Gifted and Talented

Our unique instructional program provides gifted students the opportunities and challenges they need to succeed. Our student-centered approach, stimulating curriculum, and in-home format are ideal for gifted students needing to explore and learn at their own pace.

Elementary and Middle School

Students in grades 3 through 8 may be enrolled in specially designated gifted courses in language arts and mathematics. Student transcripts reflect participation and completion of gifted courses.

During the enrollment and placement process, students may be placed in different curriculum levels for different subjects. For example, a third grader with a high aptitude in math could be placed in a fourth-grade math course, while continuing to take third-grade-level courses in other subjects.

Gifted courses allow students greater opportunities to:

• Interact with the instructor and other students.
• Explore grade-level content and participate in extension projects, investigations, and activities that integrate skills and promote higher-level thinking.
• Participate in individualized activities that enable students to develop and apply knowledge.
• Choose from a wide variety of electives and club activities to supplement learning in core subjects.

Connections Academy's gifted students get an edge with Junior Great Books. Connections Academy is the first to offer an exclusive online version of Junior Great Books®. Gifted students enjoy age-appropriate works and participate in online literary discussions with other high-ability students.

High School

Connections Academy’s high school program includes a rigorous college preparatory curriculum that provides an opportunity for students to participate in Honors and Advanced Placement courses.

Like standard courses, Honors courses are aligned to state and national standards. Honors courses provide increased opportunities for critical thinking and application of knowledge, and are ideal for students who learn at an accelerated pace or benefit from additional academic challenges.

The flexible nature of our program allows gifted students to explore career and community interests through field trips -- both individual and school sponsored -- as well as investigate career interests.

Gifted Identification

Connections Academy has a proven process that allows parents and teachers to nominate students identified as gifted. Students nominated are then evaluated on:

• Scores on aptitude and achievement tests
• Grades
• Individual Portfolio of previous work samples

In each school, a team led by the gifted education teacher reviews these results. There may also be an individual ability test--covering thinking skills, reasoning abilities, and abstract thinking--as one final step.

Once a student is identified as gifted, the Learning Coach, teacher, and student work together to create a differentiated education plan that enriches and challenges.

Are you ready to learn more?

To learn more about the Connections Academy program, find a school in your state. You may also request a printed copy of our Program Guide, or view it online now.