OTIS-LENNON SCHOOL ABILITY TEST
Los Angeles Unified School District intends to seek out and identify gifted and talented students from varying linguistic, economic and cultural backgrounds and whose extraordinary capacities require special services and programs (Title V, California Code of Regulations section 3820).  Evidence of a student’s capability shall consider the economic, linguistic, and cultural characteristics of students’ background (Title V, California Code of Regulations section 3823). LAUSD faculty may click here for the DFAs in Spanish.

What is the OLSAT-8? 
The OLSAT-8 (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, Eighth Edition) is a nationally standardized, norm-referenced, group administered measure of verbal and non-verbal school abilities given to all second grade students. It is a multiple choice test that lasts approximately 82 minutes.

What areas are measured on the test? 
Verbal Comprehension: understanding of language; similarities and differences among words
Verbal Reasoning: using language to infer, apply, and classify 
Pictorial Reasoning: inferring from and evaluating pictures
Figural Reasoning: reasoning  involving geometric shapes

Who takes the OLSAT-8? 
In LAUSD, the OLSAT-8 is administered to all second grade students in general education classrooms. Students already identified as gifted in the Intellectual Ability category and students who take the CAPA are exempt. 

Why is the District administering this test?
It is part of a District-wide plan to address the disproportionate number of underrepresented student populations identified as gifted and capture students who may be overlooked in the referral process.

How will the results be used?
A student may be referred for gifted identification in the “High Achievement” category if criteria is met using the Total Age-Based Percentile Score from the OLSAT-8.

Are students allowed to prepare for the OLSAT-8?
Yes. Because the OLSAT-8 is considered an achievement test like the CST, students may practice items similar to those on the actual assessment. Students are not allowed to prepare for an intellectual test administered by an LAUSD psychologist.  

How can I find out more information about the OLSAT-8?
There are parent meetings scheduled in each local district that will specifically address the OLSAT-8. All parents of second grade students are invited to attend from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and stay for the general parent meeting afterwards.

MAGNET INFORMATION UPDATE
Please check the Program Options page for updated information.
Click Here to go to the page

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SECTION
The “Professional Development” section of our webpage has been developed especially for school personnel with informatives and announcements on GATE certification programs for teachers, monthly newsletters, Districtwide meetings for coordinators of SAS and GATE programs, parent workshops, helpful forms, and Power-Point presentations on different subjects.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSE AUDIT 

Local schools may not label courses Advanced Placement (AP) on student transcripts without authorization from the College Board. The College Board has established that the AP course authorization is to be an annual process. Principals must make sure that all courses authorized comencing with school year 2009-2010 be reauthorized for 2010-2011 school year and successibly thereafter. All approved AP courses will appear in the ledger of authorized AP courses provided to the college and university admission offices.

NOTE: Advanced Placement has been transferred to the Office of Curriculum, Instruction and School Support, Secondary Instruction.

The Office of Curriculum, Instruction and School Support MEM-5068, “Advanced Placement Audit and Renewing Authorized Courses,” contains a timeline of responsibilities and provides information to assist school personnel with the following:

• Ensuring that each teacher who is new or who is teaching an AP course or teaching additional AP courses successfully writes a syllabus and submits it to the College Board in a timely manner so that the authorized course appears on the ledger for colleges and universities in fall/winter.
  
• Understanding the review and approval process by the College Board.
• Reviewing authorized AP courses to ensure the accuracy of the school's status.

The Advanced Studies Program has been implemented to meet the needs of gifted and talented students throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District. It establishes an articulated program at the elementary school, middle school, and senior high school levels. The Advanced Studies Program is designed to expand student assessment and identification and to offer a differentiated instructional program. Gifted learners often perform at remarkably high levels when assessed in comparison with others of their age/grade peers. Highly able learners should receive careful attention and differentiated program planning to ensure that their knowledge and skills are extended. Exceedingly high numbers of gifted and potentially gifted students in the District have resulted in a critical need to expand options for appropriate instructional programs to match their levels of learning.

For any other questions or specific details at the school level about the Schools for Advanced Studies (SAS), call the schools directly. Click here for your local district, or call LaRoyce Bell, District Coordinator, Gifted/Talented Programs, (213) 241-6500.

Click here for a list of SAS schools or descriptions of the Supplemental Screening Programs:

or visit our Program Options Web Page No. 1 for unique local school programs and Web Page No. 4 for information concerning the application to the GIFTED/HIGH ABILITY AND HIGHLY GIFTED MAGNET CENTERS.


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