Placement for Gifted, Talented and Honors
Dear Parents/Guardians:
We welcome our new students and former students to Portola for the 2022-23 school year. GATE* students are automatically placed in honors classes unless parents have requested otherwise. Students who are not identified as gifted may be placed in honors classes as follows:
Placement of Students:
- Gifted identification - Per District policy, students identified as gifted (e.g., Intellectual Ability, High Achievement Ability, Specific Academic Ability, Creative Ability and Leadership Ability) must be placed in GATE cluster (i.e., Honors) classes unless the parent opts out. *
- Report cards - 4's & 3's for honors
- Teacher recommendations
- Standardized test scores (i.e. SBAC, STAR Renaissance, SAT)
If a student from a private school is requesting honors classes, parents should email Mrs. Miller with copies of report cards, standardized test scores, and teacher(s) email(s) at [email protected].
The teachers at Portola will evaluate the students' placements and make adjustments as needed. It is our goal to place students in an environment that is stimulating, but not overly stressful.
6th GRADE HIGHLY ACCELERATED MATH - Incoming 6th-grade students will be evaluated for placement into our highly accelerated math pathway based on the following criteria:
- Score on placement exam
- SBAC scores - Exceeded in Math for 4th/3rd grade
- 4's in math on the 5th-grade report card
- Teacher recommendations/parent input
To learn more about the different math pathways, please click on the following link:
- Students are recommended for placement at the end of each semester. Teachers meet as a team to determine if a child is better suited for full honors, a mix of honors classes, or a classroom where additional support is provided. Please note: Students identified as gifted in Intellectual, High Achievement, Specific Academic Math/English, will remain in honors unless the parent opts out.
- At the 20 week semester, teachers give recommendations for movement into honors classes. If your child is recommended, we will do our best to move him or her at that time
- The decision will be based upon the teachers’ recommendations, availability of spaces in the honors classes, and the ability to move a child with very little disruption to their schedule.
- The teachers in the Honors/Common Core classrooms are trained to differentiate offering more challenging assignments to students who are able and interested in learning in greater depth and complexity. The teachers meet as a team to determine each student’s placement for the fall semester. We respect their judgment and have placed the students according to their recommendations.
Please do not contact your child's former teachers. If you believe an error has been made, please contact Mrs. Miller at [email protected].
Please understand that at Portola, we strive for a stimulating curriculum in all classes; however, it is important that a student in middle school feel challenged, but not overwhelmed.
We hope that your child has a successful, productive, and happy school year at Portola.
Mrs. Suzanne Miller
GATE/Honors Coordinator
*GATE students identified in the categories of Intellectual, High Achievement will be placed in all SAS/Honors classes. Student identified in Specific Academic (Math or English) will be placed in SAS/Honors their area if identification. Students identified with Leadership and Creativity will be placed based upon areas of strength and teacher recommendations.
Students who perform at exceptionally high levels in dance, music (voice), drama, or painting may be eligible for identification in the GATE Program. If you have a child who has extraordinary talent in the visual or performing arts, please contact Mrs. Miller immediately for possible identification as Gifted. Identified “Talented” students are eligible to participate in the Conservatory of Fine Arts held on Saturdays at Cal State University of Los Angeles.