What is GATEWAY?
GATEWAY is Bartow County's enrichment program for gifted and academically talented students. The name is an acronym that stands for "Gifted and Academically Talented Education With Accelerated Youth". The purpose of the GATEWAY Program is to motivate and challenge able learners. Students in the program are given opportunities to develop and apply skills in four main areas: advanced research, creative thinking and problem solving, critical thinking and problem solving, and advanced communication.
According to GaDOE, a gifted education student is defined as one who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability(ies), exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instruction and/or special ancillary services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her ability(ies).
GATEWAY Goals
Meet the Teachers
Mrs. Vicki Haley
Meet Mrs. Haley. She loves all things coffee and chocolate is her favorite food. She has been teaching for 18 years in Bartow County Schools. She has a bachelor's and master's degree from Kennesaw State University. She holds endorsements in Gifted Education, Reading, and STEM. She was the 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year.
Mrs. Anita Webb
Meet Mrs. Webb. She loves all things science, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. She also loves spending time with her 3 children and her sisters. She loves to travel. She has a bachelor's degree from University of West GA, a master's degree from Kennesaw State University, and a Specialist degree from Jacksonville State University. She has endorsements in Gifted Education, Science, Math, and STEM. She was Teacher of the Year 2023-2024.
How does a student get nominated for GATEWAY evaluation?
The GATEWAY Program utilizes the following steps to determine if a student is eligible for gifted services: referral, screening, and testing.
Referral: The referral is for screening to determine if there is sufficient academic data to further evaluate the student to determine if gifted education services are warranted. Students may be referred by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents or guardians, peers, self and other individuals with knowledge of the student's abilities. In addition, there is an automatic referral process in place at the County level to refer students who score in a high range on state assessments.
Screening: Referrals for screening will be reviewed by the school's Gifted Eligibility Team. This screening committee will gather and review all available student performance data to determine if the student demonstrates abilities that warrant further evaluation. Students whose academic performance indicates a need for additional assessment are then referred by the Gifted Eligibility Team for testing.
Testing: According to State Department of Education rule 160-4-2-.38, all students who are tested are assessed in four areas: mental ability, achievement, creativity and motivation. Students must meet criteria in 3 of the 4 areas in order to qualify for gifted services. Bartow County has a Fall Testing Window and a Spring Testing Window to evaluate students for the gifted program.
GIFTED ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES
The Bartow County GATEWAY Program follows the Georgia Department of Education guidelines for determining initial eligibility for gifted education services according to rule 160-4-2-.38.
