1. Student has met program-specific eligibility criteria outlined in Section B. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to verify with the current school of attendance if the applicant has met the criteria before applying and that the Verification of Eligibility form, if applicable, has been submitted by the deadline.
2. Student resides within Los Angeles Unified boundaries at the time of application and while participating/enrolled in the program.
3. If student is applying to a new school/program or matriculating from the 5th/6th or 8th grade (has completed elementary or middle school) the student must be reverified by the current school of attendance as eligible to continue in a Gifted Magnet Program or Schools for Advanced Studies (SAS) site.
4. Applicant acknowledges that late verification will not be accepted for on-time application and selection and the recommendation submitted by the principal of the current school of attendance is final.

Gifted Magnet Programs and Schools for Advanced Studies (SAS) offer enriched interdisciplinary academic environments that are exciting, challenging and encourage students to use creative/critical thinking skills. Both serve students who demonstrate the ability or strong potential to work two years above grade level in academic subjects and meet ONE of the criteria listed below. (To ensure equitable access, all criteria carry equal weight in the selection process.)

FOR AN APPLICANT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GIFTED MAGNET PROGRAM OR SCHOOLS FOR ADVANCED STUDIES, THE STUDENT MUST BE VERIFIED AS MEETING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA PRIOR TO FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2024, AT 5:00 P.M.

1. Student is identified as gifted by a Los Angeles Unified in the Intellectual Ability, High Achievement Ability, Specific Academic Ability, Creative Ability or Leadership Ability category.
   • Upon receipt of the application, the District will automatically check the district applicant’s eligibility through Los Angeles Unified school records.
   • If the applicant was identified as gifted in Los Angeles Unified, but is currently attending a private school, independent charter or non-Los Angeles Unified school, the parent/guardian must submit a Verification of Eligibility form to ensure that the applicant is included in the District database.

   OR

2. Student scored in the Standard Exceeded range on the 2024 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) or received a national percentile score of 85 or above on a District-approved standardized norm-referenced test in both English Language Arts and Mathematics (most recent year only). See Verification of Eligibility form for details.

   OR

3. Student demonstrates the ability to meet ALL FOUR critical thinking and problem-solving skills (in primary language):
   1. Explain meanings or relationships among facts, information or concepts that demonstrate depth and complexity
   2. Formulate new ideas or solutions and elaborate on the information
   3. Use alternative methods in approaching new or unfamiliar mathematical problems
   4. Use extensive vocabulary easily and accurately to express creative ideas
   The school of attendance will determine if your child demonstrates all four critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Applicants verified through the four critical thinking and problem-solving skills criterion must also demonstrate the ability or strong potential to work two years above grade level in academic subjects. NOTE: Kindergarten SAS applicants must also be verified using the SAS kindergarten-specific criteria on the Verification of Eligibility (SAS Kindergarten) form.

Highly Gifted Magnet Programs group students to allow for a demanding broad-based academic program that provides advanced educational opportunities designed to serve the needs, interests and goals of intellectually gifted students. Emphasis is placed on problem-solving and the development of higher-level thinking skills, as well as positive social-emotional growth.

Students eligible for Highly Gifted Magnet Programs are residents of Los Angeles Unified who are identified as:

• Highly Gifted (HG) by scoring at the 99.9 percentile rank on an Intellectual Ability assessment administered by a Los Angeles Unified designated GATE psychologist OR
• Highly Gifted Applicable (HGA) by scoring at the 99.5 to 99.8 percentile rank on an Intellectual Ability assessment administered by a Los Angeles Unified designated GATE psychologist

ALL APPLICANTS INTERESTED IN A HIGHLY GIFTED MAGNET PROGRAM MUST BE ASSESSED AND IDENTIFIED PRIOR TO FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2024 TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ON-TIME APPLICATION AND SELECTION.

Students identified as HG/HGA are also eligible to apply to a Gifted Magnet Program or Schools for Advanced Studies (SAS).

Upon receipt of the application, the District will automatically check Los Angeles Unified records for eligibility. If the applicant was identified as highly gifted/highly gifted applicable in Los Angeles Unified and is currently attending a private school, independent charter or non-Los Angeles Unified school, the parent/guardian must submit a Verification of Eligibility form to ensure that the applicant is included in the District database. Parents/guardians may contact Gifted/Talented Programs at (213) 241-4177 or GATE@lausd.net to verify if the student is eligible to apply to a Highly Gifted Magnet Program.

NOTE: Los Angeles Unified provides programs for gifted/talented students at all local resident schools as well as at Magnets and Schools for Advanced Studies (SAS). In addition, some schools provide specialized services for highly gifted students (e.g., Highly Gifted Pathway at Peary Middle School and Wright Middle School). Please call the school or Magnet center you are interested in for further information on its Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) services and support.

Although Los Angeles Unified applicants must meet the required program-specific criteria outlined in Section B, a Verification of Eligibility form is NOT required for applicants (applying to grades K-12) currently enrolled in an Los Angeles Unified school, including City of Angels Independent Study or Virtual Academy. Upon receipt of the application, the District will automatically review eligibility through a District verification process in January 2025. Please contact your child's Los Angeles Unified school of attendance for more information.

The parents/guardians of private school, independent charter and non-Los Angeles Unified students who are applying to a Gifted Magnet Program or Schools for Advanced Studies must follow the procedures below. This includes incoming kindergarten SAS applicants who are attending a non-Los Angeles Unified preschool or universal transitional kindergarten (UTK). It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to verify that the student's current school of attendance has submitted the required verification form by Friday, December 6, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

For an applicant previously identified as gifted/highly gifted by an Los Angeles Unified designated GATE psychologist, who is currently attending a private school, independent charter, or non-Los Angeles Unified school, the parent/guardian must submit a Verification of Eligibility form to ensure that the applicant is included in the District database.

Once the Verification of Eligibility form has been completed by the school of attendance, school site personnel must submit the completed and signed form by Friday, December 6, 2024. The Verification of Eligibility form must be submitted in a sealed official school envelope with the principal’s signature across the sealed side or emailed by the school. Email is the preferred submission method; the sender will receive an email confirmation. Do not submit the form with the application. Late forms will not be accepted.

EMAIL: giftedverification@lausd.net OR U.S. Mail: Unified Enrollment | P.O. Box 513307 | Los Angeles, CA 90051

NOTE: The Verification of Eligibility form is NOT an application. A Verification of Eligibility form must be submitted by Friday December 6, 2024. in addition to the Choices application which must be submitted by November 15, 2024. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure that the completed Verification of Eligibility form is submitted by the school of attendance prior to the deadline. For applicants to SAS kindergarten who are not enrolled in preschool or UTK, please contact Gifted/Talented Programs at (213) 241-4177 or GATE@lausd.net for information regarding verification procedures or visit lausd.org/gate (select Program Options and SAS). Program Eligibility Letters will be sent in February indicating an applicant's eligibility status for Gifted Magnet Programs and Schools for Advanced Studies (SAS). Selection/Waiting List Letters for eligible students will be sent in March. For information regarding verification for Choices late applicants to Gifted/Highly Gifted Magnet and SAS, Click Here.

An alternate verification process is conducted for homeschooled applicants to Gifted Magnet/SAS without a verifying organization and applicants to SAS kindergarten who are not enrolled in preschool/UTK. This verification process must be initiated by the parent/guardian prior to the Choices deadline of Friday, November 15, 2024. Please contact Gifted/Talented Programs at (213) 241-4177 or GATE@lausd.net to initiate this verification process. Late inquiries will not be accepted for on-time application and selection.