How does a student become G.A.T.E. Identified?

The identification process is rigorous and quite involved.  It is important that the G.A.T.E. committee does an accurate job of properly identifying each student to ensure that each student’s particular needs are met.  Once a student has been identified as G.A.T.E. they will not lose that identification. 

Each spring, VLCS students (end of 3rd grade and above) are given the opportunity to go through the identification process.  Students can be recommended to go through the process by teachers or parents.  A parent permission slip is required regardless of who recommended the student.

Students will start by taking the Ravens Test. VLCS will then compare that score with standardized test results, a teacher survey, current DRA reading score and the most recent CELDT score (if applicable).  After examining each piece of data the committee will then make a recommendation based on their findings. 

If a student is recommended to join the G.A.T.E. program an additional permission slip would need to be signed.  Students that were not recommended are done so with the student’s best interest in mind.  Students are welcome to go through the process again the following year if they did not get identified. 

G.A.T.E. 4th - 6th Grades

We are doing amazing things in our fourth and fifth grade G.A.T.E class. G.A.T.E leaders are engaging in hands on activities that allow them to be creative, problem solvers, and to use critical thinking skills. Our first of many adventures was this amazing “Marble Maze” that incorporated concepts from their math and science classes, as well as becoming a future engineer or inventors. We “Synergized” by working with partners, designing, allowing leaders to problem solve and be creative. The open ended goal is to “Begin with the End in Mind” allowing creativity and their thinking skills to develop at the same time. Being “Proactive” problem solvers and figuring things out will be high on the learning list.