District GATE coordinator reports decline in state-identified gifted students, outlines outreach and testing changes

Amanda Wilkins, the district's new gifted and talented (GATE) coordinator, briefed the board April 14 on identification trends and an action plan to increase equitable identification of gifted students.

Findings and goals Wilkins said district data and the strategic plan show the district did not meet projected goals for state-identified gifted students among pupils in poverty (projected 13.85, actual 13.55) and ethnically diverse students (projected 12.64, actual 12.61). She described a broader decline across the district in the number of students identified for state gifted services and said that children who have not been exposed to higher-level questioning and problem solving are less likely to perform well on the cognitive reasoning measures used for identification.

Actions taken and planned Wilkins described multiple steps the district is implementing: - Teacher professional development focused on higher-order questioning and instruction that promotes problem solving and depth rather than acceleration. She linked this work to teacher evaluation indicators (planning, professionalism, environment, instruction). - Increased use of CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) data reports for teachers and parents, including small-group reports to tailor instruction. - Expanded testing opportunities: fall, spring and summer abilities testing to provide multiple windows for identification. - Updated GPA practice: for older elementary grades the district will upload GPA data to help identify partially qualified students when state test scores are received. - Parent outreach: plans for parent information nights and distribution of resources (including sample questions on cogat.com) to help parents prepare and understand identification criteria.

Board questions Board members asked whether the decline was isolated to the targeted groups or present across the district; Wilkins said the decline is across cohorts. She said part of the issue is exposure to the types of questions on the cognitive assessments and noted some students perform better when given modeled instruction or visual examples. Wilkins said the district is reviewing models in other counties and exploring whether identification practices or instructional exposure need adjustment.

Implications Wilkins emphasized the goal is not —GATE placement— as an end in itself but ensuring students receive services that match how they learn. The district will continue outreach to parents, provide teacher supports, and return with updates as testing and identification plans are implemented.