Invitation to Test Form (English and Spanish - in PDF) | Opt-Out Form (English and Spanish - in PDF)

Tucson Unified will be testing TUSD students K through 6th grade during the months of September through December, 2019 to determine student eligibility to receive gifted services in the TUSD GATE program for school year 2020-21.  GATE Itinerant teachers will follow up with their assigned site to provide dates and more information about testing.  Previously qualified self-contained students will not be retested during whole grade testing for 1st and 5th grade.

Invitations to Test and Opt-Out forms will be sent in early August to all TUSD student families' mailing addresses in grades K-6th. Parents must return the Invitations to Test or Opt Out forms or notify the GATE office if they choose to have their student tested or not by September 1st, 2019.

Invitations to Test and Opt Out forms will have a self-addressed envelope to return by mail or the invitations may be returned to the Cavett GATE office at 2120 E. Naco Vista, or scanned and emailed to GATEdept@tusd1.org.

Testing will be administered during the testing window at every elementary and middle school.  Notices will be posted at each site providing the date of testing.

Two additional make-up tests for students living within/outside the TUSD boundaries and choosing to enroll in the TUSD GATE program, will be administered on January 25, 2020 at Cavett Elementary School and on March 7th, 2020 at Wheeler Elementary School.

Testing Schedule:

• August 5-31, 2019 - Invitations and Opt-Out Notices sent to all TUSD families grades K-6
• September 1, 2019 - Invitations and Opt-Out Notices due to GATE office
• September 3 - December 15, 2019 - Grades Kindergarten through 6th tested
• September 24, 2019 (Tuesday) – Elementary, K-8 and Middle School self-contained GATE Open House will be held the same night at one central location.  The purpose of this is to provide information to families about testing and to showcase all GATE self-contained schools to any interested families.
• January 31st, 2020 - 1st through 6th Grade Placement Notices and GATE Scores mailed to all families that tested
• January 16-February 19, 2020 - Self-Contained GATE School Open Houses
• January 25, 2020 - Make Up Test at Cavett Elementary School
• March 6, 2020 - Kindergarten placement notices and GATE Scores mailed to all families that tested
• March 7, 2020  - Make Up Test at Wheeler Elementary School
• March 30th, 2020 - Acceptance list sent to sites

Tucson Unified administers the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and Raven Progressive Matrices to determine GATE service eligibility. Tests are administered at all district elementary and middle schools with two additional Saturday make-up tests at a central location.

In August, invitations to test are mailed to all Tucson Unified families with kindergarten through sixth grade students. Permission to test forms are available on this webpage and at all district elementary and middle school sites.

In the fall of each school year, the GATE department tests first through sixth grade students attending Tucson Unified schools or living within the district boundaries. Kindergarten students are tested after winter break. These tests establish eligibility for Gifted and Talented Education services for the coming school year.