GATE

What is GATE?

The Anaheim Elementary School District Gifted and Talented Education Program is designed to meet the needs of those children who demonstrate the potential for advanced thinking and scholarship. AESD’s GATE Program is intended to nurture gifted students’ special talents, abilities, and interests, and to extend their educational experiences so that they may reach their fullest potential.

Students who have been identified as meeting the district criteria are invited to participate in the GATE Program. Students in grades 3-6 are currently served in cluster groups. Informally identified K-2 students will be challenged through cluster groupings in the regular education classroom. Equal opportunity to be identified is provided to all students.

Acceleration, Depth, Complexity and Novelty

Advanced and gifted learners will show mastery in the California State Academic GATE Standards that are applied to district core curriculum.  The gate standards of acceleration, depth, complexity and novelty enable students to explore all content areas with more depth and greater complexity.  Elements of gate standards such as Language of the Discipline, Details, Patterns, Rules, Trends, Unanswered Questions, Ethics, Big Idea, Changes Over Time, Multiple Perspectives, and Relationships Across Disciplines support thinking processes, elevate/extend learning, and build language competency.

GATE Program Goals

AESD’s GATE Program provides differentiated instruction that allows students to foster:

  • Intellectual Ability: Develop higher level thinking skills, Explore complex and abstract concepts, Develop digital citizenship and competency
  • Creative Ability: Produce unique solutions to problems, Overcome obstacles by building unusual relationships between ideas, Become enriched in areas of special interest and content
  • High Achievement: Help students reach higher levels of academic achievement, Expand and apply knowledge, creativity, and technology skills, Extend beyond the core curriculum
  • Visual and Performing Arts Talent: Foster the appreciation for musical and performing arts as well as cultural experiences through our award-winning music program
  • Leadership Ability: Gain leadership skills that reflect effective communication, interpersonal skills, sensitivity toward others, teamwork, collaboration; Build lifelong skills for organizational ability and convincing presentation of ideas

GATE Parent Meetings

GATE Parent Orientation Meeting

For students who test in the 2023-2024 school year, families will receive their qualification letters the week of February 1, 2024. GATE Parent Orientation Meetings will occur on the date listed below to inform parents of the AESD GATE Program goals and objectives. 

GATE Parent Orientation Meeting
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 8:30–9:30am or 5:30–6:30pm

District Office Training Rooms, 1001 South East Street

If you are unable to attend either meeting, please click here for the parent orientation meeting presentation (English, Spanish, Korean).

Understanding Giftedness and Talent Meeting (1st-4th Grade Parents)

We also have an interest meeting for “Understanding Giftedness and Talent” for current 1st to 4th grade parents who are interested in the GATE program.

Understanding Giftedness and Talent

Wednesday, April 10th 5:30 – 6:30 pm Key Campus, 2000 W. Ball Rd.

If you are unable to attend, please click here for the presentation (English, Spanish, Korean). 

GATE Testing and Referrals (placement in 2025-2026)

Beginning on November 1, 2023 to September 20, 2024, parents may request testing for students who will be in 2nd to 5th grades in the 2024-2025 school year. 2024-2025 6th graders will not be tested. Please complete this 2024 Parent Referral form to give consent for your child to be tested for the GATE Program. Results of GATE Testing will be sent home with your child in early 2025 after testing. Students who qualify will have the option to be placed in a GATE Class in the 2025-2026 school year. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher, School Psychologist, or the GATE Office at 714-517-7530.

GATE Parent Resources

For more information, please contact

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