Advanced Learning Program: Mission Statement

A K12 Virtual Academy instructional program for advanced and enrichable learners is based on the principles that all students are to receive an education appropriate to their individual capabilities, interests, and need; that students have learning opportunities that help develop their abilities to the highest level; and that students’ intense interests and talents change over time. Enrichable learners are learners with specific deep interests and energy, perhaps only in one topic. Advanced learners are students who generally demonstrate high performance or capacity for high performance beyond age/grade expectations, over an extended period of time, often (but not necessarily) in more than one area. Both enrichable learners and advanced learners are atypical learners who require specialized learning experiences.

K12 is committed to meeting the needs of enrichable and advanced learners by preparing staff members and partners through: in-service training, networking, ideas, national and local events, and other support. K12 will promote the use of strategies found by research to support the diverse range of accelerated learners, including:

• individual and small group research and contract work with active student ownership;
• flexible progress strategies within content areas, (including a variety of acceleration options (see below) with the agreement of the parents and student and subject to ongoing review);
• extension activities with self-selection by students, as well as suggestions by parents and teachers, and
• the monitoring and review of accelerated program offering, to help decide which elements should get wider dissemination and which should be phased out.