GATE

Program Synopsis:

GATE at Claire Lilienthal K-8 Alternative School

Claire Lilienthal Alternative School is a model of inclusion, reflective of our future world, where children from all cultures, backgrounds, home languages, and learning styles, come together to create a vibrant school culture and celebrate both our uniqueness and our similarities. All students at our school are educated in a safe and nurturing environment with culturally relevant and academically differentiated curriculum. Claire Lilienthal students are excited and happy to come to school every day because they know they will learn something new, they will be successful and praised, and they will be respected for their diverse and unique talents, and embrace each day’s challenge to learn.

 

Differentiation must be a refinement of, not a substitute for high-quality curriculum and instruction. Expert or distinguished teaching focuses on the understanding and skills of a discipline, causes students to wrestle with profound ideas, help students organize and make sense of ideas and information, and aids students in connecting the classroom with a wider world. (Brandt, 1998; Danielson, 1996)

 

GATE Identification Process:

Students at Claire Lilienthal are identified as Gifted and Talented based on the San Francisco Unified School District’s GATE Identification Process. A team at Claire Lilienthal collects data on all students and recommends those students to be identified as GATE. The San Francisco Unified School District’s GATE Office approves recommendations.

Under this process, students are evaluated each year, beginning at the end of third grade, on a six point scale. Any student who receives four of the six possible points is designated as a GATE student upon approval of the SFUSD’s Gate Office. Once designated as a GATE student, the student retains the designation through graduation from high school. The six points are identified in the following areas.


Description

Number of Points


Special Circumstances

Health Impairment

Linguistic Barrier

English Language Learner/Language

Interrupted Schooling

Attention Deficit Disorder with a 504 designation

Special Education

Economic Disadvantage (Free/reduced lunch, etc.)

Physical Disability

No preschool or kindergarten


1 point if any of the listed apply


Teacher Recommendation


1 point


Report Card (minimum 3.0 Grade Point Average)


1 point


Parent Recommendation


1 point


Screening Test or Achievement Test

41 Intellectual Ability

NNAT – (90 th percentile or above, or exceptionally high test scores and GPA)

Or

42 High Academic Achievement

California Standards Test (CST) – Advanced in two subjects in one year – English Language Arts and Math)


SABE/Aprenda – (85th percentile or above in two subjects in one year – Language Arts and Math)

Or

43 Specific Academic Achievement – Math

51 Specific Academic Achievement – English Language Arts

80 Specific Academic Achievement – Reading (for use prior to 2006-07 school year)

83 Specific Academic Achievement – Language Arts (for use prior to 2006-07 school year)

CST – (Advanced in one subject for two consecutive years) – English Language Arts or Math)


SABE/Aprenda – (85th percentile or above in one subject for two consecutive years – Language Arts or Math)


1 point


Leadership, Creativity, Visual and Performing Arts

Evidence shown regarding longevity and depth of performance and outstanding performance over time.


1 point if any of the listed apply




GATE at the Elementary School Level:

At the elementary and middle school level, differentiation occurs within the classroom.  Third through Fifth grade GATE students have differentiated curriculum imbedded throughout daily lessons, homework and projects.

  • Spelling: Weekly challenge words and enrichments.
  • Everyday Math: Skills link and extension connected to art, science and social studies (www.everydaymath.uchicago.edu); mental math and reflex activities; advanced math games.
  • Reading: Skill appropriate reading discussion groups.
  • Projects/Reports: Thematic based project with higher expectations on final product and grading.
  • Visual and Performing Arts: Third grade has two quarters of visual arts; fourth and fifth grade learn poetry and theater arts, all with the San Francisco Arts Education Project Artists in Residence Program (www.sfartsed.org).


GATE at the Middle School Level:

All Middle School Core Academic Classes are designated and taught as Honors level courses. In each academic core class, teachers embed differentiated instruction in a variety of lessons, individual and group projects, and classwork throughout the school year; all children can succeed and reach their potential with the right tools, support and freedom to grow.


Other unique opportunities include San Francisco Arts Education Project Visual Arts, Musical Theater, Scripps Howard Spelling Bee, State Science Fair Participation, all after school sports leagues, History Alive in Social Studies, Shakespeare on Tour, Streetside Stories in 6th grade, and more.  Middle School students and families are encouraged to seek out challenges for all students, including GATE, outside of the school, such as the countless resources of our San Francisco Public Library.

All children can succeed and reach their potential with the right tools, support and freedom to grow.

If you have questions about GATE at Claire Lilienthal that are not answered on these pages, please feel free to contact any of the following people:



Additional Resources:

General Information


Online Learning


  • Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, Distance Learning Center offers challenging math tutorials for students K-12 as well as writing courses for grades 6-12 progressing through five levels and include a preparation course for the AP English Language and Composition exam taken in high school. http://cty.jhu.edu/cde/courses.html
  • Stanford EPGY (Educational Program for Gifted Youth) provides distance learning for highly capable students from kindergarten to advanced high school students. The math courses offer a complete mathematics curriculum at the elementary and middle school level. Writing courses begin with fourth grade, providing essay writing skills and introduction to literary analysis and progress through high school. Enrollment for most courses begins on the first day of each month. http://epgy.stanford.edu



Summer Math Programs


Summer Science Programs

Hotchkiss School (Connecticut) (Environmental Science) – http://www.hotchkiss.org/Summer/Summ_Environmen.aspx


Summer Programs With Multiple Areas of Focus


Resources for Parents of Gifted Children

Hoagie’s Gifted Education Page – a website with a variety of resources for parents including listings of additional online learning programs, book recommendations on topics relating to raising gifted children, and a variety of articles on subjects such as gender issues, educational theories, and children with special needs. www.hoagiesgifted.org

Families of the Talented and Gifted (TAG) – a website devoted to gifted students. It offers resources and interesting articles on a variety of topics. www.tagfam.org/

The California Association for the Gifted – This organization sends members information about summer schools opportunities nationwide as well as books for parents and other GATE information. www.cagifted.org

Uniquely Gifted – a website hosted by Meredith Warshaw for families of “twice exceptional” children - gifted children who also have special learning challenges or disabilities. www.uniquelygifted.org

The Davidson Institute for Talent Development – this organization serves profoundly gifted children, their families and their educators. They have a rich online library which can be accessed from their website at the “Database” tab. www.ditd.org

The National Association for Gifted Children – this organization offers a parenting magazine for developing your child’s gifts and talents as well as other opportunities. www.nagc.org


Last Updated on 10 January 2013