A few committed folks on the east coast are putting together a preliminary plan for a school specifically for the highest level of gifted student. There will be some similar elements to what the Davidson Academy offers, specifically no age-based classes.

There will be some huge differences though. This school will be for all age kids, and while the youngest students will go to a day school, the middle school/high school age kids will have a boarding option. Also, this school will be a private!

Big industry and philanthropy will be on board to ensure enough funds to ensure that funding exists to have perhaps as much of 50% of students on a full scholarship. Also, fund raising dollars will also go to state of the art facilities, technology and faculty. There is great interest for this already.

There has been much discussion on what elements need to be in place to make this the best environment to challenge our brightest minds. I have read many of your threads and I believe that you, as parents of these children, would know what some of these elements might be.

I understand that a school just for PG kids is only the right scenario for some children and their families, and that this would not be for everyone. But for those kids who will thrive in this environment, it will make a difference in their lives and help give them the educational experience they deserve.

So I am interested in hearing all your thoughts as to what you would include in a PG school based on your experiences as a parent.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

SusieQ

Wow, SusieQ! It sounds like a dream. What is your role with the new school? Are you a parent, administrator, or philanthropist?

Where do you envision the school being? Would the financial aid be dished out based on need or ability?

My PG kids are homeschooled and they enjoy the freedom that allows. But having true peers in a brick and mortar school would be very enticing indeed.

This might not be a popular idea, but I like the practice of throwing out letter grades and giving narrative feedback to the kids. Maybe in the high school years letter grades could be assigned to generate a GPA.

I like cooperative learning and teachers who don't expect to have all the answers. My hope is that my kids will learn how to find answers and think creatively, and that they will be lifelong learners.

I am very intrigued! Please tell us more.

Lorel,
We are still in the quiet phase of incorporating and getting our ducks in a row, so please forgive me if I sound a bit reticent.

Yes, I am a parent, like most everyone on this forum. I am also seasoned in raising capital for worthy projects. This is something I believe in far beyond my own child's needs. My role is to get the project off the ground. Everyone loves the idea but few have the time or interest to do the work to make it happen.

We are in the process of recruiting national volunteers to get behind this project and are speaking to leaders in a variety of fields to make sure our core group is diverse. This group will surely include someone experienced in identifying and advocating for gifted children, educators experienced in teaching gifted kids, parents from different socio-economic backgrounds and geographic locations, corporate partner representatives, etc.

The proposed location is on the east coast, in an area which already attracts some of our nation's brightest minds as it is a hub for their work. The area is also blessed with a good deal of wealth and many philanthropists.

As to your questions about scholarship dollars - certainly a good amount of the available dollars will be for those who need it. The challenge is not to make this only a school for the wealthy. There is also discussion about scholarship dollars based on specific areas of talent, although all of this is in a very preliminary stage. That is why feedback from this forum will be so helpful. We have to come up with a fantastic package to sell and the details of what will make this school so special really need to be incorporated as part of the philosophy.

The comments you provided were great. Please keep them coming.

I like the ideas of more indepth classtime. I think creative electives in addition to the traditional courses would be something I would look for in a school (ie: various music or art courses)

Just out of curiousity I asked my dd7 what would make her school better and her response was for her to be able to take chemistry and other science classes without having to wait until she's older. hehe. She also said that she'd like to have horses on campus so you just never know what answers you'll get when you ask a question like that! haha...

I wish you luck with this endeavor!

Hi,


The upper school (middle school) where my DD attends has Wed leap day. On this day students "choose" their curriculum and are allowed to spend as long as they wish in their chosen area (art, math, science, etc). They are assigned a "mentor" from the faculty and they can work on a project in more depth.

My daughter is still in lower school, so I don't know all the details, but kids seem to like it.

What CFK said............
I'm not the greatest at coming up with ideas, but I know a good one when I see it!!

DD7 in second grade said everyone should be learning division, but since I already know it, I will teach the class and my teacher could just sit around drinking coffee and eating Dunkin Donuts.

