The Orange Unified School District offers qualitatively differentiated programs for students possessing capacity for excellence beyond that of their chronological peers. These programs are available at all levels of the District's curriculum for the purpose of challenging and developing the academic and creative abilities of identified gifted students.

Grades 2 – 3
An enriched and differentiated program in the basic skills is provided for the gifted student at each school site through individual student programs or cluster groups. A magnet 3rd grade class is provided at Crescent and Palmyra.

 

Grades  4 – 6
Students may attend special day classes at one of four GATE Program magnets. The program provides an integrated and in-depth approach to the academic studies in Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics. The major subjects are taught by teacher specialists in a departmentalized format.
A GATE magnet Program is located at the following schools. Click on a school name to visit its website.

Crescent Elementary
5001 Gerda Drive
Anaheim, CA 92807
Principal: Randi Leach
Feeder Schools: Anaheim Hills, Canyon Rim, Crescent, Imperial, Running Springs

La Veta Elementary
2800 East La Veta
Orange, CA 92869
Principal: Connie Smith
Feeder Schools: Chapman Hills, Esplanade, Jordan, La Veta, Linda Vista, Panorama, Prospect

Nohl Canyon Elementary
4100 Nohl Canyon Road
Anaheim, CA 92807
Principal: Dominique Polchow
Feeder Schools: Fletcher, Nohl Canyon, Olive, Serrano, Taft, Villa Park

Palmyra Elementary
1325 E. Palmyra Ave.
Orange, CA 92869
Principal: Larry Hausner
Feeder Schools: California, Cambridge, Fairhaven, Handy, Lampson, Palmyra, Sycamore, West Orange

Orange Unified School District
Criteria for GATE Identification

Students qualify for GATE identification both in ability and in performance.

For students in grade 2 (entering grade 3)

Since students in this grade have not received California Standards Test (CST) scores, a combination of the following criteria is considered for qualification in second grade:

• Score on the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test
• A strong recommendation from the student’s current classroom teacher
• Scores on District Paced Standards Assessments
• Lexile (determined by either Scholastic Reading Inventory or Accelerated Reader)

For students in grades 3-6 (entering grades 4-7)

There are two categories of identification in these grades as outlined in the State approved GATE Plan.

The first is the “High Intellectual.” For a student to be identified in this category, he or she must meet the following criteria:

• A score in the 95th percentile or higher on a standard school ability assessment ~ Orange Unified uses the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT)
• Scores in the “Advanced” band on the California Standards Tests for both Language Arts and Mathematics for the most recent year. Numerical minimums for the Advanced band are:      

• A strong recommendation from the student’s current classroom teacher

 

The second is the “High Achievement.” For a student to be identified in this category, a combination of the following criteria are considered for qualification:

• Score on a standard school ability assessment
• Scores on the California Standards Test (CST) in both Language Arts and Mathematics
• A strong recommendation from the student’s current classroom teacher
• Scores on District Paced Standards Assessments
• Lexile (determined by either Scholastic Reading Inventory or Accelerated Reader)

Please note that students qualifying in grades 5 and 6 are often waitlisted due to lack of space at the elementary level but are then eligible for honors courses at the middle school level.

Honors Classes in English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science are offered at each middle school. Students are provided cluster group enrichment and accelerated learning activities.

Cerro Villa Middle School
17852 Serrano
Villa Park, CA 92861
Principal: Ken Miller, Ed. D.

El Rancho Charter Middle School
181 S. Del Giorgio Dr.
Anaheim, CA 92808
Principal: John Besta

Portola Middle School
270 N. Palm Dr.
Orange, CA 92868
Principal: Debbie Backstrom

Santiago Charter Middle School
515 N. Rancho Santiago Blvd.
Orange, CA 92869
(714) 997-6366
Principal: James D’Agostino

Yorba Middle School
935 N. Cambridge
Orange, CA 92867
Principal: Kerrie Torres

Each high school offers Honors classes in English, History, Science and Mathematics. Advanced Placement (AP) courses include: English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition, U.S. History, American Government and Politics, Economics, European History, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Art History, Studio Art, Psychology, French, German, Spanish and Statistics. (Course offerings vary among schools based upon student interest.) Independent Study is also available upon agreement by the teacher and student. The International Baccalaureate Program is available at Canyon High and is open to all qualified students in the district.

The emphases of the High School Honors/Advanced Placement Program are: (1) in depth coverage of subject matter; (2) critical analysis and related higher level thinking skills; and (3) fostering student’s responsibility for self-learning and independent study.

Canyon High School
220 S. Imperial
Anaheim, CA 92807
Principal: Greg Bowden, Ed.D.

El Modena High School
3920 Spring Street
Orange, CA 92869
Principal: Rebecca Martinez

Orange High School
525 N. Shaffer
Orange, CA 92867
Principal: Ernest Gonzalez

Villa Park High School
18042 Taft
Villa Park, CA 92861
Principal: Ed Howard

For further information regarding the GATE Program, please contact:
Linda Stoterau
lstoterau@orangeusd.org
Director, Curriculum & GATE
District Office
1401 N. Handy St., Orange, CA 92867
GATE Office: (714) 628-5451
Fax: (714) 628-4056