K¹²'s Advanced Learner Program turns education up a few notches.

Teaching gifted kids is about challenging their young, talented minds and stretching their abilities with flexible, individualized learning approaches and unique enrichment opportunities.

A Broad Range of Options

The exceptional K¹² curriculum has long served such learners well. For instance, it has always been possible to accelerate your child in one or more subject areas, while allowing them to remain at grade level in others—the kind of flexibility often impossible to accommodate in a traditional classroom.

However, we don't stop there. Our Advanced Learner Program is designed to assure that K¹² gives your Advanced or Enrichable Learner an unprecedented level of support—and exciting learning opportunities.

Inclusiveness is Important

At K¹², we are less concerned with screening out too many students from enrichment programs, but rather take special care to "screen in" students with potential. This is why we talk about both "advanced" and "enrichable" students.

• Advanced student: one who is performing above grade level in one or more subjects.
• Enrichable student: one who is motivated to increase his or her knowledge beyond the basic course offering on a specific subject.

We would rather that more students, rather than fewer, enjoy great learning opportunities. Take a look at some characteristics of advanced and enrichable learners.

K¹²'s Advanced Learner Program (ALP)

In accordance with the National Association for Gifted Children's Pre-K–Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards, K¹² has developed a robust Advanced Learner Program (ALP) that includes:

• A National Director and staff for Advanced and Enrichable Learners, to coordinate our efforts.
• A number of ways to identify potential Advanced and Enrichable Learners without a formalized admission process and an "all or nothing" approach.
• Enhanced training of teaching staff in enrichment strategies for Advanced Learners.
• A broad selection of enriched courses to which we continue to add.
• Ever-expanding non-course "enrichment events" —both online and offline.

A sampling of current enrichment activities include:

• A national Learning Circle event about recent dinosaur discoveries. Over 150 students in grades 3-8 from K¹² programs around the country attended the online Elluminate® session; in a second session, selected students presented PowerPoints about their favorite dinosaurs, with time for questions and answers.
• Over 50 students attended a program about math in careers and daily life. Each student was tasked with interviewing a professional who uses math in their jobs.
• Expert speakers, such as a NASA expert who spoke about Mars. And a speaker series for parents of Advanced Learners.
• An online group consisting of parents of Advanced Learners who exchange ideas, ask questions, and get suggestions.

This exciting program builds on the ways K¹² has always supported gifted and talented children, while expanding the number of children eligible to receive such enrichment. We invite you to review our Advanced Learner Program mission statement.

Advanced Learning and Acceleration Options

The K¹² ALP program provides educational opportunities for your child across a wide spectrum of curriculum options, enrichment activities, and progressive administrative policies. Essentially, we're committed to whatever it takes to optimize each child's learning experience. Below is a list of such initiatives.

• Early entrance to school
• Curriculum compacting (a way to move more rapidly through certain subject matter)
• Subject acceleration
• Topic enrichment (a whole host of activities and assignments)
• Individual subject advancement
• Whole-grade advancement
• Early high school graduation
• Mentorship
• Dual enrollment (college level coursework while still in high school)
• Credit by examination
• Early admission to college

Get more details about K¹²'s Advanced Learning Program.

K¹²: A Tradition of Working with Gifted Students

Even before formally instituting our Advanced Learning Program, there were many reasons why the K¹² curriculum worked so well for academically gifted students:

• The K-8 curriculum is mastery-based, enabling students to advance when they're ready—not when the rest of the class is.
• The curriculum is also flexible, so students can advance rapidly in stronger subjects, while progressing at a steady pace in others.
• World language courses in up to five languages—developed strictly for kids—are available to students in all grades.
• We offer advanced middle school science courses, conceived for students who are ready for an extra challenge. Practical, hands-on lesson activities help students discover how scientists investigate the living world. Students perform laboratory activities and a full unit investigation to learn about the application of scientific methods:
  • Advanced Earth Science
  • Advanced Life Science
  • Advanced Physical Science

Furthermore, the online public schools that offer the K¹² curriculum and learning program offer specialized Advanced Learner teacher support, as well as local enrichment activities, clubs, and special programs—all in addition to programs offered by K¹² at a national level. (Find a school near you that offers the K¹² curriculum and program.)

Give your advanced high schooler more opportunities for advancement

Even the strongest of high school programs can find it challenging to meet the diverse needs of every advanced student. Many parents and schools select from K¹²'s Advanced Placement and Honors-level online courses in core subjects, as well as several world languages, supported either by certified teachers from K¹² or the school itself.

Learn more about our full-time online private high schools, K¹² International Academy and The George Washington University Online High School, a premier college prep online high school. If you are looking for part-time enrichment options for your high schooler take a look at our innovative electives for adventurous learners.

K¹² Honors courses

K¹² Honors courses demand a high level of independence and self-discipline. Students synthesize and evaluate information and concepts from multiple sources and read texts typically assigned in college-level courses. Students also demonstrate college-level writing in essays that require analysis of primary and secondary sources, responsible use of evidence, and comprehensive citation of sources. Successful completion of prerequisites, teacher/school counselor recommendation, and a strong interest in the subject are recommended for enrollment in a K¹² Honors course.

Honors courses include:
Honors Literary Analysis and Composition I
Honors Literary Analysis and Composition II
Honors American Literature
Honors British and World Literature
Honors Modern World Studies
Honors U.S. History
Honors Modern U.S. History
Honors Algebra I
Honors Geometry
Honors Algebra II
Honors Earth Science
Honors Biology
Honors Chemistry
Honors Physics

K¹² Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

K¹² Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college-level courses that follow curriculum specified by the College Board. Like K¹² Honors courses, AP courses require a greater degree of self-discipline for in-depth study of the subject. These courses are designed to prepare students for success on AP exams, providing students the opportunity to earn credit at most of the nation's colleges and universities. Successful completion of prerequisites, teacher/school counselor recommendation, and a strong interest in the subject are recommended for enrollment in an AP course.

AP courses include:
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
AP U.S. History
AP U.S. Government and Politics*
AP Macroeconomics*
AP Microeconomics*
AP Psychology*
AP Calculus AB
AP Statistics
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Physics B
AP Spanish Language
AP French Language

*One-semester course

We'd be happy to help you plan exciting options that you can offer to your Advanced Learner. Contact us to discuss the possibilities.