Today, more public schools, often magnets and charters, are themed for gifted education utilizing strategies such as ability grouping, curriculum compacting, pre-testing and advanced curriculum. Two of the schools that could be considered leaders of this trend were formed more than 10 years ago during the 1994-95 school year - Peabody School in Virginia and Challenge School in Colorado. Both of these schools individualize curriculum and maintain a pace commensurate with the varied abilities of their gifted students.

At Peabody, an independent, nonprofit, nondenominational K-8 school for intellectually advanced students in Charlottesville, instructors not only pre-test as a standard quarterly practice, but also pre-test by the unit. At Challenge, a public, K-8, magnet school for the gifted located in Denver, educators facilitate individually-paced learning based on a flexible continuum while offering acceleration, enrichment and multi-aged grouping.

Not only do these schools share similar philosophies, but they also share Mr. Chris Roberson - currently the director of Peabody and former instructor at Challenge. Roberson notes the history of how these two schools network in order to better serve their students. Years ago when he was employed at the newly-opened Challenge School, he communicated frequently with Peabody founders Harriet Kaplan and Caroline Cunningham Eidson. They compared ideas and shared advice as they grew professionally and learned more about their students and communities.

In regards to students, Roberson said, "Not everyone needs to do the same work at the same time, and if it's easy, you're probably not learning very much." Peabody School works with University of Virginia (UVA) faculty members to offer its students "the opportunity to tap the expertise of UVA professors and faculty in the areas of physics, medicine, chemistry, government, international studies, geology, art, and politics, to name a few," said Roberson.

Several Peabody faculty members have completed degree and endorsement programs at UVA, with a focus on gifted education and differentiation of instruction. Also, instructors from UVA's Curry School of Education have served on Peabody's Advisory Board - all factors that contributed to Peabody's success. The relationship between Peabody and UVA also allows aspiring teachers from the Curry School, as well as from neighboring Mary Baldwin University, to gain field experience in Peabody classrooms as part of their degree/licensure program.

Roberson offers the following tips based on his experiences at Peabody and Challenge Schools:

• A working understanding of the school's mission by the faculty, staff, administration, board and school community.
• Regular review of the school's mission, philosophy, and classroom goals to advance the school's success and sustainability.

A strong focus and ongoing dialogue centered on enhancing the experience and preparation of students. Roberson said, "...we enjoy being in a progressive network of schools and educators dedicated to preparing students for the future."

Thanks to the foresight of administrators like Roberson and his colleagues at Peabody and Challenge Schools, gifted students have access to a supportive and progressive learning environment.

Permission Statement:
©2006 the Davidson Institute for Talent Development.

This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.