Advancing GATE March 3, 2026

Happy Tuesday! Just 3 days until Spring Break! I hope last week’s warm weather gave you a glimpse of the sunshine ahead.

It’s hard to believe this is Andrea’s last week in the building. Please keep her in your thoughts as she navigates this next chapter. We are grateful for her and cheering her on in all that’s ahead!

This week, our focus is on finishing testing strong. We’re getting close, and I know many of you are juggling newly added students. Thank you for your flexibility and persistence. Please reach out if you need support.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone the Monday after Spring Break at 1:30 p.m. at the Martin Center.

We are 86% complete with testing, including the students added last week. There are 892 students remaining to be tested. Let’s finish strong!

All students scheduled for testing this term have now been added to Riverside. We are not able to add additional students at this time. If teachers or school leaders inquire about further testing opportunities, please encourage them to keep those students in mind for Talent Development next year.

If you have students who will need time beyond Friday to complete testing, please email Robbin on Friday with the number of students still outstanding.

When we return from break, schools will be deep in test preparation. Schedules may shift, which can impact GATE services. Here are a few guidelines to help you plan effectively:

• Connect with your administrator to clarify scheduling expectations during test prep and testing.

• Identify times when you may not be able to pull students so you can proactively plan alternatives.

• Consider push-in support during times when pull-out services are not possible. Prepare aligned extension materials, critical-thinking questions, or enrichment activities connected to classroom instruction.

• When you are able to pull students, consider stand-alone lessons that do not require students to attend every session. This provides flexibility if groups or timing shift.

These weeks are also a great opportunity to talk with students about their data.

• Review last year’s performance.

• Help them set a goal for this year’s TCAP.

• In middle school, connect performance goals to University Readiness indicators. Students who “exceed” are better positioned for advanced coursework in high school, supporting long-term college readiness.

Please reach out if you need support navigating these adjustments.

There are several updates regarding opportunities within the department.

• The GATE Facilitator position has been posted in Oracle. If you are interested, please apply.
• The GATE Accelerated Model (GAAM) Teacher role will be posted soon. We are in the final stages of approval and will also share the list of pilot schools at that time.

• We anticipate additional openings for GATE Teacher positions due to retirements. If you know strong candidates, please encourage them to apply when positions are posted.

1. Resume and credential review
2. 2–3 written tasks
3. An in-person interview with a performance task

Students from West End Middle School recently attended a field trip to the WKU Center for Gifted Studies with Ms. Zachau. They heard from four speakers:

• A teacher who 3D-printed a prosthetic hand for a student

• A writer for Family Guy

• An astrophysicist

• A software engineer

Students also participated in a wide variety of hands-on activities. With over 900 gifted middle and high school students in attendance, West End was proud to be part of such an inspiring experience.

Because we have extended testing and are prioritizing support for students, our March Professional Development meeting has been condensed to two hours, from 1:30–3:30. We will meet at 1:30 at the Martin Center and conclude at 3:30, when celebrations for our retirees begin. Linked here is an agenda for the day. We look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks!

It's that time again! To ensure accurate data collection, please submit your anticipated Talent Development Rosters for the remainder of the year by Friday, March 6. This is only for Talent Development students. For this submission, we just need Student ID, Last/First Name, and Grade Level. To simplify the process, you have two choices for the file you upload.

1. You may update the same form you completed last semester, just adding or removing names.
2. You may use this simplified form.

You will need to download a copy of the form to your computer (File / Save a Copy) and then change the title of the file to be [School]_TD_Spring2026. For example, AZKelley_TD_Spring2026.

A few notes:

• Only one person per school needs to complete this form.
• If you have two schools, you will have the opportunity to enter responses for both using this one form.
  
• If you only see TD students at one of your schools, just enter information for one school, and email Robbin indicating that you do not see TD students at your second school.
• If you do not see TD students at all, you do not need to complete this form. Email Robbin and indicate that you do not see TD students at your school(s).

Please submit your Talent Development rosters on this form by March 6. Thank you for helping to gather data about the students we support!

To ensure compliance with state regulations, please review your TN Compass profile before leaving for Spring Break on March 6. We need all teachers to complete this verification as some certificates seem to be missing from prior completions.

Log in to TN Compass and confirm that your Gifted preparation is accurately documented. If you completed Best Practices in Identifying and Teaching the Gifted Learner: Tennessee Employment Standard through Vanderbilt, please upload your certificate:

TN Compass → Preparation → Attachments → Add Attachment

If you cannot find a copy of your certificate, please email Sarah at sarah.s.delisle@vanderbilt.edu to request a copy. While Vanderbilt may send documentation to the state, uploading your certificate yourself is the most reliable way to ensure your record is complete. Thank you for taking care of this.

The Tapping Individual Potential (TIP) Scholarship, offered through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, supports rising 5th–8th grade MNPS students who demonstrate exceptional academic or artistic talent and face financial or other barriers to enrichment opportunities.

Funding may support:

• Advanced academic courses

• Music or art lessons

• Mentorships

• Specialized enrichment programs

• (Athletic camps are not eligible.)

Families are directed to connect with their school counselor or GATE teacher to apply. If families reach out to you, please direct them to the TIP Scholarship portal to apply: Tapping Individual Potential (TIP) Scholarship. The deadline to apply is March 15.

There are exciting Battle of the Books events this spring!

• Elementary BOB -- April 10, Apollo Middle, 9:45 a.m. -1 p.m.
• Middle School BOB -- May 14, Martin Center, 10 a.m. -2 p.m.

Please reach out to Lindsey Kimery, Coordinator of Library Services, with any questions.

Teacher Absence Form

GATE SharePoint with Digital Testing Resources

GATE Shared Folders

GATE Event Submission Form
GATE Student Photos with Photo Releases

February 2 - March 20: K-7 CogAT Testing

March 6: Talent Development Rosters due. Self-audit of Gifted certificate on TN Compass completed.

March 16: Professional Development @ Martin NOW 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

March 16-27: Pre-K CogAT Testing

May 11: Professional Development @ Martin

February 24, 2026

February 17, 2026
February 9, 2026

January 13, 2026

January 5, 2026

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