Parenting a highly gifted child presents its own set of challenges. Deciding on the best academic environment for the student is not only vital for the student’s growth, but also for assuring parents that their child’s needs are met and their exceptional talents responsibly challenged. The child’s social well-being and maturity must be balanced with the opportunities and choices a school may offer.
Gone are the days of students simply skipping a grade or taking extracurricular courses. Now that charter schools, individualized facilities, and online learning are possible, parents are given a choice in how to best educate their gifted children. It’s a good problem to have, but still a cause for anxiety for many parents.
Here are some suggestions to take into consideration when deciding on a school for your gifted child.
“Most Prestigious” is Not Always “Best Fit”
The definition of “gifted” has expanded enormously in the past few decades. Once applied only to students who performed well academically, students who show any kind of exceptional skill, even if they demonstrate a learning disability at the same time, are recognized as “gifted.”
The changing definition means that educational choices have expanded as well. In the past, the term “private schools” or “schools for the gifted” tended to bring to mind images of prep school uniforms, a mile-long family legacy, and exclusive or expensive private schools. Fortunately, the current reality is far more diverse and flexible.
A well-established school which may be part of your family history might well be the best option for your child, particularly if he or she is amenable to attending it and seems to have a personality which is a good match for the campus’ vibe. An attraction to a school with a track record of excellent standardized testing scores, distinguished graduates, college placement, and top-notch facilities is fully understandable.
However, brand name should be at the bottom of the list when considering what’s best for a gifted child. There is no replacing these formative years. If your child’s giftedness is not a match with the expectations of a particular school, other options should be considered; a lesser-known school with a more modest profile but passionate faculty just might be the right fit. There is little good in forcing, for example, a child with exceptional artistic abilities into a competitive academic powerhouse with no art enrichment program just because Grandpa went there and its overall SAT average is off the charts. While these schools are no doubt a crucial forming ground for some gifted students, that does not make it the case for all.
Flexibility
While some standards are provided for schools specializing in gifted children, these should not create an atmosphere of “teaching to the test” or full replication of a competing school’s curriculum. Your child’s giftedness should be developed in a number of ways outside the classroom, including extracurricular activities, opportunities for tutoring, and performance art. A flexible school is an agile and effective one.
Staff and Teachers
Parents should look for schools with teachers who are themselves well-educated. However, as is the case with their own students, the place a teacher’s diploma is from is not as important as how well he or she understands how to encourage, engage, and challenge gifted children.
Another sign of a robust and committed faculty is advanced degrees or strong development in their field. This indicates that in addition to recognizing the importance of educating a new generation, teachers are passionate about and immersed in their subject area. While having formal training in education itself is desirable, a faculty member who can bring to his or her students the latest developments in a subject and an honest excitement about participating in it can have a far-reaching impact on a learner.
The National Association for Gifted Children has endorsed national standards for faculty skills and knowledge, baselines for gifted programming, and expectations of teacher classroom preparation from grades pre-K to 12. These benchmarks help school districts to measure and maintain gifted programs. Consider familiarizing yourself with these and asking how your student’s potential school addresses these standards.
When exploring a potential school for your child, ask if continuing education or professional development is required of or provided for the faculty; a teaching staff in touch with current techniques and research is important to the continued growth of any facility.
The school’s student to teacher ratio should also be considered. While it might seem that a low ratio is immediately desirable, it should be balanced with a cohesive faculty of wide-ranging areas of expertise. Larger class sizes with mixed grade levels and abilities can also prove beneficial for gifted learners. Think about your child’s learning style, social skills, and ability to meet and work with other exceptional children while digesting this information.
Perhaps most importantly, a good faculty is a caring faculty. Staff members who are on the alert for bullying, who model good ethical decisions for their students, and who place personal development above scholastic or athletic achievement are vital, and can have long-reaching effects upon a student’s character development. Effective teachers know when to challenge a student, how to provide support, and what to do about a child who is struggling socially.
Individualized Curriculum
A primary or secondary school which focuses exclusively on, for example, STEM related subjects is ideal for a student who is gifted in mechanics or mathematics. However, concentrating there to the total exclusion of language development or attention to such important subjects as social studies or music deprives your gifted student of new ways of expressing his or her exceptionalism. Learning to operate tangentially of his or her gift, and developing skills which are necessary for higher education. Seek individualization rather than “forced participation.”
Exceptional children should be encouraged to explore the potential of their giftedness, but also to find related or multiple ways to develop it. Strong schools for the gifted provide opportunities not only in academics and athletics, but the arts, community service, outdoor exploration, and basic technological skills.
