Advancing GATE December 9, 2025
Supporting GATE Teachers: Supporting GATE Students
December 9, 2025
We're looking forward to being together next week for a day full of professional development, layered with good cheer. Please read through the information below, as there is new information about the day and about testing.
Event Information
We can't wait to see you on Monday, December 15 at The Martin Center. Here are a few things you'll want to know!
- Please find the agenda, linked here. We will begin at 8:00 and end at 3:00.
- Huge shout out to Jennifer and Nova for planning festivities! Participation in all of the holiday events are optional. If you're interested in sharing some yummy food - please remember to sign up to bring a treat!
- Andrea will keep accepting Team Celebrations through Friday the 12th at 4pm, so please send them along!
- We'll be working collaboratively in teams during the morning. To ensure that you have the chance to connect with schools that are different than your own, the groups will be pre-assigned. I know, I know.... think Wedding Table seating 😊 Don't worry, you have a long lunch, and the whole afternoon you can sit with your besties!
- What to bring:
- A charged laptop and charging cord.
- Water or personal beverage.
- To dress in layers. Martin can be unpredictable in temperature.
- Your own schedule, the master schedule for your building, and (if available) the ELPA21 testing schedule from the EL teachers that support your building. See more in the Testing Corner below!
- We realize that emergencies happen. If you are not out on leave, we'll see you there!
GATE Moments that Matter
Cumberland Elementary
Karen Robertson providing encouragement during the district Spelling Bee 🐝
J.T. Moore
Spring 2026 Testing Corner
New Information!
Some of you have asked about testing schedules. We will go through this in detail next week! Nothing to do quite yet!
Moving testing earlier in the year comes with challenges in overlapping other testing and test preparation priorities. Thoughtful planning of your school’s GATE testing schedule sets the stage for a smooth and successful testing season—one that ensures every student who was recommended for testing has the opportunity to qualify for GATE services. 🎉
This year, you’ll submit a scheduling template which will allow you to determine approximately how many groups for each grade that you will need, when you will test them, and coordinate who is being pulled for testing with the clasroom teachers.
To make the best use of your time, please plan to bring the following to Martin:
- Your own personal schedule
- A copy of your school(s) master schedule(s)
- A copy of the ELPA21 testing schedule from the EL teachers that support your building.*
- If you are on the NAEP testing list, check in with your principal or building test coordinator on the impact of NAEP scheduling on your school schedule.
*The ELPA21 schedules are due to the EL office on 12/18, so the EL teacher in your buildings may not have them quite yet. If they don't, just ask for a copy after the 18th!
Repeat Information (this information is repeated from the 12/2 Advancing GATE Newsletter)
Please see important testing dates below. *Please note that this procedure is different from years past. You can train your teachers now, but they cannot submit any UCTs until January 5 as the list of 90th percentile and above students will be provided on December 12. Please emphasize this during your training.
In Progress
- Dec 2–Jan 16 GATE teachers train teachers on the UCT to recommend students for testing. *No submissions will be accepted prior to January 5.
Up Next in Testing
- Dec 12 August 90th %tile lists are uploaded to Teams (download these lists for distribution to your teachers)
- Jan 5–16 UCT submission is open for grades K-7. Teachers recommend students for GATE testing who were not already qualified through FastBridge scores.
- Jan 16 Teachers provide draft testing schedules to principals for approval using the Testing Schedule Template.
- Feb 2–Mar 5 GATE Teachers test K–G7 students. Grades 3 and 4 will be prioritized earlier in the window. See Spring Testing Guidelines for details.
- Mar 16–27 Early Learning Center (ELC) CogAT Testing for PreK.
- ~May 18 PK–7 decision letters will be sent to families.
Links to support your work
- Spring Testing Guidelines
- UTC Power Point for Training Teachers
- Testing Schedule Template to complete with your schedule
PENCIL Shopping Appointments
In Need of School Supplies?
Have you been shopping at Pencil? The DG PENCIL Box is a free teacher resource center for Metro Nashville Public School educators. MNPS teachers can “shop” for school supplies completely FREE of charge at the DG PENCIL Box. Teachers may schedule a shopping trip once per month.
Make an appointment to shop in January!
Friendly Reminders
Please save THIS link for absences!
Somehow, some of the old links provided to you were in editable form. We apologize for tech glitch! If you have an alternative link saved, please delete it and save this link to your computer. Remember to enter absences on the absence form for any time you are away from the building. This includes partial days, professional development, training, personal days, sick days, etc.
Helpful Links
Mark Your Calendar
December 5 - January 16: GATE Teachers train school staff on UCT
December 15: Professional Development @ MartinJanuary 16: Teachers submit testing schedules to principals and GATE office
January 16: Last day for teachers to submit UCTs
January 21-22: Professional Development @ Robertson
February 2 - March 5: K-7 CogAT Testing
February 10-11: Professional Development CANCELLED
March 16: Professional Development @ Martin
March 16-27: PreK CogAT Testing
May 11: Professional Development @ Martin