Frequently Asked Questions about Our Gifted School: FAQ's For Parents
The National Academy for the Gifted FAQs For Parents
Specialized Curriculum | Differentiated Instruction | Giftedness | Admissions and Application | Attendance and Graduation | Tuition and Fees | Technology
The Academy:
Why Choose The National Academy for the Gifted?
The National Academy for the Gifted offers gifted school students an interactive home education learning experience tailor made for students who strive to reach high expectations. We offer the expertise of teachers and a place where gifted school students can thrive. With The National Academy for the Gifted, your child will be able to learn through home education at his or her own pace with a world-class curriculum that meets his or her unique needs.
Is your program accredited?
Yes. The National Academy for the Gifted is fully accredited by the National Private Schools Accreditation Alliance. We are registered in the state of Florida as an accredited online private school. We require that gifted school students meet attendance requirements and the completion of all assignments before of the last day of the school year. Our home education software compiles all necessary documentation and records that you need to show local school officials that your child is attending a legitimate gifted school.
How is TNAG’s program different from other schools?
The National Academy for the Gifted focuses on the individual needs of our students, and utilizes differential teaching techniques to do so. Learning opportunities focus on higher order and critical thinking skills, community engagement, personal development and responsibility, and content mastery. Our curriculum is designed to allow for flexibility in the pace and depth of learning possibilities.
Do you have any IQ standards?
We do require IQ test scores for admission, but they are not the sole basis for acceptance into our school. We take numerous factors into account because no one test can adequately determine a person’s abilities.
Do you honor IEPs?
If your child has been assigned an Individualized Education Program (IEP), you may include this in your application. We take IEPs into account when instructing and advising your child, but cannot guarantee to fill another school’s IEP for your child.
How do you deal with local home education laws?
Because The National Academy for the Gifted is a registered private school, students are considered private school students learning at home. This is very different than being a student. Because your child would be attending a private school, laws are not applicable.
How do I know my child will succeed with your school?
Our learning environment has been designed so that gifted children can succeed. Our teachers are patient and dedicated to ensuring the success of our students. Children are encouraged to learn at their own pace. Because our curriculum is available 24/7, your gifted child can spend as much time studying as is needed to grasp more difficult concepts.
What kind of records does The National Academy for the Gifted keep?
Our gifted education program automatically keeps track of gifted school students’ grades, online lessons, field trips, and more. Parents can access these records at any time during the school year, upon graduation, and when transferring schools.
When is school in session?
Lessons are assigned from the Monday after Labor Day through the middle of May. Access is granted through the end of June. Our Summer Programs take place in July and August.
Do students learn on their own or with other students?
TNAG believes that learning happens everywhere – on the computer with our curriculum, at home with the family, and at karate class. Our curriculum is designed to supply individual learners with avenues to explore their personal interests and abilities, but can easily be modified for group settings.
Do you give homework to your students?
No. Our learning modules are all-inclusive, containing practice exercises and content reinforcement at the end of each lesson. These practice exercises are an extension of prior discoveries and interactions gained from other lessons activities, such as videos, PowerPoint presentations, or web adventures. All activities within our learning modules aid students in applying information and skills for mastery. The Academy staff is available to guide students in all aspects of their learning.
Do Academy students receive support and guidance to manage their unique psychological and emotional needs?
Yes. A component of the learning community at The National Academy for the Gifted is based on exploring, discussing and supporting the social and emotional needs of students. We have Academic Advisors who have been trained in these areas, and are available daily to guide and support the students. We believe in consistent communication among our students, parents, and faculty.
Specialized Curriculum:
How does your curriculum cater to gifted children?
Our curriculum was designed for gifted children to be able to complete their studies as quickly or as slowly as needed. There’s nothing more frustrating to a gifted child than being forced to learn at someone else’s pace. Our curriculum is highly individualized, meaning that every child’s learning experience is different. We offer an extensive array of electives like Culinary Arts and Web Design that gifted students can use to fuel their passions. We also offer 9-week, 18-week, and 36-week course options to ensure that students have multiple options to meet their needs and interests. To learn more about our gifted school curriculum, visit our Gifted Education Curriculum page.
What curriculum does The National Academy for the Gifted use?
