Parent Resources - San Diego Mensa

Upcoming Events

Thu, Jun 20 - 11:45am
Kearny Mesa Lunch

Fri, Jun 21 - 6:30pm
Poker Night

Fri, Jun 21 - 7:00pm
Orientation for New Members

Fri, Jun 21 - 7:30pm
Newcomers and Oldtimers' Party

Sat, Jun 22 - 8:30am
Group Cycling for Fun and Fitness

Member Login

Users Online

Parent Resources

(research tools, web treasure hunts, web projects, etc.)

Classroom Connect

Getsmarter.org Home

HeadlineSpot: Newspapers Online, US Newspapers, International Newspapers

Institute for Policy Studies (IPS): The Nation's Oldest Multi-Issue Progressive Think Tank

KIDLINK: A place for kids to collaborate and network friends around the world

MaMaMedia

Smithsonian Institute

Smithsonian Education - Students Home Page

Stanford University Libraries (SUL): Copyright & Fair Use

Teaching, Learning and Computing: 1998 - A National Survey of Schools and Teachers

(almost twenty years old, but still interesting)

Top 1 in 10,000: A 10-Year Follow-Up of the Profoundly Gifted

Treasure Hunts

Tribes Learning Communities: A New Way of Learning and Being Together

Web Wise Kids - Wisdom Begins With You

_*San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD)*_ will continue to have both GATE and Seminar classes, though some changes will occur due to budget cuts. Beginning in 3rd grade, GATE classes are for the top 2% of students, generally including high achievers, while Seminar is for students who are in the top 1/10th of 1%. If the school your child attends does not currently have a GATE program, you should check with the SDUSD GATE office about the option of having an Individual Gifted Plan (IGP) written for your student. Many schools don't know that this option exists.

At most schools, GATE classes are larger than regular classes, but the teacher receives at least some funding for additional resources; this funding will be reduced for most teachers due to the budget shortfall.

If an elementary school has a GATE program (not all do), all academic courses are available as GATE classes beginning in 3rd grade. At the secondary level (middle school and high school), only English and history are designated GATE, although some 6th grades include math and/or science. Advanced math placement is made on the basis of a district-wide multiple-choice test, combined with a student's class grade using a district-wide rubric. Advanced science placement requirements vary from school to school.

Seminar class size has increased to 25 (from an original of 18 two decades ago). In the past, Seminar teachers were highly qualified and had to have several years of experience working with GATE students before they could be assigned a Seminar class and, if successful, continued in that position for years. Today that is no longer the case. Many principals choose to "share the wealth" of Seminar's small class size by changing the teachers every year or two, which means that the program can change dramatically. Parents have observed teachers in the spring when making their decisions, only to discover that the teacher they watched is no longer in the program, so you need to be aware and ask questions to be sure you're getting the program you expect.

_*Vista Unified School District (VUSD)*_ informed its parents in March

2009 that "it will not be able to fund a formal GATE program for the 2009/10 school [sic]. This means there will be no GATE assessment or paid GATE teachers.... The suspension of the GATE program is not permanent."

(http://www.vusd.k12.ca.us/es/casita/Documents/GATE%20future.pdf) VUSD will reinstate the GATE program when new funds are available.

Testing for Children:

The San Diego Unified School District GATE department will now test students who are at private schools or out of district for $50. They will not test anyone before the end of 2nd grade, however. Parents need to contact Rosa at 858.573.5986 to set up an appointment. SDUSD uses the Raven Progressive Matrices, which is accepted by Mensa (though it's not currently listed on the website). In order to use such a test result, parents need to provide the national organization with:

Official documentation for school-administered tests may be one of the

following:

1) An official school transcript (sealed in a school envelope OR with a school seal embossed on it) indicating the score

2) A letter from the guidance counselor, on school letterhead, indicating that the score is X, were taken on Y, and signed by the counselor

3) An original (or notarized copy of the original) school psychologists report (on letterhead, with an original signature of the psychologist).

You can get an application at

http://www.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=MembershipAppl&Template=/customsource/PE_Application.cfm

The name on the documentation must match the name on the application. If

it is different for some reason, documentation must be included. For

example, a notarized copy of a social security card, marriage license,

or court records to show an adoption.

Send the application to

American Mensa

1229 Corporate Dr. West

Arlington, TX 76006

Upcoming Events

Member Login

Users Online

Critical Thinking

Literature

Math

Science

Tolerance

African-American

Anti-Semitism

Armenian Genocide

Cambodian Genocide

China

Israel-Arab

Japanese in Asia

Japanese-American Internment

Native American - Cherokee Trail of Tears

Religion

Rwanda

White Supremacy

Field Trips

GATE

Local Schools

Databases & Search Engines

Standards

General Information