How to Start a School or Program like the Davidson Academy

The Davidson Institute is affiliated with the Davidson Academy, the only free public school of its kind for profoundly gifted students, and Davidson Academy Online, an online campus for those living anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.

A proven leader in educating our nation’s brightest students, the Davidson Academy is recognized as an exceptional school for profoundly gifted students living in the Reno area. For those who are unable to relocate to Reno, parents can consider Davidson Academy Online (DAO).

The Davidson Academy was created through a Nevada state law (NRS 388C), which allowed for the creation of a “University School for Profoundly Gifted Pupils.”

We typically send the following information to people who express an interest in creating a similar school or program, which we hope you will find helpful. You may already be familiar with some of these resources:

Books & Websites

• Building a Gifted Program, published by Great Potential Press
• Aiming for Excellence: Gifted Program Standards; Annotations to the NAGC Pre-K Grade 12 Gifted Program Standards
• Designing Services and Programs for High-Ability Learners
• Smart Kids: How Academic Talents Are Developed & Nurtured in America
• Gifted Education: Promising Practices
• Re-Forming Gifted Education
• Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education
• NAGC Pre-K to Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards

Articles

• Twelve Cost Effective Educational Options for Serving Gifted Students
• Successful Strategies for Teaching Gifted Learners
• Basic educational options for gifted students in schools
• Individual instruction plan menu for the gifted child
• Best Practices of Schools that Nurture Excellence
• What the Research Says About Gifted Learners
• Planning effective curriculum experiences for gifted learners
• Gifted children: Are their gifts being identified, encouraged, or ignored?

If you are outside the United States, we also suggest contacting the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children to see if they have any helpful resources to share. If you are located within the United States, we suggest contacting the National Association for Gifted Children and your state affiliate association, if one exists. We wish you the best in creating opportunities for gifted students, wherever you may live!

Permission Statement

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.