Last updated: 05/15/18
PCR participates in the La Canada Unified School District's (LCUSD) Gifted And Talented Education (GATE) program. The district asserts that the "GATE Program is an integral part of education in La Canada Unified School District." The district identifies GATE students at the end of third grade. All 3rd grade families are given the opportunity to be assessed for GATE enrollment by taking the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) in the Spring. In addition, the OLSAT is made available to new students who enter the district in grades 4 through 8 when they transfer into the district. Students who score 98% or above on the OLSAT are invited to participate in the GATE program. Once admitted to the GATE Program, a student may remain in GATE for the duration of their career in the LCUSD. Students may re-take the OLSAT exam every two years at the request of their parents. Parent requests to re-take the OLSAT exam should be made to PCR's Assistant Principal Amy Marcoullier (amarcoullier@lcusd.net).
Students may also qualify for the GATE Program via what is called the "alternate criteria." For the 2017-18 school year, a student may qualify if he/she meets all three of the criteria below:
Qualifying students who are new to the GATE program for the 2017-18 school year will be notified in writing by PCR staff and invited to enroll in the GATE Program one week prior to the opening of school, if CAASPP results arrive in time. If CAASPP results are not received in time, GATE letters will be sent home at a later date. Note that these are different alternate criteria than were used for the 2016-17 school year.
The GATE program provides challenging curriculum and instruction to gifted and talented students. GATE opportunities within the LCUSD vary by grade level. In the elementary grades, GATE consists of a Pull-out Program where GATE students are pulled out of a non-academic part of their school day for a 45-minute enrichment class once a week beginning in early September. The pull-out GATE class is taught by a special, credentialed GATE teacher. Grades 4, 5 and 6 have separate pull-out sessions. In addition, GATE-identified students in the 5th and 6th grades are given first opportunity to enroll in the District's Math Olympiad program, which is taught once a week after school. Click here to learn more about PCR's Math Olympiad program and to enroll.
To learn more about the GATE program at the district level, click here:
http://www.lcusd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=365246&type=d&pREC_ID=811955
GATE students at PCR participate in the Pull-out Program as well as in Math Olympiad. PCR's GATE teacher is Hilary Gregg. Mrs. Gregg maintains a separate website for her elementary GATE families:
Questions about GATE pull-out classes should be directed to Mrs. Gregg at hgregg@lcusd.net.
In addition, PCR's Site Coordinator for GATE program implementation is PCR Assistant Principal Amy Marcoullier. Questions about eligibility and OLSAT testing should be directed to Mrs. Marcoullier at amarcoullier@lcusd.net.
Lastly, there is an LCUSD GATE Advisory Committee that consists of the GATE Program Coordinator for LCUSD, Mrs. Anais Wenn (also the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction), the principals of the LCUSD schools, the GATE teachers, the site coordinators at each LCUSD school, and parent representatives from each LCUSD school. The LCUSD GATE Advisory Committee meets four times a year and advises Mrs. Wenn on GATE program implementation. Shannon Petersen is the PCR parent representative to this committee. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas about the GATE program, please contact Shannon at shannon_mckay@yahoo.com. Shannon will post minutes of the quarterly LCUSD GATE Advisory Committee meetings here on this website.
