Suziebee –
I agree completely that Hawthorne’s seminar program is exceptional. (My son is now in your daughter’s class.) However, it is not necessarily indicative of the GATE program state wide, county wide, or district wide. Heck, it’s not even indicative of the seminar program district wide.
Seminar programs vary from school to school. Parents need to do research, go to the seminar open houses (even if you don’t have the GATE results yet for your 2nd grader), and figure out what teachers/programs will be right for their child.
Just a heads up to any parents of 2nd graders. Do your research and paperwork NOW.
* Put in a choice application to an out of cluster school just so you have one on file. You don’t have to use it – but you can change it to a different school if your child tests seminar AND you decide on a program outside your neighborhood cluster. It’s much harder to choice into a different cluster’s program if you don’t have ANY application on file.
* The seminar programs often have “open house” nights BEFORE you have the Gate test results. This is your chance to assess the programs, and express interest in programs outside your cluster. Use the links below to identify seminar programs that look like a good fit.
If you identify a seminar program you like – talk to the teacher, find out about their open house, sit in on a class. The programs vary and what works for some, doesn’t work for others.
Again – don’t just look at API scores. Look at specific seminar teachers and programs. API scores are school wide. Seminar programs are limited to 1 teacher per grade at the elementary school. The teacher is the key part. A bad teacher can set a kid back significantly. A good teacher can make a lifetime change in a student.
