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Welcome
Welcome to a
very large family of parents, students, teachers and administrators whose overall
goal is to ensure that students who demonstrate outstanding ability or potential
are helped to make the most of their unique talents and capabilities.
Arzie Galvez, Administrative Coordinator
Advanced Learning Options
Purpose
Gifted/Talented
Programs creates high end learning opportunities which allow students to flourish
in stimulating academic and social environments. In designing challenging educational
opportunities, we strive to raise the floor, remove the walls and eliminate the
ceiling on learning.
Ceilings are for rooms not students
Philosophy
The philosophy
of Gifted/Talented Programs is integrally connected to the District mission statement.
The District's instructional programs for gifted and talented students are based
on the principles that all students are to receive an education appropriate to their
individual capabilities, interests, and needs, and that students have learning opportunities
that help develop their abilities to the highest level. Because gifted and talented
students generally demonstrate high performance or capacity for high performance
beyond age/grade expectations, they are atypical learners who require specialized
learning experiences beyond the regular curriculum.
History
Los Angeles Unified School
District was one of two districts in California to develop an extensive educational
program for gifted in 1951. However, there was no legislation to provide school
districts with funds to develop programs for gifted students. The California Department
of Education conducted a "State Study of Educational Programs" sponsored
by the State Legislature in 1957-1960.
"The study proved conclusively that special provisions made in these programs
are beneficial for the gifted…participating pupils made striking gains in achievement
with accompanying personal and social benefits."
In 1961, AB362 provided minimal funding for excess cost reimbursement for mentally
gifted minors. There were insufficient funds to cover all school districts in California.
A new district in California could only apply if a district dropped out of the program.
The program was named MGM, or Mentally Gifted Minors. The Intellectual Category
was the only category for identification in California.
In 1980, the California Legislature provided legislation (AB1040) to adopt the federal
definition of gifted. The program was renamed Gifted and Talented Education (GATE).
The Marland Federal Report on gifted education adopted the following:
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Students who are identified as gifted/talented exhibit ‘excellence’ or
the capacity for excellence far beyond that of their chronological peers. They require
differentiated educational programs and/or services beyond those normally provided
by the regular school program in order to realize their ability to contribute to
self and society.
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This definition expanded the identification categories of gifted to include intellectual
ability, high achievement ability, specific academic ability, leadership, creativity,
and visual and performing arts abilities. It provided for 200 minutes a week of
differentiated curriculum. The Legislature deemed that each school district determine
the categories for identification.
It was the intent of the Legislature in passing AB555 in 1986 to ensure that programs
for gifted and talented students are continued and improved. AB555 provided funding
for all school districts upon application and approval from the California Department
of Education.
Changes
Governing Gifted and Talented Education: AB2313
The legislation supports unique opportunities for high-achieving and underachieving students who are identified gifted/talented. Its intent is that special efforts be made to ensure that students from economically disadvantaged and varying cultural backgrounds be provided with full participation in unique learning opportunities.
• Click here to view current GATE Standards
Starting January 1, 2001, the legislation did the following:
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Differentiated Instruction: The 200-minute per week minimum requirement for differentiated instruction has been eliminated, and replaced with a more rigorous standard that requires instructional programs be planned and organized as an integrated, differentiated learning experience throughout the regular school day, and may be augmented and supplemented with other differentiated activities related to the core curriculum.
