Lawndale outlines GATE identification changes, reports rise in identified students

At a Lawndale Elementary School Site Council meeting, staff described how the district identifies students for the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program and outlined a multi-point criteria intended to increase identification among English learners and historically underrepresented students.

Anne Marie Mallat, coordinator for 21st Century Learning, said the district uses the Naglieri nonverbal ability test as an initial triage. "Any child who scores above the 95th percentile on the Naglieri automatically qualifies," Mallat said, and other pathways — including consecutive advanced SBAC scores and teacher recommendations — can also qualify students under a points-based system.

Mallat said the district chose the Naglieri because it measures nonverbal reasoning and reduces language bias that previously left English learners underidentified. The process gives multiple pathways: a high Naglieri score, two consecutive years of SBAC advanced scores in a subject, teacher recommendations and consideration of student circumstances that may have limited prior opportunity.

Staff reported roughly 146 students have been identified under the current criteria this year, up from about 114 last year. Mallat said grade-four students this year already completed the Naglieri in the fall; the district plans a broader testing window in the spring (around March) for future cycles and will notify families and teachers in advance. Families can opt their children out of the triage test, Mallat said.

Mallat said the district will continue to use existing assessments (SBAC) and teacher input as additional points; recommendations should come from a teacher who knows the student. She said students do not need to retake the test each year once identified.

Staff said they will return to the council at a future meeting to discuss services available to identified students and how GATE supports will be implemented at primary and middle schools.