Because our gifted school curriculum needs are so advanced, we found that no company could keep up with our technology. As a result, we decided to design our own accelerated education curriculum! Our home education Curriculum Developers are educational experts with specific subject matter expertise dedicated to providing a quality academic experience for our gifted school students.
What is included in the curriculum?
Our home education curriculum is an engaging, technology-driven, multimedia array that includes online gifted school assignments, interactive learning projects, videos, audio, traditional textbooks and workbooks, eBooks, CD-ROMs and more. We also include access to our gifted school teachers and Social Center, an online place for home educated students to socialize with other classmates. In rare instances, parents will need to purchase or borrow some curriculum materials. In these cases, materials are clearly noted in our course descriptions.
Can I access a sample of your lessons to determine for myself whether they’d be appropriate for my gifted student?
You can access a demonstration of our courses at our Gifted School Demonstration page. While not all the features are enabled in this demo, it should give you a general understanding of what our gifted school curriculum is like.
Can the curriculum be printed out?
Most of The National Academy for the Gifted curriculum can be printed out for completion or study. Some gifted school students find it difficult to view material on a computer screen for long periods of time. We invite gifted school parents to accommodate this need by printing out our online material, however, you are not permitted to distribute our gifted school curriculum materials to anyone not enrolled in our gifted school.
What kinds of evaluations and assessments does the curriculum have?
We provide frequent tests and quizzes to make sure that your gifted child is on track. The Academy also provides research assignments and long-term projects in order to prepare students for college. Our gifted education software keeps track of every student’s progress throughout the year in terms of time logged into courses and grades. Our gifted school teachers are happy to speak with parents about the progress of their children as well.
What creative outlets does your curriculum offer my child?
Our gifted school curriculum is full of interactive learning adventures that your gifted child will love. Our learning modules are filled with creative projects, from creating PowerPoints to writing poems to paining a picture. Our diverse course selection allows students to choose courses innate with creativity, such as our Art and Music courses. We also have plenty of engaging electives to choose from, that cover such interesting subjects as Crime Scene Investigation and Psychology.
What kind of enrichment activities can we expect to encounter?
There are all kinds of enriching activities in our gifted program! Instead of just learning who Christopher Columbus was, your child will watch a dramatic retelling of his voyage to the New World. Our offline materials include supplemental science experiments, online scavenger hunts, nature observations, and countless other engaging activities.
What opportunities are available for my child to work outside of the typical class work?
Our curriculum features field trips and encourages extra-curricular activities. We believe that gifted education should not be limited to the classroom. Students will take a trip to the local library, study plant life at a local park, visit area history museums, and more! The National Academy for the Gifted’s students become lifelong learners that see opportunities to learn anywhere and everywhere. The Academy offers instructional time credit for all outside educational activities.
Differentiated Instruction:
How will my child be taught?
Our gifted school students are primarily taught with online multimedia home education course material. Each school day, gifted school children sign into our website to complete their online learning modules. We also provide offline material such as CDs, textbooks, workbooks, video, audio, and more that supplement the online learning materials.
We also give parents the option of having teacher support. If parents choose to use our teachers, they will provide your student with individualized attention so that they are sure to succeed.
How many days of instruction can my child receive?
Students in our gifted school program have 180 days of access to teacher assistance and 300 days of unlimited access to our home education curriculum. Teachers can be reached Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm EST. You can also reach them through e-mail at MemberServices@thenationalacademyforthegifted.org at any time. If parents choose not to use our teachers, then they take on the responsibility of instructing the student themselves.
How can I make sure that my child is completing assignments?
Gifted school parents can use our online progress reports to find out how much time their child has put into the online courses, as well as grades for completed assignments.
What is the parent's role?
It’s up to the parent! Parents can choose to be the teacher. Most parents choose to use our teacher support, whereas parents act more as gifted school supervisors and facilitators. Our online gifted school teachers provide the expertise that you may not necessarily have in all of our courses. Our staff of teachers is on call throughout the school day, ready to answer your child’s questions.
What about cheating?
Our gifted school uses a variety of methods to curb cheating. We often randomize our tests and quizzes to prevent gifted school students from copying one another’s answers. We also have advanced plagiarism detection software. Our gifted school takes cheating seriously and is prepared to punish offenders accordingly.
Giftedness:
How do I know if my child is gifted?
