Moreno Valley Unified School District GATE testing and NNAT® guide.

GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Education. NNAT® stands for Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, a visual reasoning assessment that uses shapes and patterns instead of reading passages, vocabulary, or math computation.

What Moreno Valley says about GATE identification

Moreno Valley Unified says 2nd graders have an opportunity to test for intellectual identification when a parent submits the Permission to Test form. The district’s GATE page lists the NNAT3 as the assessment for intellectual identification and says students are tested by the district’s GATE Test Proctor at individual school sites.

The district also lists the qualifying level for NNAT3 intellectual identification as the 89th percentile and above or a standard score of 125 or above. Families should still ask the school how the process works for the current year, because forms and timelines are the pieces parents are most likely to miss.

What 2nd graders should expect from the NNAT®

The NNAT® asks children to reason through abstract visual puzzles. Instead of reading a question, the child studies shapes, colors, positions, rotations, and patterns, then chooses the answer that follows the rule.

That is why the format matters. A child can be very capable and still feel thrown by the page if they have never seen this kind of visual reasoning before.

Elementary schools in Moreno Valley Unified

In most districts, a gifted-screening window applies across the district, while each school handles practical details inside that window. For Moreno Valley families, the school office is especially important because the parent Permission to Test form controls whether a 2nd grader is included.

Moreno Valley Unified elementary schools include:

• Armada Elementary
• Bear Valley Elementary
• Box Springs Elementary
• Butterfield Language Academy
• Chaparral Hills Elementary
• Cloverdale Elementary
• Creekside Elementary
• Edgemont Elementary
• Hendrick Ranch Elementary
• Hidden Springs Elementary
• Honey Hollow Elementary
• La Jolla Elementary
• Midland Elementary
• Moreno Elementary
• North Ridge Elementary
• Ramona Elementary
• Ridge Crest Elementary
• Seneca Elementary
• Serrano Elementary
• Sugar Hill Elementary
• Sunnymead Elementary
• Sunnymeadows Elementary
• TownGate Elementary

Questions Moreno Valley parents should ask

1. When is the Permission to Test form due for my child’s class?
2. Where do I get the form, and how do I confirm it was received?
3. What exact date is our school administering the NNAT3?
4. If my child qualifies for GATE, what additional educational opportunities will be offered in their current grade level and beyond, inside the classroom or outside it?
5. When should families expect results?
6. How does the district review NNAT3 scores alongside other evidence?
7. If a child does not qualify this year, what later referral or retesting options exist?

How to prepare without adding pressure

Because Moreno Valley’s process includes an active permission step, the first job is practical: make sure the form is submitted on time. After that, preparation can stay calm and short. A few focused sessions can help a child learn the format without turning the month into a worksheet marathon.

Start with the four NNAT® question types, then use practice that explains the reasoning rule behind each answer.