Brief Explanation:

California Administrative Code Title 5, 3855, Article 4, stipulates that all elementary and secondary teachers with a major assignment in the area of gifted education must demonstrate appropriate characteristics, knowledge, and skills in this field.

San Diego City Schools requires GATE certification for all elementary cluster teachers, all middle/junior high school teachers teaching more than one GATE class, and all high school teachers teaching more than two GATE classes. Any teacher with an assignment that requires certification must either hold a GATE certificate or be enrolled in a certification class when he/she begins the assignment. Teachers receive GATE certification by complying with one of the following: a San Diego Unified School District GATE certificate, a graduate certificate in gifted education from an accredited university (i.e. UCSD), or a master’s degree in gifted education.

The GATE Department will offer four sessions of GATE teacher certification for 2001-2002:

Session II (secondary only): dates (Tuesdays) are September 11, September 18, October 2, October 16, October 30, November 13, November 17 (Saturday), November 27, and December 11. Classes meet at Roosevelt Jr. High from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Session IV (elementary only): dates and location to be determined. Classes

(ten sessions) will be 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Please be informed that teachers must attend all sessions or make arrangements with Dr. Margie Kitano for appropriate make-up assignment and satisfactorily complete all assignments to be awarded the GATE certificate. Substitute teachers are not eligible to register for district certification.

Attached is the application for certification classes. Duplicate application form for all interested candidates. Please forward completed application to GATE Office, Room 226, Dana Center, by June 8, 2001.

Teachers undergoing GATE certification classes have the following three options:

• Take district GATE certification course at no cost.
• Pay for two (2) units of district salary advancement credit at $100.00 through the Discover Program.
• Pay for three (3) graduate units through SDSU. This option will provide the opportunity to apply this three-unit course to a university GATE certificate of 15 units, which in turn is applicable to a master’s degree in special education with a focus on gifted education.