Gilroy
– For about 800 second-graders and their parents, the future of
their education might be sealed inside an envelope in the mail.
Gilroy – For about 800 second-graders and their parents, the future of their education might be sealed inside an envelope in the mail.
Last Thursday, the Gilroy Unified School District mailed notification to families of second-graders as to whether their children will be part of the district’s Gifted and Talented Program. Inclusion in the program allows a student access to advanced classes at Rucker Elementary School from third through fifth grade and puts a student on track to take advanced classes at middle and high school.
The notice – which some parents have already received – should have been mailed sooner, said trustee Denise Apuzzo and a parent of three children who have been accepted to the program. The May 17 Rucker open house – which serves as an opportunity for staff to explain the program to parents and students – is now so close it will be difficult for some parents to adjust their schedules to attend the event, she said.
“I think it’s important those letters got out in a timely matter,” she said. “Personally, I’d like to give people enough notice.”
The district could not have worked any faster, said Marcia Brown, director of student services. The three-person student services team administers a test in March and spends the next three months getting it graded, analyzing it and penning letters to parents of the second-graders.
“It sounds real easy but it’s just a lengthy process,” she said. “The truth of the matter is, I just don’t know how to do it overnight.”
Last year, the office sent notification letters as they were written. This resulted in some parents receiving letters in May while others had to wait until August. This year, the office mailed all the notification letters together. Parents will know this week whether or not their child is being considered.
To be considered for the program, students must score in the top 6 percent of the March test. Students at the lower end of this range must have other qualities, such as positive teacher feedback or be part of the free and reduced lunch program. The full list of criteria is not available because it is being updated from last year, said Brown.
While results of the California Standards Test were used last year to determine eligibility – delaying some notification letters until August – they will not be used this year. Parents of considered children can expect an acceptance or rejection letter in June. About 100 students are typically accepted into the program each year.
The changes have made a difference, said Apuzzo, who has been a part of the GATE Parent Advisory Committee for more than five years.
“It all went a little better than last year,” she said.
With the letters sent, the district is waiting for parents and teachers to return forms about eligible children. This information is integral to the screening process, Brown said. The longer parents and teacher take to give feedback, the longer the process takes and the later all parents will be informed as to whether their children are part of the program.
“It’s a matter of when we can get the information back,” she said.