The National Academy strongly believes that children are gifted in different ways. There are several tests available to gauge the level of intellectual giftedness that your child possesses. We do not, however, believe that a test is the sole indicator of a child’s abilities, which is why we ask for numerous supporting documents when you apply.
Should we tell our child exactly how gifted he/she is?
Your child most likely already knows that he/she is different. They may come up against social difficulties as a result. Ask your child how he/she feels about being different and work through different social problems together. Your child shouldn’t feel alone in the world. Encourage your child to accept his/her giftedness with confidence, but discourage the child from flaunting it around peers.
Does my child need to be officially evaluated?
Yes, we do require standard evaluation scores. Having your child evaluated can give you a rough idea of your child’s level of intellectual giftedness. However, these tests do not paint a full picture of every child’s giftedness, which is why we ask for other supporting documentation with your application.
Who can test my child?
It depends on which test you would like your child to take. Some tests require trained psychologists for administration. Others can be administered by anyone with a teaching degree. For a list of different tests, visit our Approved Evaluations page. When looking for an examiner, you should look for one with significant experience, an ability to build rapport with children, an appreciation of human uniqueness (not just intelligence!) and a familiarity with the pros and cons of different tests. Talk to other parents who have had their children assessed, your child’s guidance counselor, or your family doctor to find a good examiner.
What should I tell my child about the assessment to prepare him/her?
You can tell young children that a doctor has some special questions. Make sure you emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers. Remember to explain that it’s not related to school work, there aren’t any consequences for poor performance, and that he or she should “just try your best”.
Whatever you do, do not attempt to coach a child with specific questions from the upcoming test. A good evaluator will recognize this immediately. This unethical behavior may compromise your child’s chances of acceptance in future academic programs.
How can I teach/support my child from home if he/she is gifted and I am not?
Opportunity for autonomy is one of the primary benefits of The National Academy for the Gifted. Our curriculum is designed for students to work through their lessons with little outside help. If your child has any questions that you can’t answer, you can choose to have teacher support, so the student can receive instant help from our professional staff of teachers. Our teachers get to know each and every student. They love helping gifted children work through their courses and develop a close bond with all students.
Where can I find additional resources on gifted education?
Please feel free to browse our Gifted Education Information page for articles, statistics, and other resources.
Who are the "profoundly intelligent"?
Profoundly intelligent young people are those with an exceptionally high level of intellectual precocity. While neither exceptionally high nor low intelligence can be determined only in terms of an intelligence quotient, an IQ score can be a useful index for identifying the intellectual potential of an individual by looking at the individual's "mental age" and comparing it to his/her "chronological age."
In terms of measurement, different tests produce different numbers. So, generally speaking, profoundly intelligent individuals are those individuals who have IQ’s that are at the 99.999% percentile.
It’s important to also note that, despite many stereotypes, profoundly intelligent young people come from all ethnic groups, races, economic levels, and geographic areas. Like other young people, the profoundly intelligent are unique individuals with varied and multifaceted traits.
What are some of the characteristics of profoundly intelligent children?
While profoundly intelligent children are a diverse group of unique individuals, some of the characteristics they share in common are:
- An extreme need for constant mental stimulation.
- An ability to learn and process complex information rapidly.
- A need to explore subjects in surprising depth, to understand the why and how as well as the what.
- An insatiable curiosity; endless questions and inquiries about how things work.
- A need for precision in thinking and expression. A student who answers questions with "That depends..." could be showing a first clue of extreme intelligence.
- An ability to focus intently on a subject of interest for long periods of time.
- An inability to concentrate on a task that is not intellectually challenging, such as those that involve repetition or that present material in bite size pieces.
- A propensity toward underachievement, particularly in females and adolescents who want to fit in with their classmates.
What are some of the developmental issues of profoundly intelligent children?
Very often profoundly intelligent children have unique developmental needs because their development is "out of sync" with the normal development of their age group. Their advanced cognitive abilities may cause them to perceive the world differently than their age-peers. This may sometimes cause them to feel "different" and socially isolated. Leta Hollingworth, one of the early experts on profoundly intelligent children, observed significant differences in the development of the moderately and profoundly intelligent. After years of research, she identified an IQ range of 125-155 as "socially optimal." Children scoring within this range were generally well balanced, self-confident, and outgoing; they were likely to become effective leaders because they were able to win the confidence and friendship of their age-peers. However, children with IQs of 160 and above were so different from their age-mates that developmental problems were common, particularly between the ages of 4 and 9. As Hollingworth noted, "To have the intelligence of an adult and the emotions of a child in a childish body is to encounter certain difficulties."
