Gifted & Talented Education GATE
About GATE
The Azusa Unified School District seeks to provide the best educational services to all students. As part of that goal, the Azusa Unified School District screens all third-grade students using the NNAT3 (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test), a test of cognitive reasoning ability, for the purpose of identifying students who qualify as GATE (Gifted and Talented Education). The National Association for Children defines gifted individuals as those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude and an exceptional ability to reason and learn. AUSD students with an NNAT3 Ability Index score of 120 and above are identified as GATE.
The Azusa Unified School District serves Gifted and Talented students in grades 3-12 at each of our 10 schools. Each school has a GATE Coordinator who ensures that GATE students are identified and receive differentiated core curriculum enriched with other learning opportunities. The district Education Services department supports schools with their site's GATE programming.
GATE students in grades 3-8 are clustered together in regular classrooms and provided appropriately differentiated curriculum through depth and complexity. GATE students in grades 3-12 have opportunities beyond the core curriculum to explore topics that enrich or extend their learning. This may occur before, during, or after school. Activities before and after school require parent permission to participate. In high school, GATE students may take advanced coursework such as Honors, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate, which incorporate accelerated pacing, depth, and complexity. Additionally, GATE students may participate in Dual Enrollment by taking college-level courses to be eligible to receive both high school and college credit.
In addition to the third-grade screening, parents, teachers, or school administrators may refer students in grades four and above for GATE identification. Contact your school site's GATE Coordinator to complete a GATE Referral Form. For more information on GATE programming, contact your school’s GATE Coordinator.
