1. Welcome to Miramar Ranch Elementary GATE/Seminar Parent Meeting
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
Welcome to Miramar Ranch Elementary GATE/Seminar Parent Meeting
October 22, 2015

2. Miramar Ranch GATE Team
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
Miramar Ranch GATE Team
Principal – Peggy Grane
GATE Lead – Susan Darragh
GATE DAC Reps – Amy Hill &
Jennifer Andrews
Site School Psychologist – (Name)
Fill in with the relevant names for your own school site

3. GATE at the District Level
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
GATE at the District Level
Stephanie Ceminsky, Manager
Michelle Crisci, Coordinator
Leslie Caporale, Administrative Assistant
April Dorman, GATE Programs
San Diego Unified School District
District 504/ADA/Title IX/GATE Department
Education Center, 4100 Normal St., Rm 2129
Phone: (619)

4. Where to Go for Information
At School:
Your child’s Teacher
Your GATE-DAC Representative
GATE Team Leader
Administrator in
charge of GATE (at elementary site this will likely be your principal)
Site School Psychologist
At Central office:
GATE Office
(619)
Related/Specialized
Services-School
Psychology Services
(858)

5. GATE at the District Level
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
GATE at the District Level
gifted-and-talented-education-gate
Become familiar with this GATE website (currently being redesigned)
Many resources posted there
Notices, meetings, articles
The GATE office also used to organize and tape the “Distinguished Lecture Series” and the videos used to be posted on the website but they seem to have disappeared and I am not sure whether they are still holding the lecture series or not and whether the videos will reappear once the website re-design is finished.

6. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
District Setting
Area 6 – Crawford, Hoover and Scripps Ranch Cluster
The Scripps Ranch Cluster includes SR High School; Marshall Middle; and E.B. Scripps, Dingeman, Jerabek and Mirarmar Ranch elementary schools.
Area 6 Superintendent – Fabiola Bagula
Graciela Gutierrez, Administrative Assistant
Phone: (619)
Board of Education – District B
Kevin Beiser
Fill in with the relevant information for your own school site

7. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
GATE Testing
Testing protocol has recently changed
No longer using Raven test – Board decided in June 2015 to change the test
Incoming students in will now be tested using CogAT (& re-tests)
Schools decide when – but school choice deadline is Feb 15!
All Grade 2 students are tested unless parents opt out
Refer parents to the Q&A handout given to us at the October DAC meeting

8. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
Historical Context (from Board presentation 23-June-2015 see BoardDocs tab on SDUSD website)
September BOE approved elimination of initial GATE testing after the 5th grade
August The five designated GATE Department school psychologists were assigned back to the Related and Specialized Services (RSS) program. RSS then determined a new process for the 83 school psychologists who were now responsible for the GATE testing of more than 13,000 students
November The Advanced Placement and School Psychology offices merged to create a Workgroup consisting of community and district stakeholders
Spring A sample multi-factor identification matrix was presented to the GATE Workgroup
Fall “Newcomer” process was introduced to the Workgroup
You can find this complete presentation (given to the Board of Ed) by going to the San Diego Unified School District website, going to the Board page and searching BoardDocs for the date.

9. Recommendations
Universal GATE screening at Grade 2
GATE identification process to include multiple sources of data (e.g., tests, teacher input, parent input, etc.)
Adoption of a multi-factor GATE eligibility matrix (e.g., economic challenges, transiency, disability, English learner)
District policy revision
Further exploration of GATE testing that is aligned with CCSS timelines
GATE Assessments/Tools that are appropriately normed and administered
Use of a computer-assisted GATE identification tool
Ongoing examination of the identification process to align with SBAC

10. Immediate Next Steps Board Action Supports and Services
Approve GATE Identification Process (multiple factors and criteria)
Approve GATE Assessment Tool (Cognitive Abilities Test/CogAT)
Supports and Services
Quarterly meetings of the GATE Workgroup
Personal/Social support (possible referral to MHRC, SpEd, etc) for some GATE identified students
Supports and Services cont.
Continued meetings between GATE advisory committee and senior leadership
Ongoing program/ progress monitoring and “End of Year” evaluation
Focused GATE PD for school psychologists (e.g., during distinguished lecture series)

11. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
GATE Testing
CogAT = Cognitive Abilities Test
Developed by David F. Lohman
Consists of 3 parts:
Verbal
Quantitative
Non-Verbal
See Lohman, D. F. & J. L. Gambrell (2012)
J. Psychoeducational Assessment 30(1):25-44

