GATE Testing Policy

In order to ensure that students entering the secondary GATE program are indeed qualified for the level of challenge presented in seventh grade and beyond, the following policies will guide testing of incoming 7th graders from the Santa Barbara Elementary, Montecito Union, Cold Spring, Hope, and Goleta Union School Districts:

• A student who has not qualified for participation in another district's elementary GATE program AND who has a CST in the Advanced range may test in their 6th grade year
• A GATE identified student entering 7th grade in the fall of 2008 who has not achieved a 435 in ELA and 450 in math on one of the 4th grade or 5th grade California Standards tests is strongly recommended to retest, or strongly recommended to submit a Renzulli scale for GATE identification
• In the case of a student entering the 7th grade in the fall of 2008 who has not met the criteria in the above bullet, and who is retesting, the student must take the entire test battery; it is not feasible to administer portions of the test in a group setting
• A student whose CST score is not in the Advanced range but who is recommended by a teacher to be tested, or is requested by a parent to be tested, may test (this allows students with special needs to be accommodated when appropriate)
• Students who leave the Goleta, Hope, Montecito Union, Cold Spring or Santa Barbara school districts for two years or more and then wish to enroll in the Santa Barbara Secondary District must retest; however, only one testing session is allowed in 6th grade or beyond

This policy is in effect as of December 4, 2007

Qualification Criteria

Each year a search is conducted for potential GATE students. Students entering junior high schools from the Goleta Union, Hope, Cold Spring, Montecito Union and Santa Barbara Elementary School Districts are offered testing at their individual elementary school sites during the regular school day. In addition, GATE testing is offered on Saturdays in October, November, January, February, March, April, May, and on a weekday in August. Students may register for GATE testing by completing the Registration Form (available on the web site, through their school’s counseling office, or from the GATE Office) and providing the required information (see Registration Form). Once a student is identified, appropriate GATE classes will be recommended for their junior and senior high school schedules.

See the separate "GATE Testing Policy for Entering 7th Grade" at the beginning of this page for which students should take the Cognitive Abilities Test in 6th grade.

Students may be identified in one of three categories. In each of the categories, identification is made using a combination of test scores and other pertinent data, such as achievement test scores, teacher completion of the Renzulli Scale, report cards, a student portfolio, and/or quality of previously completed courses.

• Category 1 : Intellectual Ability – The student has a score in the 95th percentile or above on at least one area of the Cognitive Abilities Test and at least a 90th percentile in two areas (NPRS: Total Reading or Math) of acceptable nationally-normed achievement test Or a Scaled Score of 435 in English Language Arts or a 450 in math on the California Achievement Test over the past two years.
• Category 2 : Specific Academic – The student has at least a 95th percentile in two areas (NPRS: Total Reading or Math) of acceptable nationally-normed achievement test Or a Scaled Score of 435 in English Language Arts or a 450 in math on the California Achievement Test over the past two years, and a score of 90th percentile in the Cognitive Abilities Test in the Verbal section for identification in English, or a 90th percentile in Quantitative section for identification in math.
• Category 3 : Other High Potential – A limited number of students are identified in this category. Students in the category have not qualified in Categories 1 or 2; however, superior range test scores (at least an 88% on two of the test areas on the Cognitive Abilities Test, one of which must be the Non-Verbal section) make the student a strong candidate for placement. A teacher-completed Renzulli Scale and a portfolio of student work will be required for consideration for placement. The student's success in the recommended placement will be evaluated at the end of the year to determine continued participation.

If you would like information on testing dates, see Testing or call the GATE office at 730-7775.

If a student does not qualify for participation in the GATE program based on the CogAT or achievement test scores, a portfolio and Renzulli Scale may be submitted. See below for details.

Completing a Renzulli and Submitting a Portfolio for GATE Qualification

To be eligible for consideration based on a Renzulli, a student needs to have scored at least an 88% in two of the four areas on the Cognitive Abilities Test, ONE OF WHICH MUST BE THE NON-VERBAL SECTION. The Renzulli Scale is used to determine a student's characteristics in the areas of learning, motivation, mathematics and/or reading. It is a valid and reliable instrument, developed from comprehensive reviews of the literature on the traits of gifted and talented youth, input from experts in gifted education, and feedback from school personnel regarding item clarity and observability. Inter-judge reliability is high.

