• Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is GATE?

    Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) is a program dedicated to meeting the intellectual and social needs of our students. GATE students at Burton School District are brought together with a commitment to provide high quality, differentiated opportunities for learning that meets students’ particular abilities and talents.

    What school sites within the Burton School District offer the GATE program?

    Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, Burton Elementary School (BES), William R. Buckley (WRB), Jim Maples Academy (JMA), and Oak Grove Elementary (OG) will offer a GATE program in the 4th-6th grades. Burton Middle School will provide a GATE program for 7th and 8th graders within our district.

    How are students identified for the GATE program?

    Students are identified as potential GATE students as early as second grade. Burton School district has multiple measures for GATE identification. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, all 2nd grade students at our district elementary sites will participate in the CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test). Early identification is key to providing the best educational opportunities and resources to our learners. The CogAT test is the first entrance measure into the GATE program.

    What is the CogAT test?

    The CogAT is a group administered assessment of students general reasoning abilities. The CogAT identifies how students learn new tasks and solve problems. The assessment has three sections: Verbal (words), quantitative (numbers) and non-verbal (puzzles and shapes). The CogAT is not an achievement test that measures what a student knows but rather a cognitive assessment that measures how students process and reason.

    Where will the CogAT test take place?

    The CogAT test will take place on your child's campus within their own classroom. Your child's teacher will proctor the test. The test takes place in (3) parts and takes a minimal amount of time to administer.

    If my child qualifies for GATE, do they have to participate in the program?

    GATE is an optional program. Parents of students who have been identified as qualifying for the GATE program will be notified in February 2020. Parents will be provided extended information on the program as it pertains to their student and invited to the GATE Parent Information Night that will be held on March 3rd, 2020 at the Burkey Educational Facility.

    Can I request that my child retake the CogAT test?

    No, the only time a parent and/or school site can request for a student to be CogAT tested outside of the testing window is if the student was not enrolled in one of the schools administering the CogAT test and did not participate. If the student was not enrolled during testing, they can file a screening request form at the Burkey Educational Facility, Burton School District.

    How can I obtain more information about the Burton School District GATE program?

    For more information, please contact Burton School District’s GATE Coordinator Casey Rangel. You can email her at casey.rangel@burtonschools.org or call her at 559-782-5954, extension 10051.