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New Standards: Revises the application requirements to reflect new standards for each of the following categories: |
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Program Design
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Provide a comprehensive continuum of services and program options responsive to the needs, interests, and abilities of gifted students and based on philosophical, theoretical, and empirical support. |
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Identification
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Identification procedures are equitable, comprehensive, and ongoing. They reflect the district's definition of giftedness and its relationship to current state criteria. |
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Curriculum and Instruction
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Develop differentiated curriculum, instructional models and strategies that are aligned with and extend the state academic content standards and curriculum frameworks. The differentiated curriculum is related to theories, models, and practices from the recognized literature in the field. |
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Social and Emotional Development
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Establish and implement plans to support the social and emotional development of gifted learners to increase responsibility, self-awareness, and other issues of affective development. |
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Professional Development
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Provide professional development opportunities related to gifted education to administrators, teachers, and staff to support and improve educational opportunities for gifted students. |
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Parent and Community Involvement
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Provide procedures to ensure consistent participation of parents and community members in the planning and evaluation of programs for gifted students. |
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Program Assessment
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Establish formal and informal evaluation methods and instruments that assess the gifted program and the performance of gifted students (which meets or exceeds state content standards). Results of data collected, including state standardized tests, are used to study the value and impact of the services provided and to improve gifted programs and gifted student performance. |
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Budget
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Budgets for gifted programs suppport and provide for all the components of the District's GATE program and meet the related standards. |
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Categorical education programs, including funding for Gifted and Talented Education are in constant need of public support. Existing federal and state accountability systems redirect funds away from GATE to other purposes. The result has been a severe reduction in services to GATE students. Support from members of the Assembly Education Committee to direct GATE funds to serve the GATE student population is needed. Letters and phone calls of support are recommended.
Program
Features
(Differentiated Instruction)
- Accelerated
or advanced content
- More complex
understandings of generalizations, principles, theories, and the structure of the
content area
- Abstract
concepts and thought processes or skills
- Level and
type of resources used to obtain information, acquire skills, and develop products
- Appropriation
of longer/shorter time span for learning
- Generating
new information and/or products
- Transfer
of learning to new/different disciplines, situations
- Development
of personal growth and sophistication in attitudes, appreciations, feelings, intuition
- Independence
of thought and study
District Mission
Statement
The teachers, administrators and staff of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) believe in the equal worth and dignity of all students and are committed to educate all students to their maximum potential.
LAUSD Gifted/Talented Programs
Central Administrative Offices
333 S. Beaudry Ave., 25th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone (213) 241-6500
Fax (213) 241-8975
Twitter
twitter.com/LAUSDGATE
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/LAUSDGATE
Arzie Galvez, Administrative Coordinator, Advanced Learning Options
Catherine Estrada, District Specialist
Lucy Hunt, Ph.D., District Specialist
Erin Yoshida-Ehrmann, District Specialist
Wynne Wong-Cheng, Specialist, Psychological Services
LAUSD Faculty Highlights
Gifted/Talented Programs has been represented by the following District Coordinators and staff:
(1) Allyn E. Arnold, District Coordinator (Retired)
Mentally Gifted Minor (MGM), 1968 - 1986
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In 1980, the law changed and the program was renamed:
Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
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District Advisors:
Sandra Berro
Alice Hayward
Michael D. McLinn
Judd Perrine
Sheila H. Smith
Claudia Strongberg
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Psychological Services:
Bonnie Burka, Specialist
Sylvia Dean, Psychologist
Rene Gonzalez, Specialist
Barbara Price, Psychologist
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Implemented and developed the following:
Major categories for student identification, adding the talent area that include: the eligibility criteria and the search and referral process for student identification as Gifted/Talented.
Developed and defined cluster models to ensure maximum opportunities for peer interaction in flexible learning groups and academic program designs leading to higher-level thinking skills.
Introduced the Advanced Placement (AP) program at every high school with the collaboration of the Office of Secondary Instruction and the assistance of the College Board consisting of college-level courses for able high school students (led by Sandra Berro).
Conducted an annual AP workshop featuring a team of teachers in each AP subject area who shared teacher/facilitator responsibilities in a round-table discussion format.
Five universities facilitated our AP students with the use of their libraries honoring them with a library card.
Created the Supplemental Screening and Instructional Programs, providing differentiated instruction with the purpose to refer students for identification and proper placement:
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(1) The Conservatory of Fine Arts, a 24-week Saturday program to serve the students in the visual and performing arts (performing arts led by Judd Perrine; visual arts, led by Alice Hayward).
