School for Advanced Studies
Hawkins earned the designation of a School for Advanced Studies (SAS) beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. Our goal for seeking this distinguished and prestigious honor is to provide a rigorous academic environment for all students and to serve our GATE population in our community school. LAUSD defines Schools for Advanced Studies sites as "...demonstration sites receive the SAS designation for their exemplary Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) implementation. The Schools for Advanced Studies designation, initially implemented in the 1998-1999 school year, was created to acknowledge exemplary school models of innovative, equitable, and effective GATE practices districtwide. By providing high-quality differentiated instruction with an emphasis on depth, complexity, acceleration, and novelty, SAS sites offer high-level academic opportunities that meet the unique educational needs of K-12 gifted learners, identified in the Intellectual Ability, High Achievement Ability, Specific Academic Ability, Creative Ability, and Leadership Ability categories or verified based on critical thinking/achievement.
The SAS model, which is in alignment with the California Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program Resource Guide and the State Board of Education Recommended Standards for Programs for Gifted and Talented Students, explicitly supports the District's goal to ensure equitable GATE participation for underrepresented students. It is District policy that resident schools must undergo a rigorous application process every five years to obtain or maintain the SAS designation. Independent charter schools and magnet programs are not eligible for the SAS designation."
Learn more about schools for advanced studies at the LAUSD GATE web page.