GATE Identification

One goal of the TUSD GATE Program is to utilize equitable practices to identify gifted learners.

3rd Grade Students: Universal GATE screening will occur in the fall
Eligible 4th & 5th Grade Students: Students in the 4th and 5th grade who are new to TUSD or have only tested once prior, will have an opportunity to participate in fall GATE screening. Submission of parent/guardian permission (by the deadline) is necessary for participation.
Eligible students new to TUSD (in grades 6-12) will have an opportunity to participate in GATE screening (with parent/guardian permission)

2023-2024 GATE Screening Update:

GATE Screening Notifications will be emailed by the District to all 3rd grade families and eligible 4/5th grade families on September 5, 2023. Please check that parent account settings in PowerSchool allow you to receive communication from the District.
Information will also be shared at each elementary school site via a hardcopy flyer, school newsletters, and GATE Information Family Session (between September 5th-October 4th)
The deadline for all GATE screening-related forms is October 4, 2023 (ex: 3rd grade Withdraw from Screening, 4/5th grade Permission to Screen)
Students who are already identified GATE in TUSD do not need to participate in further screening

The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3)

TUSD utilizes the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3) - a cognitive assessment used as a tool for gifted identification. Our goal is to create a stress-free test environment and the NNAT3 is intended to be taken without any preparation. Rather than placing pressure on performance, families can best support their student by encouraging a good night's rest and lowering anxiety by communicating best effort. For more information regarding the NNAT3 click here.

Screening Location, Schedule, and Result Notification

The NNAT3 will be administered at each elementary site for eligible students in Grades 3-5. The GATE Screening Schedule can be accessed in the Quick Links section for site specific testing dates.

Once all screening has been completed, families will receive a letter from the District indicating results and eligibility for GATE identification. The information will be mailed home by February 2024, after all screening sessions across the district are complete and results have been processed.

Students may qualify for GATE identification via two categories - Intellectual and High-Achievement. Students may qualify under the Intellectual category by scoring in the 95th percentile or higher on the NNAT3. Once CAASPP results are received, a second review will be conducted to identify students under the High-Acheivement category. This review will occur during the summer of 2024. Students identified as GATE in TUSD do not need to participate in further screening and retain their identification as they remain enrolled in TUSD.

Grade 3

The TUSD GATE identification process begins with universal screening in Grade 3. No form or application is necessary for participation in Grades 3 universal GATE screening.

If a parent/guardian chooses to withdraw their student from GATE screening, they must submit a Withdraw From GATE Screening (Opt-OUT) form by the established deadline. Parent/guardians will receive notification about GATE screening and will be provided the option to withdraw their student from screening in the fall. A copy of the Withdraw From GATE Screening form can also be accessed through the Quick Links section on this webpage.

If a student does not qualify for identification, further GATE screening will be allowed per parent request via permission form, but only in one additional year (Grades 4-5).

Grades 4 and 5

Grades 4 and 5 students are not universally screened throughout the District. Please watch for the Grades 4 and 5 GATE Screening permission (Opt-IN) form window in an email sent by the District to eligible students and in your school site's communication. Fourth and fifth grade students are eligible for screening if they are new to the district or have only participated once before.

The GATE screening permission form deadline is October 4, 2023.

Unlike the process for universal Grade 3 GATE screening, Grade 4 and 5 screening requires parents/guardians to submit a signed permission form. Permission to Screen (Opt-IN) forms must be submitted by the deadline in order to participate in screening.

New to TUSD in Grades TK-2

Newly enrolled students in grades TK-2 will have an opportunity to participate in TUSD's gifted identification process beginning in Grade 3. Prior to any formal identification, families are highly encouraged to discuss their student's strengths and challenges with classroom teachers so they can differentiate support for each individual.

New to TUSD in Grades 3-5

If your student is a newly enrolled TUSD student in Grades 3-5 and has not had a previous opportunity to participate in TUSD GATE screening, they will have an opportunity to participate in GATE screening during their school site's scheduled date(s). Please note that Grade 3 is an Opt-OUT process and does not require submission of any form to partcipate. In contrast, Grades 4 and 5 are an Opt-IN process that requires parent/gaurdian permission to be submitted by the deadline.

