Thomas Jefferson High School is the right choice for your gifted student?

Einstein said, “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” The State of Virginia mandates differentiated instructional opportunities for gifted students in grades K – 12. In other words, they must provide the best conditions in which students at all levels can learn. The Virginia’s Governor’s School Program is a component of that mandate.

One full-time academic-year Governor’s School for gifted students with a focus on science, mathematics and technology is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (known as “TJ”). Established in 1985, and located in Alexandria, TJ is an option for qualified gifted high school students from Fairfax, Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William counties, as well as students from the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. TJ has been ranked the #1 high school in America by US News and World Report for three consecutive years.

TJ’s students are all gifted and its programs are innovative and successful. But it is not a fit for all brilliant students with above average test scores and an inclination for mathematics, science and technology. This program is best suited for students with an earnest drive and a strong interest in devoting their futures to those academic disciplines.

With that in mind, we asked Dr. Jack Dale, Superintendant of Fairfax County Public Schools, what kind of student is best suited for TJ. “TJ has in its student body highly intrinsically motivated students,” Dale said. “When you create a specialized school you should have students who have already identified that specialty as their passion.”

According to the Virginia Department of Education, “The Academic-Year Governor's Schools are established as ‘joint schools’ by law. As such, they are typically managed by a regional governing board of representatives from the school boards of each participating division. The regional governing board is charged with developing policies for the school including the school's admissions process. While these processes differ from school to school, all applicants are assessed using multiple criteria by trained evaluators who have experience in gifted education and the focus area of the specific Academic-Year Governor's School.”

Once the decision is made that Thomas Jefferson High School is the desired high school experience for your child, there is an extensive and selective three-step application process. First the applicants take an entrance exam much like the SAT. Second, they complete an application demonstrating their interest in mathematics, science, and technology including any independent work done in those fields. Finally, they need recommendations from teachers, staff and others who can attest to their experience and interest in mathematics, science and technology. (Specifics for admissions are available at tjhsst.edu/abouttj/admissions.) There are other opportunities for gifted students available through the public school system. Loudoun County Students also have the option of applying for admission to the Academy of Science (AOS), located in Sterling, Virginia. At AOS, students take their science, mathematics and research courses at the Academy and their humanities courses at their base school on alternating days. This schedule enables students to maintain involvement in academic and extra-curricular activities at their base school while participating in a research-based challenging mathematics and science program.

The Governor’s School at Innovation Park, set to open this fall, is a new program housed on the George Mason University’s Prince William campus. This program is for gifted junior and senior high school students from Prince William County, Manassas City and Manassas Park.

Once admitted to the program, students will follow a sequence of courses designed to integrate mathematics and research with specializations in environmental biology, environmental chemistry or environmental physics. They will study mathematics that support their scientific and research works, attending classes at the GMU campus each morning, and returning to their home high schools each afternoon to complete other requirements for graduation. Alternatively, students can take Advanced Placement courses for college credit or take courses at Northern Virginia Community College in partnership with their home high school.

Gifted and passionate students need different conditions under which they can learn, and Northern Virginia schools provide a wide array of options. Our region is fortunate to have such demand and to have school systems striving to deliver alternatives to enable our gifted students to thrive.

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Tricia Haneghan graduated from Knox College with a B.A. in Education. After a brief stint teaching, she spent several years on the legislative staff of Illinois Senator Paul Simon. She has been a PTA officer for 3 different Loudoun County schools over the past 8 years. She lives in South Riding, VA with her husband and four daughters. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it