DD5 in K says : Mrs. xxxxx would stop bossing me around and I would be in charge of the class.


hmmmmm..................

incog - too funny! Kids are hilarious!

You are not alone, CFK. The school has them for 7 hours a day. That should be enough time to get everything done. Down with homework! Up with free time!

What CFK describes is pretty much my ideal scenario for academics. If the school has teachers who are skilled at both challenging kids and encouraging them to live their values--whatever the kids' values happened to be--so much the better. Really, I think the teachers matter more than anything else in a school. The bureacracy and the administrators only work as well as every classroom teacher does.

If the place had extracurricular sports and music opportunities, too, then it would be just about perfect. Oh, and school dances at the middle and high school levels. Give them the full school experience!

Sounds good. Where do I sign up?!

You make such a great point about the teachers really being the critical influence and a key factor in the success or failure of a school, any school. We recognize that we are going to need a lot of money to recruit the best faculty but finding those special educators will be tough.
I'd love to hear about characteristics of great teachers your kids have had. Maybe this should be another thread.

Would it be possible to have weekend classes/actions for PG kids who live way too far away for a daily commute and are too young or not ready for a boarding school? I think lots of parents may be willing to travel 1.5-2 hours one way once a week, something which they couldn't do on daily basis. It would be a priceless opportunity for many more PG children than just those living close enough to attend f/t.

Dottie's DD has an excellent point on the anti-bullying. The only private school in our area that we would consider going to uses a conflict resolution program. Kids are allowed to call a conference with an adult mediator if there are problems - and this is from a kindergarten level. So kids meet face to face about whatever is important to them. They say by the time the kids get to 5th or 6th grade, they rarely use this and work out social problems on their own. And because of this, there really is no bullying or cliques at this school to speak of.

I tell you, I could have definitely used some of this type of social skill with my first college roommate or in my first "real" job after college. I think this is a life skill that every school should look at. Imagine if all our world leader's had gone through this!

Hmmm...Teacher qualities...

Well, training in gifted education is obviously a biggie. The school should be providing continuing ed in the field at the very least, I think. If the teachers don't have any sense of how a bored gifted kid looks or how to challenge him/her, they're not going to be effective teachers.

Respect for students as whole people, not just as "walking brains" would rank high on my list. They can't be intimidated by the kids they're there to teach, but they have to respect the kids and their abilities and treat them with respect. (Too often this doesn't happen, even with kids who MG or vanilla GT.) Neither condescension nor awe work well.

Allowing--even encouraging--the kids to make mistakes without fear of ridicule or even subtle pressure to be perfect seems to me to be part of this. "Safe" risk-taking and resiliance in the face of failure are important skills that HG+ kids rarely get the chance to learn, and they're vital skills. Teach these kids how to take a cognitive leap and fail and try again!

The understanding that there's more than one way to find the answer to a math problem and more than one way to meet a writing assignment. Gifted kids often see things differently than other people, and that difference in vision needs to be respected, cultivated. Be clear about whether the point of an assignment is product or process, and respond to any deviations in the way the kids do the work accordingly.

A respect for kids' bodies. They need physical activity every day or many of them get cranky and difficult. Taking away recess shouldn't be part of the disciplinary arsenal. Make them walk laps for all of recess, sure. But don't lock them up. That's just dumb.

A willingness to use creative, unconventional teaching methods. I would think that mentorships from the wider community would be very important to these kids, especially as the kids get older, but from a lot younger age than most people would imagine. Think "resource guide" more than teacher, I guess. What I mean is that while it's nice to have a teacher who is an expert in the field, it's probably more important to have a humble teacher who is willing to *find* experts in the field as needed. One teacher won't be able to be all things to all kids, even in a single subject. These kids often like to specialize; the teacher has to be willing and able to go with that.

A love of teaching. If they don't love teaching, nothing else is going to matter.

A sincere interest in gifted education. This can't be just another teaching gig for them. They're going to have to care about the cause or they won't last.

An analytical mind. The teachers I've liked best were able to look at what wasn't working in the classroom (or at what was) and figure out why. They were constantly making things better for the particular needs of the kids in that particular class that particular year.

