Enrollment Frequently Asked Questions
Where is AcademyACL located?
2510 North Chestnut St, just south of American Furniture Warehouse at I-25 and Fillmore. See the map shown on the Contact page.
What school district is AcademyACL in?
We serve the entire Pikes Peak Region, with no preference for enrollment given to any school district. However, we do have a charter agreement with Colorado Springs School District 11.
What is AcademyACL's definition of “gifted”? Isn’t everyone gifted?
See Students and Classrooms and Gifted Identification sections for more details.
“Three fundamental differences distinguish the gifted from more typical learners: learning at faster rates; finding, solving, and acting on problems more readily; and manipulating abstract ideas/making connections more easily.” (VanTassel-Baska, J. and Stambaugh, T., 2006).
Why is AcademyACL a school for gifted students? How can you tell if a child is “gifted” without requiring a test score?
See Students and Classrooms and Gifted Identification sections for more details.
How do I know if my young child is gifted and if AcademyACL is a good fit?
With young children, they often change developmental stages very quickly and at their own unique pace. There are core characteristics that consistently indicate giftedness, with unusually advanced behaviors. Two of the most visible characteristics are:
- highly advanced, unusual memory for details in the child’s area/s of interest
- highly advanced vocabulary, using ‘big’ words without being deliberately taught those words
If students have strong memory in at least one area and are comfortable with advanced vocabulary, they can usually do well within our program. We have seen times when students are competitive with their own progress, and it is hard for them to be around other students who learn much faster or go much deeper than they are able to do at that time.
This is where it is very important that parents fine-tune their ability to know their own child and monitor whether s/he is able to work through that situation. Some children readily agree that everyone can be at their own level and that it’s okay for someone else to be much more advanced in a particular area.
Other students have a hard time admitting their need for help, or for more repetition than is generally provided in our program. We believe all kids have the right to be in the right educational environment for their needs.
What curriculum does AcademyACL you use?
See Curriculum
What is a charter school?
A charter agreement is a contract between a school district and a separate governing board of directors to operate a school within that district’s boundaries. The charter outlines that individual school’s vision, mission, and educational program. Every charter can be as different as the next, because each contract separately addresses the needs of that school.
A charter school could be compared to the function of a small business under a larger corporation. AcademyACL is chartered with Colorado Springs School District 11, and D11 oversees its compliance with federal, state and district statutes. Beyond that, AcademyACL has autonomy to implement its vision and mission in its own way. AcademyACL employees are not employees of D11, and D11 does not supply employees for special education or other positions as needed; AcademyACL must function within its own budget to meet the needs of its students and staff.