GATE Testing

Students are identified for the Duncanville Independent School District Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program through a four-stage process:

1. Nomination Form in English - Nomination Form in Spanish 
2. Screening - a short screening assessment will be administered to determine cognitive potential. Students who exhibit a high performance will be given additional tests.  
3. Selection - a meeting will be held on each campus to determine the appropriate placement for all screened students. 
4. Placement - a formal placement will take place with documentation in the student's cumulative file. 

In order to qualify for GATE, student nominees are required to demonstrate above-average performance in at least three of the following five areas:

• Verbal Ability 
• Intellectual Ability 
• Nonverbal Ability
• Academic performance (Mathematics and English Language Arts)
• Teacher Observation Survey

Transfer students are to have their records reviewed by the Campus Screening Committee within 30 days of enrollment. Previously identified students with comparable test scores are eligible for identification as gifted and talented, or temporary placement by the Screening Committee. Transfer students that do not have comparable qualifying test scores are subject to nomination and placement in GATE program within a semester of the time of their registration. 

The Duncanville ISD policy related to furlough allows students to have a leave of absence from the GATE program services for specified reasons and for a certain period of time without being exited. Furloughs are considered on a case-by-case basis.