GATE » GATE Program at Gardena HS

GATE Program at Gardena HS

The purpose of having a GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program at Gardena High School would be to ensure that students who demonstrate advanced academic, intellectual, creative, leadership, or other exceptional abilities are identified, supported, challenged, and prepared to reach their full potential.
 

The goal for Gardena High School:

  1. Identify students with advanced potential

    • Increase awareness of students who demonstrate giftedness, high achievement, critical thinking, creativity, leadership, or other talents.
    • Make sure students who may be underrepresented in gifted programs have opportunities for identification and verification.
    • Encourage referrals from teachers, families, peers, community members, and students themselves.

  2. Provide appropriately challenging instruction

    • Ensure GATE students are not simply given more work, but are provided with deeper, more complex, novel, and accelerated learning experiences.
    • LAUSD identifies depth, complexity, novelty, and acceleration as key elements of differentiated GATE instruction.

  3. Connect GATE students to advanced opportunities
    At the high-school level, GATE should help students take advantage of opportunities such as:

    • Honors courses
    • Advanced Placement (AP)
    • Dual enrollment/concurrent enrollment
    • College and career programs
    • Leadership opportunities
    • Research and project-based learning
    • Career and Technical Education (CTE)
    • Magnet and Linked Learning opportunities

    LAUSD specifically identifies Honors, AP, and dual/concurrent enrollment as advanced-learning options for qualifying students. 

  4. Develop students' talents beyond academics

    GATE should not be limited to test scores or grades. LAUSD recognizes categories including creative ability, leadership ability, visual arts, and performing arts, in addition to intellectual and academic abilities. 

     

    At Gardena, this could mean intentionally developing:

    • Leadership
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Creativity
    • Innovation
    • Critical thinking
    • Problem-solving
    • Communication
    • Collaboration
    • Career readiness
Screening and Identification of Students
 

Gardena High School continues to screen and identify gifted students through a process that is equitable, comprehensive, and ongoing. The process involves all stakeholders, including families, teachers, students, and the GATE Screening Committee. The GATE Screening Committee is composed of our principal, Ms. Buenrostro-Cameras; GATE Coordinator, Mr. Banda; Restorative Justice Teacher, Ms. Smith; and CTE teacher, Ms. Atkinson.