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(Reno,
Nev.)
– The Davidson Academy of Nevada, a free public school for
profoundly gifted students, will begin its third school year this
month with 73 students housed in the newly remodeled second floor of
the Jot Travis Building on the University of Nevada, Reno campus.
The
first public school of its kind in the nation, the Academy opened in
August 2006 with an inaugural class of 35 students that increased last
year to 44 students. This
year’s student body ranges in age from 9 to 17. Approximately half
of the students are from northern Nevada and the others moved with
their families to Reno to attend the Academy.
The
new 30,000-square-foot Academy facility has 11 classrooms, student
study areas, three music practice rooms, an art room, school library,
and a sports and activity area. The
Academy features security access controls as well as access to
wireless Internet and smart classroom technology in all classrooms.
“We’re
very excited to start the school year in this wonderful new facility,”
said Colleen Harsin, director of The Davidson Academy.
“In addition, the new location at the center of campus will allow
the students to more actively participate in college activities.”
According
to the Handbook of Gifted Education, approximately half of the
gifted students in the United States, an estimated 1.5 million, are
underachieving because they are not challenged by their school
curriculum and up to 20 percent of high school dropouts test in the
gifted range.
“The
current, one-size-fits-all approach to education is not working for
our nation’s brightest students,” said Bob and Jan Davidson,
co-founders of The Davidson Academy. “At The Davidson Academy, these
students are given opportunities to do advanced work in a variety of
fields so they can reach their full potential in their areas of
interest.”
To
be eligible to attend The Davidson Academy, students must be at the
middle or high school level across all subject areas and score in the
99.9th percentile on IQ tests or at the extreme for their
age groups on aptitude tests.
The
Jot Travis Building is the former home of student government offices
and the campus bookstore, both of which are now located in the new Joe
Crowley Student Union.
In
1999, the Davidsons founded the Davidson Institute for Talent
Development (www.DavidsonGifted.org) a national non-profit
located in Reno and that supports our nation’s brightest young
people. In 2004, the Davidsons co-authored, with Laura Vanderkam, Genius
Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds, published
by Simon & Schuster (www.GeniusDenied.com). For more information
on the Davidson Institute, or to learn more about The Davidson
Academy, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org
and www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu.
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