Independent Day and Boarding Schools

Independent day and boarding schools offer gifted children alternatives to local public schools. The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) defines independent schools as nonprofit schools that are governed by a board of trustees and supported by tuition, charitable contributions, and endowment income rather than by public or church funds. The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) defines boarding schools as independent, college preparatory schools that provide residential facilities for students and faculty.

The wide array of educational and social options offered by independent day and boarding schools differ greatly from school to school, but can include advanced coursework, expanded art and music options, reduced class sizes, and increased [Page 452]emphasis on community, particularly in boarding schools where students and faculty reside together.

Some independent schools designate themselves as schools for the gifted. Some of the oldest independent schools for the gifted, together with their state and year of founding, are the Roeper School (Michigan, 1941), the Mirman School (California, 1962), the Nueva School (California, 1967), Quest Academy (Illinois, 1982), Sycamore School (Indiana, 1985), and the Rocky Mountain School (Colorado, 1990). Some independent schools, although not designating themselves as schools for the gifted, attract and accept student bodies with large proportions of gifted students. For instance, the average SAT scores of students attending the Thomas Jefferson School (Missouri, 1946) rank that boarding school among the top 10 boarding schools nationwide. Bridges Academy (California, 1994) designates itself as a school for students who are both gifted and have learning differences.

Independent day and boarding schools, when chosen wisely with the needs of individual children and the characteristics of particular schools in mind, can provide excellent alternatives to local public school options for gifted children. Many resources exist for helping parents find the best school for a particular child. Parents should investigate the willingness and flexibility of a particular school to meet a particular child's needs. When determining whether a school meets a child's needs, parents should consider the school's financial and other resources, the school's willingness to adhere to National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) policy recommendations, and the school's curricular flexibility.

This entry includes information about selecting and evaluating independent day and boarding schools. The entry also discusses the application process and what to expect once a child is enrolled.