Welcome to OUSD GATE

Fall Parent Information Session

Welcome & Introductions

Raeanne Lopez Little, Administrator, Instructional Mentoring and Specialized Programs rlittle@orangeusd.org

Orange Unified Curriculum and Instruction Office

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Please add your child’s school and grade in the chat.

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OUSD GATE

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Mission: Challenging and developing the academic, social emotional, and creative abilities of gifted learners.

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Vision: To provide student learning experiences with depth, complexity, novelty and acceleration to meet the needs of gifted and talented students.

Agenda

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1. Characteristics & Program Basics
2. Screening, Qualification, & Placement
3. Magnet Placement & Waitlist
4. Expectations & Struggles in GATE Magnets
5. Sibling transfers
6. How to support your GATE child
7. Questions

What Are Some Common Characteristics of Gifted Learners?

Cartoons from You Know your Child is Gifted When

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Each child’s path to develop their gifts is unique.

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• Highly gifted children may be very internally driven.
• Interests may not always align with the classroom.
• This can create ability/performance discrepancies.

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• Giftedness is not fixed.
• Twice exceptionals can forge a different path.
• Persistence in a field of interest is more important than early success.

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Who Gets Assessed for GATE Status?

• All OUSD students in grade 3, unless parents “opt’s out”.
• Any grade 2, 4, 5, or 6 OUSD student, or private school student in OUSD residence areas, will be assessed by request. Assessment may be requested annually.
• Referral Form Link (submit by Jan 13, 2025)

Please note, GATE qualification is not a requirement for honors/AP class placement in OUSD secondary schools.

Why would I want my child assessed?

• My child demonstrates some typical GATE characteristics.
• My child seems to be learning and developing markedly faster in some areas than peers.
• My child screened previously and was close to qualifying.
• My child is scheduled for Universal screening (grade 3) and I would like insights into their cognitive reasoning strengths and weaknesses.

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What Does GATE Qualification Communicate to the School ?

• This student has demonstrated high potential for achievement.
• Engagement and performance at school has demonstrated the student is likely to benefit from challenge.
• Teachers & Administrators should be mindful of characteristics & strategies for gifted students to maximize potential.

If my child qualifies for GATE, what instructional options are available?

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Elementary GATE Instructional Models

Elementary GATE Instructional Models

What is considered for GATE qualification ?

(3rd-6th grade), (2nd grade)

1. Age composite score on standardized abilities test (top 10-20 percentile per grade band).
1. CogAT grades 2-3 or OLSAT grade 4-6
2. Demonstrates student ability in solving novel verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal problems. These are different from standards based assessments.
3. Correlated with school success.
2. Considerations of current achievement data (multiple measures per pathway):
• Current standards based assessment data (ex. iReady or SBAC)
• Classroom Grades
• Work Habits
• Teacher Observation of GATE Traits Attributes and Behaviors

High Achiever Trial Placements- Student narrowly missed age composite GATE benchmark, but is very strong on other measures. Offered for magnets where space is available.

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Should I “prep” my student for GATE Testing?

• Formal Preparation is not advised
• Informal practice is helpful with activities such as identifying commonalities and patterns, word games, riddles, puzzles, paper spatial manipulation.
• Experiencing vocabulary through wide reading is huge.
• We aim to keep a low stress testing environment for all students.
• If your student has an IEP or 504, please let your child’s teacher or GATE coordinator know.

CogAT Batteries (2nd and 3rd grade)

CogAT Explained in 6 Minutes

OLSAT- 4th-6th grade

From LAUSD Parent Training 2021-22

If my child qualifies, how do you determine Magnet Placement?

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• Qualified students are initially assigned to a GATE magnet based on their geographic feeder pattern.
• Magnet space is limited students are prioritized for magnet enrollment based on multiple measures considered in the qualification process.
• All students who reside or attend schools within the feeder pattern are considered equally, using the multiple measures priority.
• When capacity is reached for space in the magnet classrooms, students are “waitlisted”.
• Families who have been offered a magnet placement are given approximately one month to make a decision.
• Students are invited from the waitlist as spaces become available. If no spots remain at their feeder magnet, they will be offered a spot at another magnet.
• Parents can request placement at any of the magnets, however qualified students who reside in, or already attend a school within, that feeder pattern will receive first priority for enrollment.

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Expectations & Struggles in the Magnet Program

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• Students are expected to engage in rigorous academic content as a whole class, collaboratively, and independently.
• Students are not expected to excel in all areas.
• “Straight A’s” is not the goal.
• Homework is likely to be “different”.
• The overall pace of instruction is typically faster.
• Most students experience an adjustment period.
• It is important to communicate with the teacher.
• Teachers will provide support for students in areas of need through strategies such as small group work, and modifications.

What about siblings of GATE students?

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• Siblings are eligible for Open Enrollment at the magnet school site.
• Availability varies from year to year, and grade to grade for each school .

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How can I support my GATE Student?

• Build student understanding that abilities are not fixed.
• Praise efforts and challenge, rather than achievement.
• Keep communication open with the teacher, and be open to his or her perspective.
• Ensure your child understands that struggle is a natural part of the learning process.
• Provide experiences and opportunities, and let your student take the lead in developing interests and talents.

Gifted Parent Resources:

Byrdseed Parents , National Association for Gifted Children,

California Association for the Gifted

Books:

A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children

Parenting Gifted Children 101

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OUSD GATE Community Advisory Committee

• Open to all in the community
• Attendance has no bearing on qualification or placement
• Meets each trimester.
• Parent education and feedback .
• Calendar and links are available on our website.
• Virtual Meetings.
• Let me know if there are topics of interest you would like addressed.

Questions??

“Everyone is born with a seed.

One thing is to know what specie you came with.

Another is to know where and how it should be sown.”

Michael Bassey Johnson, The Book of Maxims, Poems and Anecdotes

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