If a student does not qualify for participation in the GATE program based on the CogAT or achievement test scores, parents and students can request that a teacher(s) complete the Renzulli Scale in the areas of a student's strength. The completed Scale should be submitted directly to the GATE Office, and it is kept confidential. It will be reviewed (along with the portfolio) by a committee that will make a determination for GATE qualification.

A portfolio of exemplary work, illustrative of a student's outstanding achievement in two areas, should be submitted to the GATE Office as part of the process for determining eligibility for participation in Santa Barbara School District's GATE Program.

The portfolio should consist of the following required components:

1. One piece of writing from the most recent school year
   *The piece should represent outstanding work in literary analysis (NOT a book report)
   THE PIECE OF WRITING SHOULD INCLUDE A DRAFT ONE WITH TEACHER'S COMMENTS AND A FINAL COPY SHOWING REVISIONS
2. One example of a student’s outstanding ability in math should be included
   *The piece could be a work sample(test or homework) from a high level math class
   

Portfolios will be evaluated by a committee consisting of the District GATE Coordinator, one school Site Coordinator, and a math and English GATE teacher from the secondary schools.

Portfolios are due in the GATE Office three weeks after the parent receipt of qualification letter. Further information can be obtained by calling the GATE Office at 730-7775 between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Cognitive Abilities Test

The Verbal Battery tests a student's vocabulary, as well as his/her comprehension of ideas, efficiency and verbal memory, and ability to discover word relationships. Statistics show a high correlation between high verbal ability and success in a variety of school subjects.

The Quantitative Battery tests the student's quantitative reasoning and problem solving ability and provides an appraisal of the student's general level of abstract reasoning

The Nonverbal Battery provides an opportunity for individuals who process information in a holistic way to show how well they can reason. Scores on this section of the test are not influenced by reading ability or language facility. Students who score high have well-developed reasoning abilities, but they process information quite differently from the highly verbal student.

The scores from the three batteries of the Cognitive Abilities Test are combined with other indicators. If this information meets the general level expected for GATE students, students are then considered for identification in one of the following categories

• Intellectual Ability

• Specific Academic

• Other High Potential

• Provisional

Many people ask “How can I prepare for the GATE test.” This is an abilities test which predicts a students projected achievement in a given area; it tests the students’ knowledge. The following is a description of the three batteries on which students are tested.

Three tests are administered in the verbal section. Each test is approximately 20 questions and the student is given ten minutes to complete each test. These three tests comprise the verbal score.

Sentence Completion: The student is given a sentence with a word left out and is asked to choose a word that makes the best sense in the sentence.

Verbal Analogies: The student is given three words in dark type. The first two words go together. The third word goes with one of the answer choices. The student is asked to choose the word that goes with the third word the same way that the second word goes with the first.  

Three tests are administered in the quantitative battery. The first test has twenty-five questions and students are given 8 minutes to finish. The second has 20 questions with a 10 minute testing time. The third has fifteen questions with a 12 minute testing time.

Quantitative Relations: The student is given two problems numbered one and two with three answer choices. The student is to solve the two problems and determine if the answer is greater, less than, or equal to.

Number Series: The student is given a series of numbers and is asked to decide which number should come next in the series.

Equation Building: The student is given numbers and signs. The student is asked to combine the numbers and signs to get a solution that is an answer choice.

The Nonverbal Battery tests present the most novel problems to students. The items on these tests use only geometric shapes and figures that have had little direct relationship to formal school instruction. The tests require no reading and no outside fund of knowledge. The Nonverbal Battery is particularly suitable for obtaining an accurate estimate of development for students who have difficulty with reading; who have limited competency in English; or who have limited opportunities. The tests in the nonverbal battery are between fifteen and twenty-five questions each and students are given ten minutes for each test. It is not possible to give you visual examples with choices on this page, but the descriptions are as follows.

Figure Classification: The student is given three figures that are alike in some way. They are given three answer choices and five pictures to choose from. They are asked to decide which figure goes best with the three answer choices.

Figure Analysis: The student is shown how a square piece of dark paper is folded and where holes are punched in it. The student is to figure out how the paper will look when it is unfolded. The student is not

allowed to have scratch paper during this exam.

If you would like to register you student for gate testing, please call the secondary gate office at 730-7775 to schedule a testing date.