Sherman Oaks Elementary is a School for Advanced Studies (SAS) and provides programs to meet the differentiated instructional needs of gifted and talented (GATE) students.

The S.A.S. program was created in response to the district's magnet program. In the past, gifted students had to change schools, often traveling many miles away, to be immersed in advanced instruction. At Sherman Oaks, children have their gifted program here in their own neighborhood school. Children and families can stay close to home without having to change schools and leave their friends, classmates, and neighborhood. Our SAS students average an API score of 10 out of 10 at SOES -- students won't receive better instruction at any other school. With all the extra enrichment SOES students benefit from, Sherman Oaks offers one of the very best advanced studies programs in the state.

Our School for Advanced Studies Program provides more rigorous instruction, emphasizing "depth and complexity" in the subjects studied. Differentiated instruction for gifted and talented students builds on the core curriculum and supplements it.

Sherman Oaks Elementary is committed to encouraging and supporting academic excellence in students at the highest levels of achievement and in students who have already exhibited extroaordinary aptitude or attainment.

Students are grouped for instructional needs to ensure maximum opportunities for peer interaction in flexible learning groups.  Sherman Oaks Elementary clusters students in a Full Day model.  Each SAS class is composed of:

• Identified gifted students
• High achieving students
  
• Students who are recommended for continued screening and advanced instruction
  

Administrators, teachers and support staff are required to participate in professional development.  Training includes: identification procedures; characteristics of the gifted and talented student; differentiated instruction; goals and objectives of acceleration (pacing); levels of complexity, depth, and novelty; and expectations for student production appropriate to individual learning interests, assessed needs, and abilities.

With a culture of all of our teachers emphasizing S.A.S. techniques and critical thinking skills, ALL of our children, whether deemed GATE or not, receive higher-level instruction and benefit from the advanced education.

Please click the GATE link on the right for more information on the school district's programs for gifted and high achieving students.