independent study skills help meet the unique individual needs of students. Students choose their own topics and are assisted in developing a strong thesis statement, locating appropriate resources, synthesizing information and completing their project.
This curriculum along with increased student choice set apart the GATE pullout classrooms from the regular education classrooms. GATE Pullout activities may differ from one pod to the next based on student interests, availability of experts in the field, facilitator expertise and schools’ preferences. Some common options are explained below.
Students may participate in community service projects to enhance their social/emotional, team-building and leadership skills. They may participate in district and statewide contests such as History Day, Math Olympiads, Word Masters, Future Problem Solving. Chess, sciences, foreign languages, and drama are sometimes included. Mentors or experts in various fields may be utilized as inspiration for future lifelong pursuits. For example, students may work with engineers to learn robotics or with artists, writers, attorneys or architects to see a perspective of these fields.
The GATE Pullout curriculum scope and sequence document is available through your gifted facilitator.
2. Do teachers teach two grades together in one class?
Sometimes students from two or three grades are grouped together depending on the number of qualified students in each class in that pod. Most often, the GATE classes have a first/second grade combination class and one grade level per class for third through sixth grade. Some pods group students by interest area or subject area instead of grade level. Multiage grouping is common in gifted education and presents advantages as well as challenges. The teachers in our programs have their state endorsement in gifted education including strategies for multi-age grouping.
3. What if my child is doing math or reading at a higher grade level?
The GATE Pull-out Classes focus on higher order thinking and process skills, not on accelerating students through the regular curriculum. In math, for example, the program will emphasize the application of multiple problem solving strategies, real world application, conceptual math, visual-spatial math and data collection and analysis, rather than teach or practice the concepts or computations from a higher grade. The same would be true for most school subjects. A student who is considerably advanced in a specific subject may need single subject or full grade acceleration as well as GATE Pullout placement. Acceleration decisions are made by the team at the child’s home school. Please discuss this with your child’s home school teacher and principal if you feel there is a need.
4. How many students are in a class? GATE classes may have as few as four or five students or as many as sixteen. It is unusual for them to get as large as a general education classroom. Often the classes, particularly in some grade levels, may begin quite small at the first of the year and grow throughout the year as students are placed. Sometimes students from two grade levels are combined into one class.
5. What about the work the students miss in their regular class while they are in GATE class?
Students are not required to make up all the work they miss while at GATE, but they are responsible for understanding the concepts, taking tests and completing long term projects. So, some homework may be needed. The student, regular classroom teacher and parent discuss the issue of make-up work and complete a written contract at the beginning of the year. This plan includes the process for how to know which if any regular classroom assignments need to be made up, where to get them, when and where to turn in the work and when and whom to ask for clarification or help.
The following is the District procedure regarding regular classroom work that is missed due to GATE.
“Students participating in the GATE program are involved in a shared regular classroom/GATE program curriculum. This presents unique situations to the district’s staff, participating students, and the involved families.
The GATE students shall be excused from standard classroom assignments and activities missed during the time he/she participates in the GATE program. The GATE student is responsible for the concepts, principles, and strategies taught by the home room teacher on the day that he/she participates in the GATE program. The student is not excused from the accountability associated with these missed concepts.
The regular classroom teacher shall avoid scheduling major tests, assignment due dates for major projects, field trips, etc., during the time students attend GATE classes.
The regular classroom teacher who has a GATE student in his/her class and who utilizes attendance/participation, and/or daily assignments as elements in determining student grade shall not penalize the student for this authorized absence.”