LVJUSD GATE Program exists to identify and enrich the educational experience of all students who exhibit a potential for exceptional academic abilities and talents.

LVJUSD identifies students for the GATE Program for intellectual ability and high achievement.

All students in grades 2-12 are eligible for nomination to the GATE Program at any time by teachers, parents, support personnel, and administrators. Nomination forms are available in the main office of each school site or click on the following link and print the form. Please turn in the completed form to your school site's secretary.

Click HERE to download the 2012-13 GATE Nomination form in PDF format in English and Spanish.

Click HERE to download the 2012-13 GATE Parent Permission to Test form in English and Spanish.

Click HERE to download the 2012-2013 GATE Testing Schedule in English & Spanish.

Click HERE to download the Grade 2 Test Preference form in English & Spanish.

LVJUSD administers the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Form 6 to assess the level of a student's cognitive development.  The test consists of nine ten-minute tests that provide separate scores for verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning abilities as described below.

For more information about Cognitive Abilities test (CogAT) click HERE.  

GATE Review Panel
The GATE Review Panel meets to review student files for identification as gifted and talented in grades 2-12. The GATE Review Panel utilizes multiple criteria for identification, such as the results of the Cognitive Abilities Tests Form 6, and may also include California Standards Tests in English-Language Arts and Mathematics, the California English Language Development Test, the LVJUSD Benchmark Assessments in Math, ELA, and Writing.

Oftentimes, new students to our district may have been identified as gifted in their previous district.  We review the identification assessment criteria prior to accepting the new student to the Program.  No new testing is required.

Gifted Characteristics

The CA Association for the Gifted in the Position Paper, Characteristics of Gifted Children (2005), describes the high levels of functioning exhibited by gifted children in the cognitive, intuitive, affective, and physical areas. A gifted student may exhibit some but not all of these characteristics in varying degrees.
 

COGNITIVE AREA involves logical and rational thought processes:

• processes an extraordinary quantity of information
• has a capacity for processing information at an accelerated pace
• is persistent, goal-oriented
• demonstrates flexibility
• rapidly acquires a new language
   

INTUITIVE AREA involves non-linear reasoning:

• demonstrates creative and inventive approaches
• insightfulness leads to leaps of understanding
• is curious
• is sensitive to aesthetic qualities
• shows an interest in the future
• has the ability to make predictions, extrapolate
   

AFFECTIVE AREA involves the social-emotional realm:

• demonstrates unusual sensitivity to the environment
• has empathy and awareness of the expectations and feelings of others
• develops idealism and a sense of justice
• displays emotional intensity
• has high expectations of self and others
   

PHYSICAL AREA involves the senses:

• has heightened sensitivity to light, sound, touch, smell, taste
• demonstrates high energy that may be misdiagnosed as a hyperactivity disorder
• displays asynchrony between physical and emotional development
• avoids physical activity in favor of the intellectual
   

Some gifted students may also display behaviors that have acted as barriers to identification:

• lack of organization
• daydreaming
• failure to complete work
• argumentative
• challenges authority
• challenges assignments that seem repetitive and pointless
• sense of humor
• perfectionism
• inability to prioritize
• emotional intensity
• assorted learning disabilities
• English language learner

For the full article: http://www.cagifted.org/associations/7912/files/position13CHAR.pdf

Glossary & Online Resources