New to TUSD in Grades 6-12

If your student is a newly enrolled TUSD student in Grades 6-12 and they were previously identified gifted/GATE in another district, please submit a Permission to Request GATE Records form.

Gifted Identification in a Previous District & New to TUSD

If your student was identified gifted/GATE in a previous district and is newly enrolled in TUSD, please send a completed and signed Permission to Request GATE Records form (refer to Quick Links resources) to nakasuji.heather@tusd.org.

Once received, this form will allow us to formally request gifted records directly from a previous district and conduct a review to see if GATE identfication may transfer to TUSD. Since identification process and criteria vary between localities, transfer students who have been identified gifted in other school districts do not automatically qualify for GATE identification in TUSD. Once records have been received, they will be reviewed by the GATE Office and parents/guardians will be notified about the results of the review.

If previous records do not qualify your student for GATE identification in TUSD, they will have an opportunity to participate in scheduled GATE screening during in Grades 3-5 at school sites, or at a centralized district location in Grades 6-12.

Once a student is identified GATE in TUSD, gifted identfication will be added to our district's internal records for your student and there is no need to participated in further GATE screening.

Student is Currently Enrolled in TUSD

If your student is currently enrolled in TUSD and you would like to request gifted records, please submit a request through the GATE Record Request form (located in the Quick Links section). Due to confidentiality, we will only be able to send records to the email or home address that is officially on file with TUSD.

Student is No Longer Enrolled in TUSD

If your student was identified GATE in TUSD but is no longer enrolled in our district, please request gifted records through the district that your student is currently enrolled. Formal written request for gifted records and a signed parent/guardian release of records from an outside district may be directed to nakasuji.heather@tusd.org. Once these items are received, TUSD gifted records will be sent directly to your student's current district.

Frequently Asked Questions - GATE Identification in TUSD:

My student is young for their grade. Is the NNAT3 graded based on age or grade in school?

The NNAT3 is scored using 3-month age bands. For example, if your student was born in January, 2013, they will be scored using the January-March 2013 scoring band. The test is nationally norm-referenced, meaning your student's results will be measured against peers in their age band from across the nation.

How can I prepare my student for GATE screening?

The NNAT3 is intended to be taken without any preparation. Lowering a student's anxiety about GATE screening, by encouraging them to try their best without placing pressure on their performance is highly encouraged.

My student qualified for GATE identification, now what?

GATE identification can be a useful for students, parents/guardians, and teachers in understanding more about a student's learning and social-emotional needs. Having discussions with your student's teacher(s) about how learning experiences can be differentiated or social-emotional needs can be supported is highly encouraged.

Following screening and result notification, parents/guardians of identified GATE students will receive details regarding a TUSD Family Info Session. Identified GATE students will also receive information regarding enrichment sessions facilitated at each school site by GATE Teacher Leaders.

In the spring, TUSD GATE students Grades 3-8 and parents/guardians are invited to an annual GATE Conference where they will be able to engage in sessions focused on gifted learners.

My student did not qualify for GATE identification, now what?

If your student is in Grade 3 and they did not qualify on their first testing opportunity, they may participate in the screening process in one additional year. Students may test a maximum of 2 times between Grades 3-5.

At the secondary level, GATE identification is neither a barrier nor pass to accelerated math, Honors and Advanced Placement classes. The purpose of identification is to understand more about how a student learns, so that educators and parents/guardians can better differentiate academic and social-emotional support.

TUSD strives to provide a learning environment that meets the social and cognitive needs of all our students. Communicating any concerns you have as a parent/guardian with your student's teachers is highly encouraged. The more teachers know about a student (interests, needs, challenges, etc), the better they can support them.

Is private intelligence testing accepted for GATE placement?

No. Only screening done as part of the District's GATE identification process is accepted.