All third-grade students in Petaluma City Schools are given a GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) qualification assessment. A parent may request testing for an older student during the district-wide window.  Students who are identified as GATE may receive adjusted instruction and assignments within their regular education classroom. GATE instruction varies by school. 

Teachers and administration work to ensure that the needs of all GATE students are being met.

The cycle for GATE identification includes information gathering from multiple sources. Students are qualified through a committee process that analyzes multiple criteria including standardized test scores, teacher and parent observations and anecdotes, the student profile, and the results of the CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test).

McKinley GATE Coordinator: Matthew DeLucia-Zeltzer