Supporting Advanced Learners Holistically: An Administrator’s Perspective

Abstract

When a 13-year-old has mastered calculus, or a 15-year-old has taken all of the advanced high school courses available in the school, what educational pathway is best suited to meet their educational, emotional, and social needs? In this presentation, I share a holistic model as a framework for serving the needs of advanced learners who have chosen to radically accelerate their education and enter college early through programs at the Robinson Center for Young Scholars at the University of Washington in the United States. Supports in each element of the framework include attention to academic growth, social and emotional support, parent and teacher engagement, and college and career planning. Keeping the “whole child” in mind, best practices include maintaining a focus on the family, developing deep understandings of human growth and development, promoting appropriate pedagogical practices, and creating accepting and risk-taking learning environments. Participants will hear specific strategies and stories that describe these practices, as well as suggestions for what to include (or not to include) in their own context and programming for advanced learners. Research on how parents support the academic pursuits of their children entering early entrance to college programs will also be shared.