Advancing GATE February 9, 2026

Well, we made it! I know some teachers are still sorting through the aftereffects of the ice storm. We see you and know that life isn’t back to normal for everyone yet. If you need a helping hand, please reach out—we’re here for you.

Sunny skies ahead, friends! ☀️

I am so impressed with your testing fortitude! As of the end of the day Monday, we’ve tested 27.1% of our students. After the ice that paralyzed our city, that is truly impressive work. Nicely done! A couple of quick reminders:

• Please continue to check your testing list—even if you think you’re finished. With student moves, new names may still pop up.

• We expect to have the list of students who qualify based on January scores in the third week of February. We’ll let you know as soon as those populate, and you can expect a few additional students to test at that time.

• If you are finished with your testing and have time to support a couple of buildings that do not currently have GATE teachers, please contact Andrea. We'll be coordinating with the schools to make sure that all students are tested during the window!

Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in participating in the GATE Aligned Acceleration Model Pilot. This will be an extraordinary opportunity to lead and innovate within the GATE program.

Below is an overview of what to expect next:

• The official application process will go through HR. I anticipate this process being finalized within the next 1–2 weeks. Once HR and Finance approvals are in place, the positions will be posted.

• All teaching positions are expected to be 10-month roles and will be posted in Oracle during the transfer window.

• Schools participating in the pilot are currently being identified and will be finalized by March 6, when schools receive their budgets.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We are inviting GATE teachers who are interested in supporting future professional learning to participate in recording a GATE lesson of their choosing. These recordings will serve as sample lessons to help us reflect on and strengthen our instructional practices, and selected clips may be used as exemplars or for coaching and professional development purposes. If you would be open to having one of your classes recorded, please email Robbin.

MNPS Energy is excited to invite elementary and middle schools to participate in a Rube Goldberg Celebration! This will be a hands-on STEM challenge for students in grades K-8 which celebrates creativity, problem-solving, and engineering held at Tulip Grove Elementary School on Saturday, April 11.

The Rube Goldberg event will take place on April 11 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Tulip Grove Elementary. Find additional information here and during the PD session. Registration will open January 27.

Questions? Email kelly.carey@mnps.org

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

Up Next in Testing

• Jan 26 GATE Support Hub will review testing schedules and provide feedback as needed.
• 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

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 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

January 13, 2026

January 5, 2026

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