Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) offers differentiated learning opportunities for academically gifted students in grades 3 - 12, with specialized and accelerated curriculum and programs under the state's GATE legislation.
Dingeman is proud to be a GATE Cluster school and has adopted the "Diversity Model" for the implementation of its GATE program. Under this model, GATE Cluster classes will contain a minimum of 25% of students that are GATE identified with the remaining students reflecting the diversity of the school. Teachers for GATE classes receive special training and certification, and specialized curriculum plans are submitted to the district to ensure that student needs are being met throughout the day.
Dingeman’s GATE Program
Dingeman Elementary School has maintained a GATE Cluster program since the school opened in 1995.
All Second Graders (who have their parents' permission) will be tested for GATE qualification based on the district-approved mental ability test. Testing is also available for new-to-district students (2nd through 7th) and students may be re-tested in either the 5th or 7th grade if they meet certain criteria. For more details, see the SDUSD web site:
www.sandi.net/gate2/ProgramandServices.htm
All of our classes in grades three through five are designated as GATE Cluster classes, and all of our teachers in those grades have earned, or are in process to obtain, GATE certification to teach them.
How is the program structured?
Dingeman follows San Diego City School’s Diversity Cluster, Model B GATE program. The diversity cluster model provides that 25 percent or more of the students in a class are GATE identified with the remaining openings reflecting the diversity of the school. In most of our classes the number of GATE identified students exceeds the 25 percent minimum. An Accountability Plan for Differentiated Instruction on file describing which modifications take place to ensure that the needs of the GATE identified students are being met throughout the school day.
How does it work?
We engage our students in group inquiry projects that encourage cooperation, leadership, and creativity. Students have abundant opportunities for inquiry in self-selected topic areas. Students collaborate with each other, teach peers and younger students the skills that they learn, and build upon each other’s discoveries.
On Thursdays we combine students from all classes at their grade level into groups for school-wide enrichment model learning experiences. We call them our Academies. Grades three and four have academy groups consisting of all GATE students during that time.
We employ numerous strategies to fully challenge all of our students, including those identified for GATE.
A partial list of strategies includes:
• Pre-assessment of students to determine needs
• Workshop model with small group and individualized instruction
• Cooperative group learning - some ability level groups, some mixed
• Wide variety of levels of learning materials in classrooms
• Inquiry-based learning
• Individual research reports; self-selected topics
• Tiered assignments with opportunities for students to go as far as they are able
• Field trips to broaden students’ experience base
• Technology – Use of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher, web page design, blogs
• Musical productions
• Interactive social studies curriculum
• Author studies
• Drama
• Publishing events
• Artistic interpretations
• Problem solving
• Task oriented math
• Guest lecturers, i.e. San Diego Playwrights Project, an 8-week residency program with visiting playwright/teacher; visiting poetry teacher; parent experts sharing their fields of expertise.
Underachievers or GATE students learning the English language:
Grade three through five teachers are both GATE certified (or in process) and have CLAD credentials for working with English language learners. GATE students who are English language learners are assigned to CLAD certified teachers. Underachieving GATE students receive benefit of Student Study Team, Resource Specialist Teacher services, speech, OT, adaptive PE, or counseling services as needed. Our school counselor offers friendship and other counseling groups to support students that need to develop social skills.
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