IDENTIFICATION AND PLACEMENT
Under the 2008 GATE Master Plan, students are designated as "intellectually gifted" if OLSAT 8 Total Score is 96% or higher; as High Achieving if scoring 5 on CST in math and language arts; as "Specific Academic Ability" if scoring 5 on CST in either math or language arts. Students in any of the three categories are DJUSD GATE students, but only the "intellectually gifted" students can enroll in the self-contained program. OLSAT 8 scores obtained from private testing can be used to qualify, with some restrictions. The district carries out second-round testing with a different testing instrument, the TONI, to "search" for and "serve" students who are from under-represented groups or who have "risk factors" (for example, coming from a less privileged cultural background).
Typically, approximately 50-55 third-grade students each year are identified as being "intellectually gifted" through the district's universal OLSAT 8 testing; approximately 65-70 are identified through private testing; and approximately 75-80 are identified through district's "search and serve" second round testing. Many students have scores of 98 and 99% -- for example, in 2012-2013 approximately 125 fourth graders earned scores in the 98th and 99th percentile. The 2008 GATE Master Plan ranks students who qualify through TONI testing below those who qualify through OLSAT 8, when placing students in self-contained classes.
PLACEMENT: Approximately 128 students are placed by "rank order" (numerical score) in each of four "self-contained" GATE strands in grades 4 - 6 at Willett, Pioneer, North Davis, and Korematsu, with approximately 30 students requesting self-contained placement and kept on the waiting list.
Holmes and Harper Junior High Schools have multiple GATE strands in grades 7-9, with Willett and NDE GATE students encouraged to enroll at Holmes, and Pioneer and Korematsu students encouraged to enroll at Harper. A small number of GATE identified students enroll in the GATE/High Achieving strand at Emerson elementary. Some GATE identified students enroll in GATE English 10 at Davis Senior High School.
GATE identification is not a prerequisite or factor for admission to AP classes at Davis High, but many parents in the community believe otherwise.
Da Vinci Academy (grades 7-12) serves gifted students together with other students through its "project based" curriculum.
MATH: Most 6th grade students in self-contained GATE classes work through the "Transitions to Algebra" curriculum in 6th grade and then, depending on aptitude, many enroll in 7th grade Algebra (for example, in 2012, 106 of 133 seventh graders enrolled in Algebra were from self-contained gifted program). Although math placement in 7th grade is not "linked" to GATE identification per se, most students outside the self-contained classes are unprepared to "test out" of the "Transitions to Algebra" curriculum and enroll in 7th grade Algebra.
Under the 2008 GATE Master Plan, students are designated as "intellectually gifted" if OLSAT 8 Total Score is 96% or higher; as High Achieving if scoring 5 on CST in math and language arts; as "Specific Academic Ability" if scoring 5 on CST in either math or language arts. Students in any of the three categories are DJUSD GATE students, but only the "intellectually gifted" students can enroll in the self-contained program. OLSAT 8 scores obtained from private testing can be used to qualify, with some restrictions. The district carries out second-round testing with a different testing instrument, the TONI, to "search" for and "serve" students who are from under-represented groups or who have "risk factors" (for example, coming from a less privileged cultural background).
Typically, approximately 50-55 third-grade students each year are identified as being "intellectually gifted" through the district's universal OLSAT 8 testing; approximately 65-70 are identified through private testing; and approximately 75-80 are identified through district's "search and serve" second round testing. Many students have scores of 98 and 99% -- for example, in 2012-2013 approximately 125 fourth graders earned scores in the 98th and 99th percentile. The 2008 GATE Master Plan ranks students who qualify through TONI testing below those who qualify through OLSAT 8, when placing students in self-contained classes.
PLACEMENT: Approximately 128 students are placed by "rank order" (numerical score) in each of four "self-contained" GATE strands in grades 4 - 6 at Willett, Pioneer, North Davis, and Korematsu, with approximately 30 students requesting self-contained placement and kept on the waiting list.
Holmes and Harper Junior High Schools have multiple GATE strands in grades 7-9, with Willett and NDE GATE students encouraged to enroll at Holmes, and Pioneer and Korematsu students encouraged to enroll at Harper. A small number of GATE identified students enroll in the GATE/High Achieving strand at Emerson elementary. Some GATE identified students enroll in GATE English 10 at Davis Senior High School.
GATE identification is not a prerequisite or factor for admission to AP classes at Davis High, but many parents in the community believe otherwise.
Da Vinci Academy (grades 7-12) serves gifted students together with other students through its "project based" curriculum.
MATH: Most 6th grade students in self-contained GATE classes work through the "Transitions to Algebra" curriculum in 6th grade and then, depending on aptitude, many enroll in 7th grade Algebra (for example, in 2012, 106 of 133 seventh graders enrolled in Algebra were from self-contained gifted program). Although math placement in 7th grade is not "linked" to GATE identification per se, most students outside the self-contained classes are unprepared to "test out" of the "Transitions to Algebra" curriculum and enroll in 7th grade Algebra.
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA RELATED TO DJUSD GATE PROGRAM
Recent DJUSD demographic data show that students facing greater educational challenges (EL, special education, low SES) are significantly underrepresented in DJUSD self-contained gifted classes:
http://www.djusd.net/schools/schdemog
DJUSD GATE Testing Demographics for 2012-2013: OLSAT, TONI and Private Testing
(right-click on file to open file in new window)
Recent DJUSD demographic data show that students facing greater educational challenges (EL, special education, low SES) are significantly underrepresented in DJUSD self-contained gifted classes:
http://www.djusd.net/schools/schdemog
DJUSD GATE Testing Demographics for 2012-2013: OLSAT, TONI and Private Testing
(right-click on file to open file in new window)
| djusd_gate_testing_scores_2012__2013.pdf |
HISTORY OF DJUSD GATE PROGRAM
The DJUSD has followed a model of serving gifted students in self-contained classes for many years.