12. GATE Testing
Sample Grades K-2

13. Testing & Identification
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
Testing & Identification
Identification will be based upon a variety of inputs (including CogAT test scores) as part of a multi-factor eligibility matrix
Psychologists are currently being trained to administer the CogAT
CogAT is done via computer so IT services are still working on rolling it out
As a result, the new testing may not be ready until the Spring, after the Feb 15 School Choice deadline
If your child is identified as Seminar and your school doesn’t offer it, you may request to be placed into the next closest school (geographically) that does I

14. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
Cluster
At least 25% of each GATE Cluster Class identified in PowerSchool is comprised of students identified as GATE; the remainder of the students in the class must reflect the diversity of the school’s population.
Seminar
A minimum 50% of each class identified as Seminar in PowerSchool is comprised of students identified as GATE Seminar; the remainder of the students in the class are identified as GATE Cluster.
Source: Handout that is available for download on the SDUSD GATE website – found under “GATE Support Materials” – see “A Short Guide to the GATE Cluster (or Seminar) Program

15. GATE District Advisory Committee (GATE DAC)
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
GATE District Advisory Committee (GATE DAC)
The District has a GATE Advisory Committee
Meets monthly at Ballard Ctr (Old Town)
Schedule is posted on SDUSD GATE website
Your school DAC reps are: Amy Hill & Jennifer Andrews
They attend these meetings on your behalf and report back to parents
Meetings are from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Harold J. Ballard Parent Center Auditorium, 2375 Congress Street San Diego, CA 92110
Childcare and Translation Services (and free parking in lot at rear of building) provided. If you have questions or concerns regarding the GATE DAC, please call (619)
Meeting Schedule for School Year:
September 14, 2015
October 12, 2015
November 9, 2015
December 14, Steering Committee - No childcare or translation services.
January 11, 2016
February 8, 2016
March 14, 2016
April 11, 2016
May 9, 2016
June 13, Steering Committee - No childcare or translation services.

16. GATE District Advisory Committee (GATE DAC)
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
GATE District Advisory Committee (GATE DAC)
Monthly DAC Meetings are intended to:
Inform parents about important issues in the district
Inform parents about what to expect from, and ask for, at their schools
Give parents a chance to network with other schools in their high school feeder pattern
Educate parent representatives and the parents at their sites about gifted education and timely issues
Official Description posted on the SDUSD website under board-and-district-committees: “The goals and objectives of the GATE DAC are to advise district leadership on gifted program development, planning and implementation as required by state law, act as regional liaison to school sites for development of gifted programs, act as resource persons for district-wide parent meetings, channel community questions concerning district-wide programs for follow-up and action, set DAC priorities for program review, discussion and explanation during monthly meetings, and review district program objectives, activities, budget timelines and annual evaluation.”

17. GATE DAC Inform, Educate, Engage
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
GATE DAC Inform, Educate, Engage
The DAC is a volunteer organization
Led by parent coordinators (Katie Anderson & Elizabeth Nagy)
Needs new leaders to join
Dec 14th Steering Committee Meeting

18. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
You Can Help Your Child by
Getting Involved!
Participate in parent/ teacher
Conferences
Participate in GATE parent
meetings at your school site
Become involved in the GATE
District Advisory Committee
(DAC) - 2nd Mon monthly
Participate in your Site
Governance Committee/SSC
Attend School Board Meetings
Connect with other GATE parents
Source: from GATE page on SDUSD website, in the dropdown menu on the left side called GATE Support Materials. Taken from the “Students Newly Identified as GATE – powerpoint”

19. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
Parent involvement leads to greater
student achievement!

20. Parent Involvement Opportunities
Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
Parent Involvement Opportunities
Letters to the Board of Education
Letters to Legislators
Help with/attend DAC meetings
Participate in SENG parent support groups
Talk to your teacher!!!! They need your support!

21. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
We want to hear from you!
Questions you have for DAC? Send to your DAC Reps!
Want to access other parents learning about the social and emotional needs of GATE students? We have info!
5th grade parents moving onto Marshall with questions? Let’s consolidate them!
Interested in organizing a GATE Open House to showcase student work?!!?

22. Innovation Middle School Orientation - June 1, 2011
Resources
San Diego Unified Schools GATE Department
California Association for the Gifted
Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
sengifted.org
National Association for Gifted Children
Hoagies Gifted Education