(2) Students in the Primary Grades, an organized screening program to recognize and nurture potentially gifted/talented students and to seek out accelerated learners in grades K-3 (led by Sheila Smith).
(3) The Potentially Gifted Students from Diverse Backgrounds to include the achieving, underachieving, gifted, highly gifted and potentially gifted students from diverse backgrounds (led by Michael McLinn). |
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(2) Sheila H. Smith, District Coordinator (Retired)
Gifted/Talented Programs, 1986 - 2007
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District Advisors:
Angel Barrett
LaRoyce Bell
Roderick M. Castro
Henry Fries
Alice Hayward
Michael D. McLinn
Joyce Mundel
Rhonda Nalisnik
Cassandra Roy
Nancy Scher
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District Psychologist:
Patricia Pepe
Judy Ransdell
Marcella S. Trammell
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Local District Specialists:
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Sandy Collins
Audrey Criss
Desiree DeBond-Vargas
Celeste Hunter
Lupe Inabu
Dorothy Jackson
Ellis Kaufman
Barbara Locker
Michael D. McLinn
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Michele Parsons
Pansy Rankin
Araceli Rodriguez
Vicotria Siegel
Donna Simien
Janet Tovar
Lillian Walker
Teri Walsh
Linda Zimring
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Continued and expanded the above and developed the Schools for Advanced Studies, as another program option, in collaboration with the Office of Secondary Instruction to increase staff's professional training to support the development of gifted and talented youth, offering an intensive academic articulated program in which both innovative and traditional courses are taught.
Led the Advanced Placement Teacher Training Grant which awarded Los Angeles Unified School District high schools and two learning centers with funds to support teacher professional development for advanced placement subjects.
Led the Advanced Placement Payment Program (AB2216) which provides state and federal funds to low-income students to remove the financial barrier that may have prevented students from taking the AP examinations. The AP program became the largest District program in the nation sending many minority students to college well-prepared.
Created and developed the GATE Website.
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(3) LaRoyce Bell, District Coordinator (Retired)
Gifted/Talented Programs, 2007 - 2012
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District Specialists:
Catherine Estrada
Dr. Lucy Hunt
Erin Yoshida-Ehrmann
Kathleen M. McGrath
Jennifer M. Slabbinck
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District Psychologist:
Patricia Pepe
Wynne Wong-Cheng |
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Continued and expanded the above, implemented the 2008-2010 GATE Certification Program and the Symposium where over 1,000 LAUSD teachers participated.
Instituted the Salary-Point Class workshops for teachers and coordinators on Differentiating the Core Curriculum.
Added eligibility criterion for the identification of students in the Creative and Leadership Abilities.
Began the OLSAT-8 testing to identify second grade students as gifted in the High Achievement Category.
Added the Professional Development Section to the website to include:
(1) PowerPoints in different gifted and talented education subjects,
(2) a monthly newsletter for coordinators of GATE and SAS programs,
(3) a quaterly parent and student newsletters.
Created facebook and twitter for GATE.
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District Support:
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Rosalva Bautista
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Office Technician, 1983-2008 |
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Elsie Goodman
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Senior Office Technician, 1984-2007 |
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Kristie Greene
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Clerk, 1998-2009 |
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Carmen Magallon
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Office Technician, 1982-1998 |
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Yolanda Muñoz
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Secretary, 1981-Present |
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Erlinda Reid
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Senior Office Technician, 1990-2008 |
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Disclaimer: This page of Gifted/Talented Programs, Web Site identifies resources and links to other Web sites that would appear useful for our readers. The opinions expressed on these pages are solely those of the host website and not necessarily those of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Any advertising presented on these pages is solely the responsibility of the host site and not the Los Angeles Unified School District. Such references and links do not constitute any endorsement by the Los Angeles Unified School District of the products or services of those enterprises.
With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know, but we must try to have and
use it.
--Aristotle
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