Chronology:
Up until 1995-1996 Academic Year: One strand of GATE located at Valley Oak Elementary serves entire district.
1997-1998 Academic Year: GATE increases to three strands, two at Valley Oak and one at Willett.
1999-2000 Academic Year: Total qualifying score on OLSAT-7 is moved from 95% to 92%.
2000-2001 Academic Year: To qualify, a child must score 95% on one part of the OLSAT-7 and have at least a 92% score overall.
Fall 2001: Fourth gifted strand opens at Pioneer Elementary (added to existing strands at Willett & Valley Oak).
2002-2003 Academic Year: District runs pilot to universally test third grade students at Valley Oak, North Davis, and Pioneer elementary schools for GATE eligibility.
2003-2004 Academic Year: Universal testing of third graders begins. 35% of total 3rd grade population qualifies as gifted.
Fall of 2004: OLSAT qualifying score is raised from 92% to 95%.
Approximately 2004-2005: Qualifying score moves from 95% to 96%.
2004-2005 Academic Year: District "uncaps" GATE enrollment at Holmes Junior High and "the New Junior High" (now Harper) to accommodate "full latitude of choice" for families.
October 2005: Qualifying score moves from 95% to 96% overall.
2007-2008 Academic Year: Valley Oak Elementary (with 2 strands of self-contained GATE in grades 4-6) closes and North Davis Elementary and Korematsu each take one self-contained strand of gifted classes.
2009-2010 Academic Year: Emerson Junior High changes name of its Honors program to "Integrated GATE Program"; Holmes closes its High Achieving strands.
LOTTERY PLACEMENT PROCESS ADOPTED IN 2013
In February of 2013 the district adopted a Lottery Placement Process for "gifted" students seeking placement in self-contained classes, replacing the "rank-order" (numerical score) placement method described in the 2008 Master Plan. Students qualified through the TONI test are treated equally to those qualified under the OLSAT 8. The lottery placement process was adopted in the context of civil litigation.
This link shows a draft of the DJUSD lottery placement process (right-click to open in new window):
| gate_intellectually_gifted_placement_process_updated_march_14.pdf |
HOW GATE STUDENTS ARE TO BE SERVED UNDER CURRENT MASTER PLAN
Quoting from the 2008 GATE Master Plan, The GATE Program is designed with a variety of delivery options
"1. Self-contained classes for intellectually gifted students in grades 4-10
2. Cluster grouping should occur in regular classrooms for students who are intellectually gifted, high achieving or have specific academic ability
3. Flexible grouping in general education classrooms for students who are intellectually gifted, high achieving or have specific academic ability
4. Split-site enrollment between school of attendance and Davis School for Independent Study (DSIS) will be used to meet needs of GATE students who have specific academic ability and whose needs cannot be met at the school of residence.
5. High-achieving/Honors/Advanced Placement classes at the three junior highs and the high school have differentiated assignments for intellectually gifted, high achieving, and specific academic ability students developed by classroom teachers.
6. Mentors may be provided when applicable.
7. Concurrent enrollment may occur in accelerated classes among elementary/junior high, junior high/high school, and high school/college.
8. Early college entrance is an option for some highly gifted students.
9. Continue support and training of K-3 teachers to differentiate instruction for high achieving and specific academic ability primary students and to utilize cluster and flexible grouping and cross-age mentoring.
10. Continue professional development on characteristics and needs of gifted students and techniques for differentiating curriculum."
Comment: Many of these delivery options exist on paper but not in reality at school sites. In reality, 128 gifted students are added to self-contained classes each year and the district makes no structured effort to ensure that differentiated instruction or flexible ability grouping are provided in regular classes. High-achieving strands at Holmes and Harper Junior Highs have been eliminated. Thus, the district has not implemented the current GATE Master Plan as written, with respect to the type and range of services specified.
Quoting from the 2008 GATE Master Plan, The GATE Program is designed with a variety of delivery options
"1. Self-contained classes for intellectually gifted students in grades 4-10
2. Cluster grouping should occur in regular classrooms for students who are intellectually gifted, high achieving or have specific academic ability
3. Flexible grouping in general education classrooms for students who are intellectually gifted, high achieving or have specific academic ability
4. Split-site enrollment between school of attendance and Davis School for Independent Study (DSIS) will be used to meet needs of GATE students who have specific academic ability and whose needs cannot be met at the school of residence.
5. High-achieving/Honors/Advanced Placement classes at the three junior highs and the high school have differentiated assignments for intellectually gifted, high achieving, and specific academic ability students developed by classroom teachers.
6. Mentors may be provided when applicable.
7. Concurrent enrollment may occur in accelerated classes among elementary/junior high, junior high/high school, and high school/college.
8. Early college entrance is an option for some highly gifted students.
9. Continue support and training of K-3 teachers to differentiate instruction for high achieving and specific academic ability primary students and to utilize cluster and flexible grouping and cross-age mentoring.
10. Continue professional development on characteristics and needs of gifted students and techniques for differentiating curriculum."
Comment: Many of these delivery options exist on paper but not in reality at school sites. In reality, 128 gifted students are added to self-contained classes each year and the district makes no structured effort to ensure that differentiated instruction or flexible ability grouping are provided in regular classes. High-achieving strands at Holmes and Harper Junior Highs have been eliminated. Thus, the district has not implemented the current GATE Master Plan as written, with respect to the type and range of services specified.
