Robla School District GATE testing and NNAT® guide.

GATE is Robla School District's Gifted and Talented Education program. The NNAT® is the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, a visual reasoning test that uses shapes and patterns instead of reading, vocabulary, or math facts.

This guide is for Robla families in north Sacramento who want to know what happens in 2nd grade and how a child ends up in a GATE class.

What Robla says about GATE identification

The district describes the Naglieri as a universal screener: every 2nd grader takes it, so no one has to be referred first. Robla says it chose universal screening because research shows it helps find more low-income and minority students who might otherwise be missed.

The screener is not the whole decision. Robla says it uses "a matrix to determine if a child is a candidate" for GATE. The district's 2026 GATE parent meeting presentation lists what goes into that matrix: teacher referral, standardized testing (CAASPP and/or the Naglieri), an interview, and report card data. The district does not publish point values or a cutoff score.

Students who are selected join self-contained GATE classrooms at Taylor Street School: a 3rd/4th grade combination class and a 5th/6th grade combination class. Families were sent invitations for the 2026-27 school year, and the district held a GATE parent meeting on June 8, 2026.

What is not published

Robla does not publish the NNAT edition, the testing window, a qualifying score, how the matrix is weighted, whether a parent can request testing in another grade, retest rules, or when results reach families. We checked the district's GATE page and the 2026 parent meeting slides. For any of these, contact the State and Federal Programs office.

Questions Robla parents should ask

1. When will 2nd graders take the Naglieri screener this year?
2. How is the selection matrix scored, and how much does the Naglieri count?
3. Can a parent or teacher refer a child in 3rd grade or later?
4. If my child is not selected, can they be considered again?
5. When and how will families hear about invitations?
6. Is transportation available to the GATE classes at Taylor Street School?

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

How to prepare without adding pressure

Because Robla screens in 2nd grade, your child may be one of the youngest test takers in any district we cover. Keep it short and steady: 10 to 15 minutes a day is plenty. Start with format familiarity by showing your child the kinds of visual puzzles the NNAT® uses, and talk through the reasoning after each question rather than just marking it right or wrong.

Closer to the test, add at least two full timed practice tests so pacing on test day is not a surprise. Practice teaches your child what the questions look like and gives them ways to approach and think through them, so test day feels familiar instead of surprising. Our guide to how to prepare for the NNAT® lays out the progression in more detail.