Itinerant
Itinerant Models of Service
The Itinerant GATE model provides gifted education services at student's zoned schools without requiring them to change campuses. GATE-endorsed specialists, called Itinerants, serve multiple schools and provide enrichment to identified students through either Pull-Out or Collaborative models, depending on the school and grade level.
These services are designed to support gifted learners in their regular school environment, allowing them to remain with their peers and general education teachers while receiving targeted gifted instruction.
Itinerant Pull-Out Model (Primarily Elementary)
In the Pull-Out model, GATE students leave their general education classroom for approximately 150 minutes per week to work in a small group with a GATE-endorsed Itinerant specialist.
Pull-Out sessions emphasize:
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Advanced content exploration
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Creative and critical thinking
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Problem-solving
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Long-term project-based learning
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Collaboration with intellectual peers
Lessons are aligned with district and state standards, and instruction is designed to provide depth and complexity beyond the general curriculum.
This model is primarily used in grades 3–5, and the exact Pull-Out schedule will vary by school.
Itinerant Collaborative Model (Primarily Middle School)
Also referred to as the Push-In Model, the GATE-endorsed Itinerant specialist works within the general education classroom, co-planning and co-teaching lessons with core subject teachers. This model allows gifted students to receive differentiated instruction without being pulled out of class, making gifted strategies an integrated part of their daily learning experience.
Collaborative support may include:
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Embedded enrichment activities
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Higher-level questioning and extensions
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Differentiated assignments and assessments
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Project design and feedback
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Support for social-emotional needs of gifted adolescents
This model is primarily used in grades 6–8, and the exact Push-In schedule varies by school.
Why the Itinerant Model?
The Itinerant model ensures that gifted services are:
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Accessible at students' zoned schools
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Flexible to meet students where they are
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Supportive of both academic and emotional needs
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Collaborative between GATE Itinerant and school teams
All services are built on a foundation of gifted best practices, and GATE Itinerant specialist maintain strong communication with site administrators and families.
Participation Requirements
To be eligible for Itinerant Services, a student must:
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Be identified as GATE by the WCSD GATE Department: Identification page
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Submit an opt-in form to the GATE Department
(this form only needs to be submitted once for district GATE participation) -
Not be attending a GEMS school. See the GEMS page for more information.
Enrollment
Once a student is formally identified as GATE and the opt-in form has been submitted, services automatically start based on the student’s grade level and the time of year:
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If identified prior to 3rd grade, services automatically start at the beginning of 3rd grade, as that is the earliest eligible grade for GATE services.
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If identified during the first semester of 3rd grade or later, services automatically start in the second semester of the same school year.
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If identified during the second semester, services automatically start at the beginning of the following school year.
No additional application is required for the Itinerant model, and students will automatically be placed in this service unless a family applies and is accepted into SWAS or Magnet. This process ensures students begin receiving gifted services without delay once eligibility and enrollment steps are completed.
To learn more about other models of GATE service, visit our GATE Models Overview.