Gifted and Talented Education Program Information

It is the mission of the Burbank Unified School district’s Gifted and Talented Education Program, in partnership with parents, community, and staff, to provide a high-quality educational program for gifted students in order to develop their knowledge, skills, abilities, and values.  The district’s GATE program currently serves one category of gifted students:  intellectually gifted students with high potential in the areas of abstract thinking and reasoning ability as applied to school learning situations.  

Key Elements of Burbank Unified’s GATE Program (adapted from Burbank Unified School District’s Guide for Parents & Families of GATE Identified Students):

 Identification: 

All 3rd-grade students are screened for our GATE program soon after returning from winter break.  4^th and 5^thgrade students can also be nominated by either their parent or teacher in order to be screened during the same window.  Students take a computer-based test, the CogAT 7, during the screening process.  If a student is identified as GATE, their official placement in the program begins the following year.  Students in 4^th and 5^th grade are clustered or grouped together in a regular classroom with an appropriately differentiated instruction of the core curriculum.

 Curriculum and Instruction:

Teachers differentiate the grade level curriculum to respond to the needs, abilities, and interests of intellectually gifted students.  They do this through a positive, challenging, and supportive environment; providing a meaning-rich curriculum that is designed to engage learners; using persistent, varied, and differentiated formative assessment; planning instruction based on formative assessment, working with students to create and implement classroom routines that allow both predictability and flexibility. 

 Social and Emotional Development:

Teachers support the social and emotional development of intellectually gifted learners to increase responsibility, develop self-awareness, promote ethical behavior, and assist other areas of effective development.

 Professional Development: 

Teachers and staff attend professional development sessions related to gifted education in order to support and improve educational opportunities for gifted students.

Parent and Family Involvement: 

Parent and family involvement is a critical aspect of the GATE program.  Parents are encouraged to reach out with questions regarding the GATE program as they come up. Parents can get involved in the GATE program by attending district Gate Advisory Council Meetings and Parent Talks hosted by our district GATE coordinator.  Both meetings occur in the District Office Board Room from 6:15-7:45 unless otherwise noted.