Dream School

1. RENZULLI’S
DREAM ACADEMY
(RDA)
BY : D H A R A J AV I A & R O B I N E S TAVA N

2. DESCRIPTORS OF RDA
• At RDA, we believe that engagement, enthusiasm and enjoyment increase academic
achievement!
• Accredited: School With A Special Purpose- Gifted Education
• Renzulli Learning is based on the belief that…one shoe does not fit all
• Private K-12
• Enrollment approximately 800
• Suburban Community

3. FUNDING PLAN
Tuition for 2016-2017
Elementary School (K-4) _$17,000 Middle School (5-8)_$20,000 High School (9-12)
Tuition and fees cover approximately 90% of the school’s operating expenses. The remainder 10%
comes from the support of our families, staff, trustees, and friends who contribute to the Annual
Fund and Auction. Tuition covers everything, with the exception of the overnight trips, before
after school care, transportation, and any extracurricular activities.
• Annual Fund and Auction
• Grant Maintained
• Financial Aid_ Our purpose of Renzulli’s Dream Academy’s financial aid program is to provide
financial assistance to families for whom, without such assistance, an RDA education would not
be an option. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of a family’s financial need. A variety of
criteria are considered, including income, assets, number of dependents, age of parents,
of children attending tuition-based schools, number of working parents. This information is
balanced with data about living expenses, medical costs, indebtedness, and other factors.

4. PHYSICAL SPACE DESIGN
Elementary School Middle School High School
Team Zones–Collaborative
Learning Spaces in Action
Fluid and High–Tech Middle
and High School Classroom
Model
Open Environments–Flexibility
for Team or Personal Study
3 concepts are emphasized
1. self-contained classroom
neighborhoods 2. flexible collaboration
spaces
3. multiple outdoor learning
environments
Open collaboration space in the middle
with the classrooms surrounding it.
All classrooms surrounding the stairs will
have glass windows, so teachers have
more visibility to see students as they
work in the space.
Learning stairs, which will serve multiple
roles.
a. Used for small group collaboration,
lecture seating and a study area.
a. Learning stair that ties the 2 floors
together
Flexible seating and student-centered
classrooms.
3 internal courtyards
Designated for sciences, outdoor eating,
and performing arts use
A cafeteria, fine arts spaces, and a
competition and practice gymnasium.

5. ELEMENTARY_ K-4

6. MIDDLE_ 5-8

7. HIGH_ 9-12

8. MISSION STATEMENT
The principal goal of education is to create men and women who are capable of doing new things,
not simply repeating what other generations have done.
—Jean Piaget—
• RDA nurtures and challenges students of high intellectual ability and inspires them to
new levels of academic excellence, creativity, and personal growth.
• Our academy is dedicated to nurturing gifted children’s social and emotional needs.
Supporting the whole child is the foundation of our philosophy, and our school is
founded on the basic principle that our students are “children first and gifted second.”
• RDA is committed to preparing students for success in a diverse, changing world. We
seek to offer our students a learning environment that is representative of our
community: socially, culturally, and economically.

9. NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Renzulli’s Dream Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color,
religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national or
ethnic origin, or other status legally protected by local, state, or federal law; in admission
of otherwise qualified students, or in providing access to the rights, privileges, programs
or activities generally available to all students and their families, including educational
policies, financial aid, and other school administered programs. Similarly, RDA does not
discriminate in its hiring, discharge or other terms and conditions of employment.

10. Renzulli’s Dream Academy is Focused on Mind and Body
Exercise improves both the students’ physical condition while helping to sharpen mental focus and increase concentration levels. The
RDA provides a state-of-the-art fitness center staffed by personal trainers who develop personal fitness plan with each student. Some of
the other things we offer are supplemented by fitness games and visiting instructors or experts for everything from karate, yoga, and
Zumba. Students also have access to the fitness equipment whenever they’re on-site.

11. STUDENT SELECTION
Renzulli’s Dream Academy is designed to meet the needs of intellectually gifted students and
has a clearly defined Admissions Policy that reflects the mission of our school. We take great
care to preserve the integrity of the process to ensure success for all students. We consider
both formal and informal measures included but are not limited to, the following:
 indications of high intellectual ability
 advanced achievement
 critical thinking skills
 appropriate maturity and social skills
 individual talents and interests
• Application Process and Interview
• IQ Testing and Achievement Testing
• RDA requires all applicants to submit an IQ test with a full scale score in the 95th percentile or
above. A composite score may also be considered. Students applying to 3rd grade or above
must submit achievement testing. For applicants 5th through 8th grade, we require either the
Independent School Entrance Exam or the Secondary School Admission Test.

12. TEACHER SELECTION
• Recruitment and Invitation
• Teacher Application and Panel Interview Process
(Panels consists of Administrators, teachers, and parent representative)
• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Education or concentrated field
• Teacher Certification in content area required
• Endorsement in Talented & Gifted Education
• Experts in the field_ Contracted

13. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Ongoing
• Innovative Ideas for
Gifted
• In-house, Local,
Statewide, and
National
• http://www.tagonline.o
rg/

14. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
• Participates in local competitions and programs
• Community Service Programs
• Volunteer: food bank drives, health fairs, & Relay for
Life, etc
• Board meetings, City council meetings, & Local PTA

15. PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Highly Involved Highly Empowered Partners in Education
Volunteers with Two (2)
events per semester
Seminars & workshops
(social & emotional support
groups and counseling)
Representative on all school
committees
Attends local, state, and
national workshops for
Online Webinars & Training
(instruction & parenting)
Voice in Developing Individual
Student Plans
Assist and coaches gifted
competitions such as:
Olympiad, Academic Bowl,
Robotics, First Lego League,
& High IQ
Career Festivals
&
College Fairs
Resource in bringing in-house
fieldtrips, internships, and other
needs

16. GIFTED EDUCATION SERVICES
• College Preparatory
• Internships & Work Study
• Leadership & Global Awareness / Environmental Clubs
• Advance Placement & Honor Courses
• Career Technical Education
Music Health & Fitness Electives
Orchestra / Band Dance / Gymnastics Home Economics /
Automotive
Chorus / Guitar Culinary Arts Journalism / Photography
Piano / Keyboarding Fencing / Golf Foreign & American Sign
Language
Performing Arts / Drama Swimming / Areboics Woodworking
Gifted behavior occurs
in certain people,
at certain times,
under certain circumstances.
Joe Renzulli

17. MODELS AND SERVICE OPTIONS
• Independent Studies_
• Models such as Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad Model
• Duo and small group Investigations
• S.T.E.M. and S.T.E.A.M. models
• Humanities across disciplines
• Mixed model_ grades k-2; 3-5, 6-8; 9-12
• Acceleration occurs when students move through traditional curriculum at rates faster
than typical. It means matching the level and complexity of the curriculum with the
readiness of the student.
• Looping or multiple years refers to the practice of a teacher remaining with the same
group of students for more than one school year.

18. REFLECTION
Education is the most powerful weapon
which we can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela
The whole purpose of education is to
turn mirrors into windows.
Sydney J. Harris

19. RESOURCES
• http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/schools.htm Teaching Gifted Students
• Through Independent Study by Susan K. Johnsen and Krystal K. Goree
• Graphics_ www.google.com
• https://www.nagc.org/ The National Association for Gifted Children
• The Enrichment Triad Model: A Plan for Developing Defensible Programs for the Gifted
and Talented Renzulli, Joseph S. Gifted Child Quarterly, 21, 2, 227-33, Sum 77