As mentioned SDUSD had Gate Cluster and Seminar. Gate is for kids who score 98% or better on the Raven Matrices test. Seminar is for those who score 99.9 percent on the test. In other words – the genious kids.
In the cluster model – 1/3 of the children in a GATE cluster class are identified GATE. In theory, the teachers are trained in differentiation – so that they can offer extended subject matter to kids who excel in a specific topic. Going further or deeper into a subject matter. In practice – this is only as good as the teacher and their demands. Class sizes have gotten bigger so the teachers have more students to try to offer differentiation to. A good teacher, GATE or not, will offer differentiation based on ability levels… this, unfortunately, does not happen as much as it should.
In some schools, all of the classes are GATE cluster. Scripps ranch elementaries probably fit this model. I know it’s true at Curie (where my kids go) since about 1/2 of the enrolled kids, 3rd grade and up, are identified GATE. Demographics skews the number of GATE kids.
Doyle elementary used to offer homogenous GATE classes (not seminar)… but they were pressured to move to the cluster model. I believe all schools with GATE programs are now on the cluster model.
Not all Seminar programs are the same. Different Seminar programs have different approaches. Some emphasize Academic Olympics, others emphasize independant learning plans. I have friends with kids in the Spreckel’s seminar program, and other friends who felt that wasn’t for them – so they send their kids to Hawthorn’s seminar program. I had long talks with one of the Seminar teachers at Erickson, in Mira Mesa. He worked very hard to offer rigor and differentiation.
Seminar does offer smaller class size. But even Seminar is having to increase the class size. It’s still less than non-seminar, but getting bigger than it was going forward in the 2011/2012 school year.
The funding was never that great for GATE – $35/kid/year. 2 years ago, because of the budget crisis, they allowed schools governance teams to divert the money if they want to. It’s done on a school by school basis. In other words – the GATE funds are still there – but can be dumped into the general funding for that school if the SGT decides to do so.