A willingness to try new things but not to innovate simply for the sake of innovation. Think "Make new friends, but keep the old": no yellowed notes from the turn of the last century, but also keeping the things that work.

I'll keep thinking...

Our school (middle ) was doing it for two years and it did not work. But don't get me wrong, I thought it was a perfect scenario, however the practice have proven me wrong. First of all, there was just not enough top notch kids in the school to fill that highest level class with truly the highest level thinkers. For my son, whether he was grouped with random kids or with the highest achieving ones, the result was still very, very similar. Second, by doing this they had every teacher teaching every subject. Unfortunately, not all teachers are equally good, passionate about all the subjects. Not all were very good in Spanish (required in that school), not all were passionate about math. You get the picture.
So while in theory this looked perfect, it proved to be not such a good scenario for my gifted child.
My dream school would be for my kids to be sorrounded by the kids the same caliber. Meaning onl the top 1/2% for my son, only the top 5% for my daughter. Impossible to achieve. Buth think about it. There is a huge gap between the kid scoring at 80% (considered gifted in our school district) and the one scoring at 95%. There is even wider gap between 95% and 99%.
So our dream school would have to be very, very small.

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but the school we're "designing" in our heads here is going to be only for PG kids, right? So I don't think it is imposssible to achieve in this particular, highly specialized case.

Or did I misunderstand the point of this thread?

Hi Suzie Q:

I really hope this comes to fruition!

My dream school:

Located in my city in location near train/bus lines. LOL

Admission:
PG in any one area, verbal or math or spatial relations. Free testing, so fewer $ obstacles to admission.
2E kids given appropriate modification/differentiation and services on campus. Achievement testing to determine placement in classes. No age discrimination, but a case-by-case evaluation of when a child could start classes. Entry throughout the school year.


For courses, in addition to what's mentioned above:

Several foreign languages, taught from the earliest grades (ages) on, in an immersing sort of way;

Creative problem solving;

Coping skills, such as how to relax, how to prioritize, organize, tidy, how to study, etc.--- Kids pick the coping skills they'd like to learn about;

Keyboarding; and

Computer science.

Facilities/orientation:

A huge library;

Lots of recess/free play time; and

Sports skills and sports.

Teaching style:
Math:
I like the idea of keeping all math classes at the same time, so kids can sort into a class at the appropriate level with appropriate pacing. Classes that teach problem solving at each level of math.
Reading/literature:
For the early grades, a literature-based system that doesn't hold kids back and gives them a chance to talk with others about the books they have read.
Mix of assignments that allow students to process the material they are learning, instead of just regurgitate.
All classes: Fast pace, with lots of information for my knowledge sponge!

Lots of flexibility in learning -- mix of classroom, lab, real life, reading and independent study.

Every student learns the basics but has a chance to delve into one or more subjects in greater depth. For example, three-hour block of time each week to independently study what you like, whatever it is. Student doesn't have to choose or commit to a topic in advance and can move on to something else as his/her interests change. Doesn't have to produce any thing from it, but can make presentation or product related to study to show his/her cohort.

Real feedback on work done -- right now DS just gets a check on work. Encouragement to take risks and try to learn something that doesn't come easily.

Connection to a local university for more advanced, college-level classes for students at higher levels.

GL with your endeavor.

bk1

Ooh! Yes! Foreign language from the start! Definitely!

And I love the block of time for independent projects without restrictions. What a joy it would be for them to be able to follow their passions wherever they might lead.

FAvorite teacher qualities - a life long learner, for real. Charisma. Humor. Self Confidence. Love of each individual child. Deep, deep knowledge of their subject material. Less of a desire to fill kid's heads with knowledge, and more of a desire to add kindling to the fire that keeps the child's internal desire to activly learn. That means keeping the child at their readiness level, and "just in time" introduction of new ideas and challenges. If the spanish teacher has to teach Math because everyone teaches Math at 9am, well, is is willing as a life long learner to really embrace math, even if it's only at a 3rd grade level, and get into the why's and not only the procedures.