In general, profoundly intelligent children who have a safe, supportive home environment and a schooling situation that is appropriate to their advanced cognitive abilities will be more successful in their ability to cope with developmental issues.
Admissions and Application:
What criteria are used to determine admission into The National Academy of the Gifted?
The National Academy for the Gifted must ensure that admitted students can succeed within the rigorous curriculum and the unique style of learning that our academy offers. Prospective students go through a comprehensive application procedure. In the evaluation of applicants, TNAG considers:
- Giftedness Profile
- Student Work Samples
- IQ Test Scores
- Standardized State Test Scores
- Standardized National Test Scores
- PSAT, SAT, ACT or SSATB Test Scores
- Parent Essay
- Student Essay
- Parent Interview
- Student Interview
- 2 Recommendations
- Previous Gifted Program Admission Verification
- Previous IEPs
- Any other Evaluations that can shed insight into the student’s abilities
We require at least 5 of the above criteria to be submitted during application.
We desire to admit students who will benefit from our academy and who will meet the demands of our learning environment.
How do I apply?
- Go to http://www.thenationalacademyforthegifted.org/gifted_program_admissions.html and read the Admissions Details.
- Print out the Paper Application from https://www.thenationalacademyforthegifted.org/parent/application/application.php
- Fill out the application and send it to us, along with all of the requested supporting documentation.
- Wait for our Admission Committee’s decision within 1 week via phone and mail.
- If accepted, you will be sent a link to provide us with your official enrollment information.
- Pay the up front fees.
- Choose your courses.
- We will then send out your supplemental curriculum materials via UPS within 2-4 business days.
- Login to school in September and have fun!
TNAG accepts applications and evaluates them on a rolling basis. Some students may be contacted to provide additional supporting documentation.
Will I be notified whether I’m accepted or not?
Once a decision has been made, students will be contacted by phone and mailed letter with the Admission Committee’s decision.
Is there an age requirement to apply to The National Academy for the Gifted?
Absolutely not! Giftedness occurs at all ages and if your child can prove to handle our gifted program, you should apply for admission.
Do TNAG students have to live in Florida? Does TNAG accept international students or American students living overseas?
TNAG welcomes all American students. Students can live in any state or country, as long as they are American citizens. We apologize for our inability to accept international students.
How long does the application process take?
It can take up to 5 business days from the receipt of your application materials to for us to register and process your application. We will contact you with the Admission Committee’s decision. Accepted students will then be able to complete our enrollment information page and choose their courses. We will then ship your gifted school curriculum in 2-4 business days. We encourage families to apply as early as possible in the summer to make sure that all gifted school curricula is delivered before the start of the academic year.
My child has a learning disability. Can we attend this school?
Of course! Many gifted children also have learning differences in different subject areas. These children are referred to as “twice-exceptional.” Our curriculum is designed to allow accelerated learners and students who need more time to focus on difficult subjects to work at their own pace. In doing so, students can make sure they comprehend the material before moving on to the next lesson. The child’s learning experience is directly related to his/her learning abilities. You won’t find this feature at a traditional gifted school!
When is the best time to enroll my toddler?
Because all gifted students learn at different rates, we leave this decision up to the parents. The average age of our Kindergarten enrollment is age five.
How do you decide the appropriate grade placement for my child?
We believe that this decision is best left the parent. You’ll select courses that you feel are appropriate to your gifted school child’s abilities. Our grade levels are based on national averages for different age groups. Feel free to use these as suggestions, not rules. If you would prefer to enroll your gifted school child in 5th grade Math and 7th grade Science, that’s just fine! All children grasp different concepts at different levels and speeds.
What is the minimum number of courses my child can take?
The National Academy for the Gifted students can choose an unlimited amount of gifted school courses for a full-time program or as few as one gifted school course for a supplement to an existing home education program.
Can my child select courses from different grade levels?
