Gifted & Talented High School Program
Avondale’s High School Gifted Program launched in the 2026–2027 school year with its first 9th grade cohort, completing the district’s expansion of gifted education into a comprehensive K–12 continuum.
Following the introduction of a proposed high school magnet program to current GATE 7th and 8th grade families in 2025, strong family support helped shape the district’s approach. Avondale worked alongside current families to develop and launch an initial 9th grade cohort, creating an opportunity to begin building the program together.
As the school year continues, feedback and experiences from our inaugural cohort will help inform its continued development and guide the vision for future gifted learners. In 2027–2028, the program will expand to include 9th and 10th grade students, with applications open to new students both within and outside Avondale School District.
Information Nights Coming Soon!
November 19 & December 9, 2026 | 5:30PM
Avondale High School, GATE Magnet School, & Woodland Elementary School
See Application & Acceptance section below for additional details.
Supporting the Transition to 9th Grade
Gifted students will participate in a cohorted Gifted Transitions course, designed specifically to address gifted‑related social-emotional learning (SEL), executive function skills, identity development, and future planning. This course runs the full school year. The course is intended to provide connection, guidance, and skill‑building at a critical moment of change.
By embedding this support within a broader, collaborative system, Avondale is working to ensure gifted students begin high school feeling supported, understood, and connected.
Cohorted Scheduling
Through listening sessions and surveys with current GATE families, we learned that a semi-cohorted model best supports the needs of our gifted learners. This approach keeps students together for core academic classes while allowing flexibility to explore individual passions, pursue enrichment opportunities, and take advantage of career development courses.
By offering the magnet program within Avondale High School, students benefit from the best of both worlds: a connected gifted learning community and access to a broader range of courses, experiences, and opportunities than many smaller or standalone gifted programs can offer. This model allows students to learn alongside peers who share similar academic needs while still discovering new interests and preparing for their futures.
Application & Acceptance
Application & Acceptance Timeline
- November 19, 2026: Gifted Program Information Night #1
- December 9, 2026: Gifted Program Information Night #2
- January-February: Application Window for All Gifted Programs (during Gifted Schools of Choice Window; 2027 window TBD)
- March 2027: District CogAT Testing Window
- Mid-April 2027: Placement Notification
- End of April 2027: Letter of Intent DUE
Gifted Programs Information Nights
Avondale offers multiple annual Information Nights for current and prospective families! Information Nights are hosted at all three buildings on November 19 or December 9 at 5:30PM. Interested families should attend only ONE Information Night at the school corresponding to your child’s grade level of interest. General K–12 program information and tour dates will be shared at each session. You MUST attend an Information Night session in order to register for building tours.
Our Team
A defining strength of Avondale’s gifted program is the intentional collaboration across roles to support gifted learners throughout their high school experience.
The district is prioritizing ongoing coordination among:
- Coleen Brunni, Avondale Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction
- Michelle Gierman, Gifted Education Coordinator
- Jennifer Wilson, Gifted Transitions and Pathways Coordinator
- Anita Steward, GATE Principal
- Doug Wilson, AHS Principal
- GATE and AHS School Counselors
- GATE and AHS Teachers
- Experts and Community Professionals Specializingin Giftedness
This team‑based approach ensures that studentsexperience alignment across academics,social‑emotional supports, and future planning—rather than navigating these pieces in isolation.
Eligibility & Program Criteria
Eligibility & Program Criteria
All students applying for Avondale Gifted Magnet Programs must complete an application to be considered for the following rounds of the process.
*A student’s disciplinary history is a required part of the application process. (Incoming kindergarten/homeschooled students are exempt from this requirement.)
Criteria a district can use to deny/classify an applicant as ineligible:
No available seats. A district can limit the number of nonresident students it accepts by grade, school/building, or specific program. If there are more eligible applicants than available seats, the district must use the statutory selection process, including a random draw when necessary.
The student doesn't meet the requirements of the particular program. For example, if the student is applying to a specialized program that has enrollment requirements, the student must meet the same applicable requirements that a resident student would have to meet.
Recent suspension. A district may refuse an applicant who is or was, within the preceding 2 years, suspended from school.
Expulsion. A district may refuse an applicant who has been expelled from another district.
Requesting Records (Parent/Guardian)
You can request your child's education records, which can include disciplinary records maintained by the school, such as:
Suspension and expulsion records
Discipline referrals and incident reports
Written statements concerning the incident
Administrative decisions or discipline determinations
Correspondence concerning the discipline
Records concerning investigations of the incident, to the extent they are maintained as education records
Records documenting dates, reasons, and consequences of disciplinary actions
Relevant emails or other electronically maintained records if they are maintained by the school as education records
FERPA gives a parent the right to inspect and review the student's education records, subject to certain exceptions.
*The school must respond within 45 (calendar) days of receiving the request. You can use this Form Letter to request records from your child’s school.
