• 91ÖÆƬ³§ offers a continuum of GATE services for 1st-2nd grade students to help match the level of service to the student's identified educational needs.  

    Continuum of GATE Services

     

    GATE Elementary Program Services-1st-2nd Grade

      According to TEA mandates, programming options must enable identified gifted and talented students to work together, work with other students, and to work independently throughout the entire school year.

    Level I Services include teacher supported differentiation for appropriate growth.   Level I services are appropriate for student's whose data indicate they are an above-average learner or for students who have a strength in a particular content area.  Level I Services may include: 

    • Clustering of gifted/high ability students in groups of five (5) or more in the general education classroom with a teacher who has completed required GT training
    • Instructional materials that help enhance, enrich, and extend the grade level curriculum are provided by the GT Dpartment and used by classroom teachers based on the educational needs of each student
    • Participation in extracurricular enrichment activities such as Destination Imagination, Battle of the Books, and Camp Invention.  Students who receive Level I services only are NOT formally identified GT by 91ÖÆƬ³§

    Level II Services involve more complex instruction and faster pacing for appropriate growth.  Level II services are appropriate for students whose data reflect high general intellectual ability and evidence of gifted behaviors and traits displayed by the student.  Students receive Level II services by:

    • actively participating in weekly GATE pull-out classes.  GATE pull-out classes offer the students the opportunity to spend an extended period of time working with other identified GT students under the guidance of a GATE teacher who has received extensive training in working with gifted learners.  The curriculum used in GATE classrooms is designed around the GATE standards of independent learning, critical & creative thinking strategies, guided & independent research, social and emotional needs, and elements of depth & complexity.  First-Second Grade students attend GATE pull-out classes for approximately 2 hours each week on their home campus.  Students who receive Level II services are formally identified GT by 91ÖÆƬ³§.  Students who receive Level II services should also receive Level I Services while in the general education classroom.

    Level III Services involve acceleration for appropriate growth.  Level III services are appropriate for students whose data reflect advanced knowledge of the next grade level's curriculum without formal instruction.  Students must demonstrate advanced learning by getting a recommended score on a Credit by Exam (CBE) test as well as be recommended by a district representative for the acceleration placement to occur.  Because Credit by Exam (CBE) testing must occur prior to instruction in the grade levell, the majority of CBE testing for elementary students is completed during the months of June & July.

    Read more about Credit by Exam testing

     

    KINDERGARTEN GATE SERVICES:

    Level I Services:   All kindergarten teachers should have completed required GT training and may provide differentiated instruction and enrichment of the core curriculum.  During the first semester, Primary Gifted & Talented Interventionists conduct a series of push-in lessons in all kindergarten classrooms.  These lessons are designed to elicit high-level thinking and gifted behaviors in young students.  Parents, classroom teachers, or gifted and talented interventionists may refer a kindergarten student to be screened for GATE services during the second semester.  The district establishes a timeline each school year for screening and formal identification for GATE services.  Read information about screening for GATE services

     

    Level II Services:  Kindergarten students who are recommended for Level II GATE services begin participating in Level II services in first grade.  Pull-out classes offer GATE students the opportunity to work with cognitive peers for extended time under the direction of a Gifted & Talented Interventionist (GTI) that has received specialized training in working with gifted students.  Curriculum in pull-out classes focuses on the GATE Standards.  

     

    Level III Services:  Grade level acceleration or telescoping in math (requires additional testing as well as a recommendation from a district representative).  Some students who have advanced learning in one or more subject areas may be a candidate for a full grade level acceleration or telescoping in math.  The guidelines for each type of acceleration are listed below:

    • Grade level acceleration:
      • Credit by Exam testing in four core areas (mathematics, reading/language arts, social studies, and science). 
      • Testing must occur before any prior instruction in the grade level.
      • Students must score an 80% or higher on all four Credit by Exam tests.
      • In addition to scores from Credit by Exam tests, the Iowa Scales for Acceleration is completed as part of the data to determine if a grade level acceleration is the best placement for a student.
    • Telescoping in math:
      • Credit by Exam testing in math only.
      • Testing must occur before any prior instruction in the grade level.
      • Students must score a 90% or higher.