Choosing a School

Oxford Languages defines gifted as "having exceptional talent or natural ability." You've been aware for a long time that your child is gifted. She reads several grade levels above her grade and is passionate about robotics. She socializes well, and is liked by her teachers and classmates. The problem is that your local public school doesn't have the resources to stretch her and allow her to achieve her full potential. So, you are looking at boarding schools as an option for expanding her intellectual horizons.

Signs of Giftedness in Children Include:

• an extreme need for constant mental stimulation
• an ability to learn and process complex information rapidly
• a need to explore subjects in surprising depth
• an insatiable curiosity, as demonstrated by endless questions and inquiries
• ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers
• surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age
• enthusiastic about unique interests and topics
• quirky or mature sense of humor
• creative problem solving and imaginative expression
• absorbs information quickly with few repetitions needed
• self-aware, socially aware, and aware of global issues

Source: Davidson Institute

So, I can tell you as a parent of two gifted daughters, boarding school is an excellent option. We lived in rural Litchfield County, Connecticut. The local regional school system was very good but had limited resources. There was no internet in those days. So, we encouraged reading lots of books and added enrichment activities. But, again, we soon exhausted those scarce resources. Boarding school ended up being the most sensible

Picture your ideal classroom. What do you see? A line of desks, concentrated students diligently solving math problems? Or do you envision something different?

Perhaps you picture a classroom electric with energy. Small groups of students stand at whiteboards around the classroom, debating, arguing, and trying to figure out the best approach to a difficult math problem. A teacher circulates, asking questions and making observations. And suddenly, a flash of celebration, as the students come to the solution. They’re active; they’re engaged; they’re motivated. And they’re learning.

This is the promise of progressive education.

What is Progressive Education?

Arising out of the ideas of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the progressive educational movement focuses on the process of learning over the rote memorization of facts. Beginning in the 19th century, progressive educators such as John Dewey, Rudolf Steiner, and Maria Montessori began to develop a philosophy of education that became progressive education as we know it today.

A true definition of progressive education is admittedly difficult to pin down – the field is broad and contains many schools of thought. However, there are several values that are shared by the progressive education community.

Attending to the Whole Child

Progressive educators are concerned with the holistic development of the child. Intellectual and academic growth is but one part of the picture in progressive education – the social, emotional, moral, artistic, athletic, and even athletic evolution of the child are equally considered.

Progressive schools offer a

The JROTC or Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps is an integral part of military high schools in the United States. While my daughters attended non-military boarding schools, my eldest daughter was enrolled in the ROTC program at MIT while she was at Harvard. I was very impressed at how the blend of military training and first-rate academics played out then and in her later life. Consequently, as I read the seventeen military schools' websites we have here on Boarding School Review, I couldn't help but notice how seamlessly these schools weave the JROTC program into their school life. JROTC is not an add-on or an extracurricular activity. I believe that when you blend and integrate the JROTC program's proven training and goals with a military school's rigorous college-preparatory academic curriculum, you aim to produce graduates who understand service to their country, know how to lead, and are confident in their own personal path forward.

Here is a look at JROTC and what it entails.

What is JROTC?

Congress established the JROTC or Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1916. Each branch of the services has its own distinctive JROTC program. However, they all have the altruistic-sounding mission "To Motivate Young People to be Better Citizens."

The U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) is one of the largest character development and citizenship programs for youth in the world. Source: JROTC

Some people think that JROTC is a recruiting program for the military. But

You've started the process of choosing a boarding school for your child. You've done a bit of reading about the reasons for sending your child to a private school. You've listened to the suggestions and recommendations of family and friends. You've explored dozens of school websites. None of this is challenging to do. However, the chances are that you will find the right school for your needs and requirements. Hopefully, you will. However, despite your reasonable efforts, here are five reasons you might be looking at the wrong schools.

1. They don't offer the kind of curriculum you require.

Think carefully about what the schools teach and how they teach it. Think about this well before creating the shortlist of schools you want to visit. The school's curriculum, how it's taught, and the quality of its faculty should be at the top of your checklist. That's how important an issue this is as you choose the right school for your child.

Listen to the Head of the Math Department at Nichols School in Buffalo, New York, explain the school's philosophy about teaching math specifically and teaching in general.

This part of the process is daunting because boarding schools are unique. They won't all offer the same courses, and they will certainly not approach teaching them the same way. By now, you have a pretty good idea of your educational goals. Are you

At some point in your evaluation of boarding schools, you will examine the academics. That bucket covers a lot of ground. Academics broadly include teaching style and philosophy, the number and depth of subjects offered, and curriculum. In another article, we'll look at the first two items in our academic bucket. But, first, let's discuss curriculum and specifically one of the most commonly used, the Advanced Placement or AP as it is known colloquially.

What is AP?

AP or Advanced Placement Program is a three-year sequence of high school coursework offered by the College Board in over 34 subject areas. AP courses provide college-bound high school seniors with a level academic playing field. It doesn't matter whether you are a high school student in Dubuque, Iowa, or Darien, Connecticut, because AP courses and their end-of-course examinations are the same regardless of where they are offered. The course content is the same. The teaching objectives are the same. The preparation for the final examinations is the same. College admissions professionals can compare student academic achievements with confidence because the standard is the same everywhere, and the final examinations are proctored and graded by the College Board. They know precisely what AP means when they see it on your transcript. They know exactly what your AP scores represent.

That is the intrinsic value of AP Courses and their examinations from a college admissions point of view. Admissions professionals want to know that an applicant's math courses at