The mission of the Rocklin Unified School District’s Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program is to identify gifted and high achieving students, including those from diverse racial, social-economic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds and to provide high quality differentiated instructional opportunities for learning that meet the needs of these students’ unique abilities.  Please check out the RUSD GATE Website that provides additional information about the program.

Program Description

The goal of the Rocklin Unified School District’s GATE Program is to provide differentiated learning opportunities during the regular school day for identified students. Differentiation is a process of modifying curriculum content and/or teaching methodologies used with the core curriculum so that students may learn at their own ability level and at their own pace. Strategies used may include but are not limited to flexible grouping, acceleration, in-depth study, complexity and novelty.

Referral Process
The referral process may be initiated at any time during the school year by a parent, a teacher, a peer or the student. Referral forms are available in each school office or by calling the GATE Coordinator at 623-2428. Testing occurs during the fall (for 2nd -12th graders) and the spring (for 1st graders). One final make-up session will be offered near the end of school year for students who miss the fall or spring session.

Formal Identification Process
The process for formal identification in the GATE Program includes evaluation of many different measures of a student’s ability or potential. Formal screening devices used include achievement tests such as the CAASPP and cognitive ability tests such as the Raven Progressive Matrices Plus, the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, or the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). If a student has been identified in a previous district using criteria that meets or exceeds the criteria used in the RUSD the student will be identified without further testing.

GATE Advisory Committee
The District’s GATE Advisory Committee is composed of parents, teachers, and administrators. The committee meets regularly during the school year. The public is welcome to attend these meetings which are held at the Rocklin Unified School District Administration Office located at 2615 Sierra Meadows Drive. Contact the district office or district website for meeting dates.

Committee responsibilities include program evaluation; providing information on outreach activities to parents, students and the community; and advising the Board of Trustees on potential changes to the program.

Services Provided
Elementary School: Identified GATE students are clustered within the regular classroom at all sites and are provided differentiated instruction by teachers who are given specific training on meeting the unique needs of these students.

Self-Contained Program: Identified students are given the opportunity to attend self-contained GATE classrooms at Rocklin Elementary School in grades 2 through 6.

Middle School: Advanced opportunities are offered in the GATE Academies (KEY/QUEST at Granite Oaks and Discovery/ZENITH at Spring View) to identified GATE students in 7th and 8th grade.

High School: A variety of opportunities are offered to identified students including advanced classes in geometry and algebra II, a variety of honors and Advanced Placement classes, Academic Decathlon, Mock Trial, the ability to challenge a class in order to move on to more challenging material, and dual enrollment at a local college.

Self-Contained Rocklin Elementary Additional Curriculum
Intellectual/High Achievement/Specific Academic Ability: General intellectual development is significantly advanced in relation to chronological peers. Student must score at or above the gifted range on a test measuring cognitive/intellectual ability plus at least one other measure (advanced on CST state achievement test, teacher/parent survey or other evidence of above grade level achievement).           

• Foreign Language: Spanish

• Math Olympiads Program

• Destination Imagination

RUSD GATE Coordinator
The GATE Coordinator, Sarah Soares, can be contacted at
Rocklin Unified School District Administration Office 916-624-2428.

Physical Education classes are held twice a week for each class. Students will learn a variety of fitness skills, movement concepts, sport related skills, a variety of cooperative learning activities and rhythm and dance.

2 week Check-out Period

• Limit 1 book at a time for grades TK-1
• Limit 2 books at a time for grades 2-6

Renewals are allowed if the child is actively reading; limited when there is a long reserve list. The book must be presented to renew. Parents can check out materials too!