Gahanna-Jefferson gifted screening and NNAT® guide.

GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Education. In Gahanna-Jefferson, GATE is the name of the district’s elementary reading and math program for qualifying gifted students. NNAT® stands for Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, a visual reasoning assessment built around shapes and patterns. The district calls it the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test.

For a fuller overview of the assessment itself, see our guide to what the NNAT® measures.

What Gahanna-Jefferson says about screening

GJPS screens whole grades in two ways, and no sign-up is needed for either:

1. NNAT in grades 2 and 5: every student takes it in November, which screens for superior cognitive ability and creative thinking.
2. MAP Growth in grades 2 through 10: every time students take MAP (Measures of Academic Progress), the district checks for gifted identification in reading and math. The state sets that at the 95th percentile.

For the NNAT, the district says required scores are set by the state and vary by test and age. GJPS does not publish a single cutoff on its gifted page.

Families can also refer a child in grades K-12 for individual testing. Referrals received August 1 to September 10 are tested in the first semester. Later referrals, through April 1, are tested in the second semester, and referrals after April 1 wait until the next school year. Referrals for reading and math testing are not accepted in grades 2-11 because those grades already take MAP. Students new to GJPS can be tested within 90 days of enrolling if the family asks.

For a parent-friendly overview of the visual reasoning format, see our guide to the four NNAT® question types.

Sample question

Try an NNAT® practice question

Choose the piece that continues every line and color across the empty window.

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ABCDE

A real GateBuddy practice question.

Choose one of the five answers.

Choose an answer

Practice preview

Let your child see the format before test day.

GateBuddy introduces the visual reasoning formats used on the NNAT® through short, age-appropriate practice with clear explanations.

• Built around the four NNAT® question types
• An explanation after every answer: what changed and what stayed the same
• Short adaptive sets plus full, timed practice tests
• A live view so parents can follow along

Try free questions

Real GateBuddy practice questions, one of each NNAT® question type.

What GATE gives your child in Gahanna-Jefferson

GJPS provides formal gifted services starting in grade 3, depending on the area of identification. Each winter or spring, the district sends families of identified students a notice about service eligibility for the next year. In elementary school:

1. GATE Math, grades 3-5: requires identification in both superior cognitive ability and math. Students leave their classroom for a compacted, faster math course with a gifted intervention specialist, and learn more than half of 7th grade math by the end of 5th grade.
2. GATE Reading, grades 4-5: requires superior cognitive ability identification. Students get extra reading and writing work with a gifted intervention specialist.
3. Tier II math and reading, grades 4-5: for students gifted in superior cognitive ability, reading, or math who are not in GATE. They are grouped together in a regular classroom, with support from a gifted specialist.

GATE is offered at Goshen Lane and High Point elementary schools, and Tier II is offered at all elementary schools. In middle school, ACE English Language Arts 6 requires superior cognitive or reading identification, and ACE Math placement uses MAP scores, sometimes combined with a cognitive score.

Elementary schools in Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools

In most districts, a gifted-screening window applies across the district, while each school handles practical details inside that window.

Gahanna-Jefferson elementary schools include:

• Blacklick Elementary
• Chapelfield Elementary
• Goshen Lane Elementary
• High Point Elementary
• Jefferson Elementary
• Lincoln Elementary
• Royal Manor Elementary

Questions Gahanna-Jefferson parents should ask

1. What exact date is my child’s class taking the NNAT in November?
2. When and how are 2nd grade screening results shared with families?
3. What score does my child need on the NNAT to be identified in superior cognitive ability?
4. If my child qualifies, what gifted services are available in their current grade and later grades?
5. When do referral windows open and close for additional testing?

Our broader questions to ask your school guide can help you turn those into one clear conversation with the office or program contact.

How to prepare effectively for the NNAT

Useful prep is about knowing the format, not cramming. A simple plan:

1. Learn the format first. Work through a few questions of each of the four NNAT® question types together, and after each one have your child say the rule out loud: what changed and what stayed the same. Our guide to the four NNAT® question types shows each one. GateBuddy shows an explanation after every question that names the rule, and it can read instructions and explanations out loud, which helps a child who is still building reading skills or simply learns better by hearing it.
2. Practice 10 to 15 minutes a day, for as long as you can. Reasoning skills build like a muscle, a little at a time. A few weeks of practice helps, but months of short, steady sessions build much more.
3. Spend extra time on the weakest question type. Once you see which type your child misses most, give it a larger share of each session. GateBuddy’s practice sets do this for you: each set of five leans toward the question types your child has seen least and adjusts how hard the next questions are based on recent answers. You can also pick one question type and a level (easy, medium, or hard) to work on a weak spot.
4. Take full, timed practice tests: at least two, and more is better. A full test is where your child learns pacing and how to work alone against a clock, the way test day works. Every GateBuddy plan includes eight full, timed NNAT® practice tests, so your child can take several along the way and still save the last two for the final few weeks as a dress rehearsal. While your child works on their own, GateBuddy’s Live View lets you follow along from your own phone: how many questions they have answered, the answer they just picked, and how many they have right so far. Your child gets the independence of test day, and you still see everything.

Practice teaches your child what the questions look like and ways to approach them, so test day feels familiar. Our guide to how to prepare for the NNAT® gives a simple weekly plan.