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Washoe County School District · 2026-2027 guide

Washoe County GATE screening and NNAT® guide.

Washoe County School District says all 2nd and 5th grade students participate in universal gifted screening, and that the NNAT3 is the current assessment used for those students.

GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Education. NNAT® stands for Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, a nonverbal reasoning assessment built around shapes and visual patterns.

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

Current-year planning: Washoe says 2nd and 5th grade students are universally screened using the NNAT3. Families should still check their school’s latest communication or contact the office for the exact date scheduled for their child’s class.

What Washoe says about screening

Washoe says all 2nd and 5th grade students are screened with a nonverbal cognitive abilities test. The district also describes referral pathways after 1st grade, eligibility rules, and limits on repeated testing.

Test basicsWhat Washoe parents should know
TestNNAT3
Screened grades2nd and 5th grade universal screening
Eligibility note98th percentile on an approved cognitive abilities test
RetestingNo more than three times during a WCSD career
Same-test retakeNo retest with the same assessment within twelve months

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

Elementary schools in Washoe County School District

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

Washoe elementary schools include:

  • Allen Elementary
  • Alice Smith Elementary
  • Anderson Elementary
  • Beasley Elementary
  • Beck Elementary
  • Bennett Elementary
  • Bohach Elementary
  • Booth Elementary
  • Brown Elementary
  • Cannan Elementary
  • Caughlin Ranch Elementary
  • Corbett Elementary
  • Desert Heights Elementary
  • Diedrichsen Elementary
  • Dodson Elementary
  • Donner Springs Elementary
  • Double Diamond Elementary
  • Drake Elementary
  • Duncan Elementary
  • Dunn Elementary
  • Elmcrest Elementary
  • Gomes Elementary
  • Gomm Elementary
  • Greenbrae Elementary
  • Hall Elementary
  • Hidden Valley Elementary
  • Huffaker Elementary
  • Hunsberger Elementary
  • Hunter Lake Elementary
  • Incline Elementary
  • Inskeep Elementary
  • Juniper Elementary
  • JWood Raw Elementary
  • Kate Smith Elementary
  • Lemelson Elementary
  • Lemmon Valley Elementary
  • Lenz Elementary
  • Lincoln Park Elementary
  • Loder Elementary
  • Mathews Elementary
  • Maxwell Elementary
  • Melton Elementary
  • Mitchell Elementary
  • Moss Elementary
  • Natchez Elementary
  • Palmer Elementary
  • Peavine Elementary
  • Pleasant Valley Elementary
  • Poulakidas Elementary
  • Risley Elementary
  • Sepulveda Elementary
  • Silver Lake Elementary
  • Smithridge Elementary
  • Spanish Springs Elementary
  • Stead Elementary
  • Sun Valley Elementary
  • Taylor Elementary
  • Towles Elementary
  • Van Gorder Elementary
  • Verdi Elementary
  • Veterans Elementary
  • Warner Elementary
  • Westergard Elementary
  • Whitehead Elementary
  • Winnemucca Elementary

Washoe also lists Mount Rose K-8: Academy of Languages.

Questions Washoe parents should ask

  1. What exact date is my child’s class taking the NNAT3?
  2. How and when will scores be shared with families?
  3. If my child qualifies, what gifted services are available in their current grade and later grades?
  4. If my child does not qualify, what future referral or retesting options are available?
  5. How does Washoe handle Highly Gifted and Talented review?

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

Start with a calm first look.

GateBuddy’s free NNAT® practice introduces the question styles and explains how to think through them.

Try five questions free