Absolutely! Our accelerated education curriculum is highly flexible. If you have a child that excels in Math but struggles with Language Arts, we invite you to choose different grade levels for those courses. Perhaps enrolling in 8th grade Math and 6th grade Language Arts is a good solution. The choice is yours.
How do I select courses?
Once you find out if your child has been accepted into The National Academy for the Gifted, we will send you to link to our Academy Enrollment Page. Fill in the appropriate parent and student information and then pay the up front fees. Once we receive initial payment, you can then login and choose courses. Academy Member Services can be contacted by phone to help you with this process.
Can I change a course once I have registered?
If you feel that your child can handle more difficult coursework, you can easily switch to a higher-level gifted school course. Similarly, if you think that a lower grade-level course would be more appropriate, you can also downgrade. There are no extra fees for the first 30 days of enrollment. Consider this a “trail period” to determine where your child best fits into our gifted school.
When will we receive our materials?
Home educating parents will receive their gifted school materials before the beginning of the academic year. We ask that parents make their orders as early as possible to ensure that their materials are received in time. Some elements of our gifted education curriculum are not needed until later in the academic year and will be shipped when needed.
What if I find that The National Academy for the Gifted isn’t a good fit for my child?
The National Academy for the Gifted isn’t for everyone. We offer a 30-day period during which you can decide if you’d like your child to continue his/her home education with The National Academy for the Gifted. If you choose to withdraw from our gifted school, you will not be billed for the entire year’s tuition, just the first month, registration fee, and shipping & handling.
Attendance and Graduation:
What are The National Academy for the Gifted’s graduation requirements?
To be eligible for a diploma from The National Academy for the Gifted, students must have completed at least 23 credits of high school instruction, with at least 6 of those credits completed with TNAG. Students must also be enrolled at least half-time during their final year of study and must use our teachers.
Do graduates from The National Academy for the Gifted achieve a diploma?
Students who meet our gifted school’s graduation requirements will receive an official High School Diploma. To find out more about your student can graduate with a gifted school diploma, view our Graduation Requirements. Please note that only students who choose the teacher-supported option are eligible for graduation from our Academy.
Can I transfer courses completed elsewhere TNAG? How are credit transfers evaluated?
Students can apply to receive credit for coursework completed at other institutions. The National Academy for the Gifted will evaluate requests to transfer credit on a case-by-case basis.
How do I transfer courses taken at TNAG back to my school?
Transcripts of work completed at The National Academy for the Gifted can be requested for a $38 fee. The Registrar’s Office will help students coordinate the transferring of credit from the TNAG to their local schools.
Is there an age required for graduation?
No. If you fulfill graduation requirements, you can graduate regardless of your age.
Do I need to leave my local school if I want to take courses from TNAG? Do students need to be enrolled fulltime at TNAG?
TNAG students have the choice of enrolling as either a full or part time student. Full time students take from 6-8 credits per year, while part time students take .025-5 credits per year. TNAG typically has numerous students that pursue joint enrollment options, taking some of their courses at their local school and the rest at The National Academy for the Gifted.
How much time should my child invest in school work?
In a full-time program home education program, we suggest that gifted school students spend 2-4 hours per day completing their daily learning modules. Offline home education assignments will comprise the remainder of the gifted school day, the length of which can be determined by the parent. We offer over 100 days of online coursework with a total of 300 days to complete all gifted school assignments for the year.
What are your attendance requirements?
There are 36 weeks of school, divided into 4 nine-week quarters. Specific attendance requirements for full-time students are:
- 900 hours and 170 days, or 180 days, for gifted school students in grades 4-12
- 720 hours and 170 days, or 180 days, for gifted school students in grades 1-3
- 540 hours and 170 days, or 180 days, for Kindergarten gifted school students.
There’s more to a gifted education than online coursework. You can add hours of gifted school study from a field trip or extra-curricular activity via our Extracurricular Activities log. The world is your home education classroom with The National Academy for the Gifted!
Tuition and Fees:
What is the tuition for attending The National Academy for the Gifted?
Tuition for a full-time registered student at The National Academy for the Gifted for the 2008 academic year is $5995. All TNAG students are eligible to receive a $1000 scholarship. Part time students pay per course:
Individual 36-week courses are $1125.00
Individual 18-week courses are $562.50
Individual 9-week courses are $281.25
All part time students are eligible to receive a scholarship of $200 per 36-week course, $100 per 18-week course, and $50 per 9-week course.
