Advancing GATE January 5, 2026

We hope you had a restful and rejuvenating winter break and were able to step away, recharge, and start the new year feeling refreshed. As we move into January, we are looking forward to the work ahead and the opportunity to continue building on the strong momentum you’ve already created in your classrooms.

Since today is a professional development day and many of you are completing UCT training, we wanted to send this week’s newsletter out a day early with some resources that may help you this week. Thank you for your flexibility and for engaging thoughtfully in today’s learning. We appreciate the time and energy you continue to invest in strengthening your practice and supporting students, and hope you are able to connect meaningfully with your school teams.

Wishing you a smooth transition back and a strong start to the new year!

We are excited that many of you will be supporting classroom teachers with UCT training today! To help with these efforts, we have added several new resources to a dedicated section of the GATE SharePoint.

• First, you will find TABs Descriptors, a handout that can be printed and shared with teachers during training. This resource allows teachers to review the descriptors, take notes, and think more intentionally about student attributes before submitting their UCTs.
• The GATE UCT Training Links provides the testing links as well as directions for accessing student data on Data Warehouse. This can also be shared digitally with all teachers for added support.
• Finally, we have created a Virtual UCT Training for teachers who are unable to attend your session due to scheduling conflicts or absences. This option should not be used for all teachers unless there is an extenuating circumstance. If you believe broader use is needed, please contact the GATE Support Hub first. You are welcome to share this training with teachers who miss your session. Please note that the virtual training does not include live links, so you will also need to share the GATE UCT Training Links document with any teachers who complete the training virtually.

Thank you for leading this important work, and reach out if you need support.

Thank you for thoughtfully considering which students and families might be a strong fit for the GATE Family Advisory Council. This council is intended to bring meaningful student and family voice into our conversations and decisions so we can continue to strengthen GATE through multiple perspectives.

We are seeking families who are enthusiastic about GATE as well as those who may want to see changes. Both perspectives are important. The criteria is simple. We are looking for individuals who are willing to share their perspectives openly in a small group setting and who can listen respectfully to ideas that may differ from their own. Representation matters, so please consider students and families who reflect your school community. For example, if your school serves a large English Learner population, including an EL student family would be especially valuable.

Each GATE teacher should nominate two GATE family members. If you are unsure who to recommend, please consult with classroom teachers. Middle school teachers should also submit the names of two seventh or eighth grade students who demonstrate these same qualities. Nominations are due on January 9.

As the weather gets colder and students are spending more time indoors, the Limitless Library is an excellent resource to share with students and families. Through Limitless Library, all students have free access to a wide range of books and digital resources from both school and public libraries. This makes it easier than ever for students to read for pleasure, explore interests, and access high quality texts from home.

Students can log in using their library account to check out eBooks, audiobooks, and other digital materials at no cost. This is a great option for families who may not be able to visit a library in person or who are looking for engaging reading options during the winter months.

To support access, we have included a link that explains how to log in to your library accounts. We have also linked a short slideshow that teachers can use to show students and families how to access school and public library resources. The slideshow includes steps for staff login as well. Finally, a Smore newsletter is available to share directly with students and families as a quick reference.

Thank you to everyone who has been capturing and sharing great moments of students engaged in learning. These photos help us highlight the strong work happening across our schools, and we’d love to continue building a collection of students in action.

As a reminder, students must have a current media release on file for their images to be shared or used for any purpose, including team professional development or celebrations. Before sharing any photos, please confirm that a release is on file using one of the steps below:

1. Check Infinite Campus under Student Information → General → Release Consents. Look for “Media Release All Formats non-MNPS.”

2. If this has not been completed at your school, please check with your school’s front office.

Student photos should not be shared until you have confirmed that a current media release is on file.

To support sharing approved photos, we’ve linked a folder here (and again at the bottom of the newsletter) where you can upload images. Please label files with the student’s school and 190-ID number (for example: Croft-190000000). We’re excited to grow this photo bank and celebrate our students’ work.

Repeat Information (this information is repeated from prior Advancing GATE Newsletters)

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 19 (Updated!) 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
• UCT Power Point for Training Teachers
• Testing Schedule Template to complete with your schedule

Teacher Absence Form

GATE Shared Folders
GATE Student Photos with Photo Releases

December 5 - January 16: GATE Teachers train school staff on UCT
January 9: Family and 7th-8th grade student nominations for GATE Family Advisory Council due

January 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

December 16, 2025
December 9, 2025
December 2, 2025
November 19, 2025