GATE - Gifted and Talented Education
Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
GATE Program Qualifications
The Beverly Hills Unified School District recognizes the diverse student needs and abilities of students within our district. As such, the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program identifies students with exceptional academic abilities with the purpose of providing specialized academic instruction to meet their particular learning needs.
Student Identification
All students in 3rd grade are assessed in the spring using the online version of the Otis-Lennon Ability School Test (OLSAT) during the month of March. Please contact your school counselor for information on testing for students in the 4th - 8th grades.
High Academic Achievement
Students will be identified for the GATE program based on exceptional academic achievement. Please see the PDF at the bottom of the page for more information.
Instruction for GATE Students
Classroom teachers differentiate instruction and create challenging learning experiences for GATE students within the instructional day. We provide ongoing professional development for teachers of all grade levels. Our professional development includes curricular modification by including elements of gifted instruction (Depth, Complexity, Novelty and Acceleration) into the standard curriculum. These elements may be combined with other thinking prompts (ethics, motive, contexts, etc) to increase complexity and rigor.
Some of our gifted students are also identified through the special education program. Throughout the gifted community, these students are known as "twice exceptional". Our "twice exceptional" students and parents are encouraged to fully participate in all aspects of the BHUSD GATE program.
Students in the 4th and 5th grades will be grouped within a class. This practice is called cluster grouping. This practice will provide gifted students with sufficient intellectual collegiality within a class while also providing diversity within each class for all students to learn with and from each other.
Do you still have questions about classroom differentiation for gifted students? Contact your classroom teacher directly to better understand the ways in which he/she teacher customizes academic content to for your student.
Enrichment Opportunities Outside of the School Day
BHUSD offers after school enrichment classes for GATE identified students.
GATE Resources for Parents
Does your student show interest in the environment or in the natural sciences? Please consider these opportunities for non-academic learning that may lead and prepare students for a career in the great outdoors!
California State Parks - Kids in Parks
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
Summer Institute for the Gifted
The Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) offers an enrichment program for academically accelerated students. For more information about SIG, please visit http://www.giftedstudy.org/programs.asp
California Association for the Gifted (CAG)
Web site for the California Association for the Gifted (CAG). Please check their website for more information. www.cagifted.org, (909) 522-7274
National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is an advocacy group made up of parents, professional educators, and affiliate groups from the various states to support gifted education at the national level. www.nagc.org
Gifted Students Academy (GSA)
The Gifted Students Academy, GSA, is an intensive summer program for gifted middle school students, grades five through eight. Participants select courses in each of the major subject areas of math, science, language arts, social studies and the arts. and may attend as a commuter student or reside on campus in the UCI residence halls. http://www.cfep.uci.edu/gsa/
Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)
SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) was created in 1981 to bring attention to the unique social and emotional needs of gifted individuals.
