Upland Unified School District GATE testing and NNAT® guide.

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

This guide is written for Upland parents who want a practical view of when testing happens, what the district says about its identification approach, and how to help a 3rd grader prepare calmly before February arrives.

What Upland Unified says about GATE identification

The district states that 3rd graders are eligible to take the NNAT3 in February of that school year. Upland describes its identification process as multi-faceted, explicitly aimed at ensuring qualified students are identified regardless of language, ethnicity, or background, which suggests the NNAT3 is used alongside other criteria rather than as the sole determining factor.

Upland's public page does not list an exact qualifying percentile or score. Families should treat the district's Educational Services office, at (909) 985-1864, as the source for current-year cutoff and process details, since that information was not published on the district's general GATE page at the time of writing.

At 3rd grade, the NNAT3 uses Level D, the level used for grades 3 and 4. It carries the same four question families as the earlier Level C but with more answer choices and finer visual distinctions between them. Our guide to NNAT® Level C vs Level D explains what actually changes.

Why "multi-faceted" is worth asking about directly

When a district describes its process as multi-faceted rather than publishing a single test score cutoff, it usually means other evidence, teacher input, classroom performance, or additional criteria factor into the final decision alongside the NNAT3 result. Upland's own framing, aimed at identifying qualified students regardless of language, ethnicity, or background, points in that direction without spelling out exactly what the additional criteria are.

The useful move for a parent is not to guess at the missing details, but to ask the school directly what else, besides the NNAT3 score, factors into GATE identification this year.

Questions Upland parents should ask

1. Is my 3rd grader scheduled for NNAT3 testing in February, and on what exact date?
2. Beyond the NNAT3 score, what other criteria does Upland use in its multi-faceted identification process?
3. What NNAT3 score or percentile is the district currently using as a benchmark?
4. When will families be notified of results, and how?
5. If my child does not qualify this year, is there a later opportunity to be considered?
6. What GATE services are available at our school for an identified student?

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 without adding pressure

The best preparation for a 3rd grader is short, consistent, and calm. Start with format familiarity: show the child the kinds of visual tasks they might see, then talk through the thinking after each question. A useful explanation should name the rule, not just reveal the answer.

If your child has not seen the NNAT® before, start with a short session rather than a full-length test. Then add complete timed practice only after the format feels familiar. Our guide to how to prepare for the NNAT® gives a simple structure for that progression.