What is the tuition TNAG’s Summer Program?
The tuition for TNAG’s summer program is $$$$ per course.
Are there any additional fees?
The National Academy for the Gifted charges a $19.95 Shipping/Handling fee as well as a one-time Registration Fee of $29.95. This is a one-time fee that covers all courses purchased per student per year.
What is the cost of curriculum materials?
Our accelerated education courses include up to 36 weeks of daily learning modules. Offline curriculum materials such as books, workbooks, video CDs, and software vary per course. When you select courses, the price of these materials is dictated for you BEFORE you decide to enroll in that course. Most courses do not exceed $100 in offline materials costs.
Do you offer scholarships or financial aid?
The National Academy for the Gifted is proud to offer scholarships for many of our students. There is no application for the scholarship, as your application to the school serves this purpose. Exceptional applicants will receive the scholarship. Email notifications will be sent to all scholarship winners.
Learn more at our Gifted School Scholarships page.
In addition to the scholarships, TNAG offers payment plans to help manage the burden of tuition.
How do I remit my application/registration fee?
Application /registration fees can be paid by check, money order, Visa or MasterCard online.
To remit with a check or money order simply, mail to:
That National Academy for the Gifted
Payment Processing
c/o 10 Shurs Lane, Suite 202
Philadelphia , PA 19127
To pay with a charge card:
Browse to your Parent Page and enter with your unique username and password. Then click "Make a Payment". Our online payment form is a secure and encrypted payment tool. You can also make a payment by phone by calling 1-866-9-LEARN-9.
What is your refund policy?
Families have 30 days from the first student log on in which to determine if our gifted program suits the needs of their student(s). Refunds will be granted according to the following standards as long as the family disenrolls via e-mail or other written notice AND via telephone. Both written and telephone notices are required for disenrollment completion, and refunds may not be offered until both notices are given. The gifted school refund does not include fees such as Shipping & Handling, Application or Enrollment fees and Miscellaneous and/or curriculum and/or CD and/or Multi-Media fees. If we are unable to accept a student into our gifted program, a full refund will be given including the above gifted school fees.
Gifted program tuition fees may be refundable according to the following schedule:
Disenrollment within 30 days of enrollment:
If entire yearly gifted school tuition has been paid in full at the time of registration, the family will receive a refund of their entire tuition payment minus 25%. If installment plan payments were agreed to at the time of registration and have been paid according to the agreement, all tuition paid minus the first installment payment will be refunded. If the student is enrolled in additional courses beyond the 6 covered by tuition, and the student disenrolls from an additional course within 30 days of the student’s first day of attendance, the student will receive a refund of 75% of the additional course fee. The refund does not apply to curriculum materials, gifted program CD Usage Fees or any other fees necessary for enrollment in the additional courses.
Disenrollment after 30 days of enrollment date:
After 30 days, all yearly gifted school tuition fees are due and payable. No refunds are available on gifted school tuition, curriculum materials, CD Usage Fees or any other fees. If the student is enrolled in additional courses beyond the 6 covered by tuition, and the student disenrolls from an additional course after 30 days of the student’s first day of attendance, no gifted school refunds are available on tuition, curriculum materials, CD Usage Fees or any other gifted program fees.
Technology:
Does my child need to know how to type?
The ability to type is not essential for our educational program, but it is definitely something we encourage. Our gifted school program reinforces typing skills, and we even offer a free typing tutorial to all enrolled students! In today’s technology-driven economy, it’s important for gifted school students to learn this skill.
Can my older computer run the software?
The National Academy for the Gifted home education curriculum supports the following minimum system requirements:
- Pentium III processor
- 64MB RAM
- 6 GB hard drive
- CD-ROM drive
- 56k "dialup" modem
We do not guarantee Macintosh compatibility, however several of our gifted school students have successfully used Macs.
Does each child need to use his or her own computer?
No, gifted school children can easily share a computer as long as they log in and out appropriately so different student accounts are not confused. It is more important for middle and high school students to have their own computers for their home education than it is for elementary students.
Why can’t my computer process PDF files?
You’ll need to download the free Adobe Acrobat reader. Follow the instructions found at the Adobe website to view PDF documents.