Also, ability of the teacher to understand that gifted in Math may be only bright in FOK (fund of knowledge) Wonderful at reading and understanding stories may come with writing bottleneck or spelling difficulties. Math fact memorization trouble may come hand in hand with a deep love of Math Ideas, and shouldn't be a bottleneck.

So yes, CFK's block scheduling.

Also gym daily, if not more. Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists making regular visits to help with uneven development for those who need it, handwriting, core strength, vision muscle development. Asnychronous Development is a reality for many of these kids.



And since we are on the subject of "PG" which kids are you thinking of exactly? Ruf Level IIIs or only Ruf Level Vs. I do reccomend involving the parents on the level of curriculum planning to the extent that they are interested - particularly for Level IV and Vs.


Seems to me that working with one of the northeast's existing boarding schools or universities to use as a base is an excellent stratagy. Expect children to be ready for college level work, perhaps with support, early in High School, if not middle school. Find a way for the families who want to keep their age-based identification to keep it while getting access to those college classes, while the families who want those credits can get them.

I like the idea of weekend classes, to keep the pipeline full. I like the idea of very well done enrichment classes in the afternoons for kids whoes parents are working till 6pm. I like the idea of study halls so that homework can be done during the day, the children learn to work independently, but with the support of the school environment. I also think that offering half day programs for partially homeschooled kids is a blessing. A school pitched to Level III kids may be great for a few hours for a Level V kid, but then they may just need to be home for some peace and quiet, and to do their real work. Or stay on campus with a tutor doing an independent study.

Flexability and Communication are the keys. Thanks so much for your efforts on behalf of these children.
Love and More Love,
Grinity

Happy New Year -
Another big question is school philosophy, and teacher perspective. Are we meeting the needs of an underserved population out of fairness? Or are we training tomorrow's saviors? Will the teachers have a "these children are our most valuable resource" mentality? I just hate the "the world needs these kids" tone that some schools carry. I'm a big fan of the "we are out to serve children with special learning needs who can't find a place to fit in and grow to be their full selves any where else."

I think that a key has to be helping children to develop a healthy perspective on their talents, not as something that sets them apart from other people, but as something they can bring to friendships once they develop maturity and a sense of themselves.

Thanks again for your excitement and leadership,
Grinity

And here's another thought: What about those dear little ones? My son did daycare from the time he was 7 weeks old, and I think that if we had been thinking Gifted back then, and had him placed with other likeminded agemates, or older children, he'd be a calmer more secure guy now. We'll never know of course, but those years between 2-5 make a big difference. But of course, identification issues are pretty tough. Perhaps a 'sister school' for the preschool aged kids to start with, and then reshuffle around the time that kindergarten choices will start?

I think the preschool is a great idea, since GTness tends to run in families. You've got a better shot at finding a group of true peers in that room than you would in the world at large, I would think.

My only caveat would be that it shouldn't be a hothousing school. Let the kids have the opportunity to read and do multiplication if they want to, but let them play with blocks or ride trikes if they'd rather. More opportunities are always better than fewer, but outside pressure to do academic work at to young an age is not necessary or healthy. Follow the kids' leads.

I know a high-pressure preschool is not where you were going with this, Grinity, but I could see it being turned into something high-pressure...

Thanks for the clarification - you know me well, but I shouldn't assume that everyone does. I was thinking that the preschool wouldn't be academic at all, actually!
Grins,
Grinity

Well, I always prefer more opportunities to fewer. It's practically my mantra! <grin>

I think it would be great to let the kids have access to academic stuff *if that's what a child chose to do that particular day*. But that's a big if! At that age, play is learning. (Well, at all ages, really, but especially pre-K...) Play should always be encouraged. But since sometimes multiplication IS play for HG+ kids, I think it is great to have those possibilities present, too.

We had our DS6 in two preschools: one didn't offer him any opportunity for academics at all--not even reading was encouraged--and one was too lockstep about completing task A before going on to task B. I may sound like Goldilocks, but neither method was quite right for DS6. Ideally, a wide variety of academic options would be open to any of the kids at any time, as well as all the play options.

More, more, MORE!!!

Well said!