How do I know if my child is gifted?
What do I need to do to apply?
Who does the IQ testing?
What is your “cut-off” score for the IQ assessment?
What is the Self-Perception assessment?
What is the environment/culture like at RMS?
How do you meet the needs of visual-spatial learners?
How big is RMS? What is the student-teacher ratio?
“Do you have space for a “_____” (insert your child’s traditional grade here)
grade girl/boy?”
Does RMS admit students during the school year?
Do you have many twice exceptional or special needs students?
What are your school hours?
How do Rocky Mountain School students measure up academically?
Where do students go after RMS?

How do I know if my child is gifted?
Some gifted children are high achievers, some are under-achievers and some have advanced academic capability that is hindered by hidden learning disabilities. Although in our society giftedness is often equated with advance success and achievement, we now understand that giftedness is much more complex. Academic achievement is not always a reliable indicator of being gifted. One of the more holistic ways to identify giftedness in children (and adults) is to focus more on behavioral and personality characteristics as a window into how a person thinks and perceives the world with which they interact.

According to research by Linda K. Silverman, Ph.D., Gifted Development Center, Denver, CO gifted children usually show many of the following characteristics:
• Good problem-solving abilities
• Rapid learner
• Extensive vocabulary
• Good memory
• Long attention span
• Sensitivity/compassion for others
• Perfectionism
• High degree of energy
• Preference for older companions
• Wide range of interests
• Excellent sense of humor
• Early or avid reader
• Ability with puzzles, mazes or numbers
• Curiosity
• Perseverance in areas of interest
• May question authority

Sometimes parents of gifted children hear from a teacher, pediatrician or another parent that their child is reaching milestones much quicker than other children, or that they are thinking more abstractly than their peers. This is another indication of giftedness.


What do I need to do to apply?
For the admission process, we ask all families to do the following:
• You may request an admission packet by emailing us through this website or by calling us at 303.545.9230. The packet includes a description of the admission process, an application, a teacher feedback form, tuition information and numerous general articles about giftedness and RMS.
• Parents or guardians are asked to attend an orientation. (We typically have two per month, starting at 9 a.m.) An individual meeting can be arranged with the Admissions Coordinator as well.
• Once parents or guardians attend an orientation or meet with the Admissions Coordinator, and the school seems like a good fit, they complete an application and submit testing. Testing is in the form of an IQ test (we prefer the test to have been taken within the past two years) such as a WISC or WPPSI (Wechsler Intelligence Tests) or a Stanford Binet L-M.
• The Admissions Committee reviews the application and testing and makes a decision whether to have a prospective student visit RMS for 2-3 days.
• After the visit, the committee meets again to discuss the information from the assessments, application, RMS observation, Teacher Feedback Form, and other information that the parent may have provided. The final admission decision is then made by the committee. Our goal is to view each applicant as a whole child to determine whether he/she is a good match at RMS and can have a successful learning experience at our school.

For more details, go to the admissions section of this web site or contact the Admissions Coordinator at Lisa.Michael@rms.org

Who does the IQ testing?
Rocky Mountain School does not administer IQ testing as it could be perceived as a conflict of interest. A licensed psychologist or person under the supervision of a licensed psychologist can administer IQ assessments. IQ assessments done within the past two years may be submitted to RMS in order to see if further testing is necessary. The preferred assessment is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) designed for ages 6-16 and the (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) for ages 2-5. These assessments provide information that identifies learning style and asynchrony. In any case, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that parents confirm that the person administering and interpreting the assessment has significant experience working with gifted children.

What is your “cut-off” score for the IQ assessment?
Typically, students at RMS have a score of 125 or higher on a standard IQ test or demonstrated abstract reasoning abilities in the gifted range. Abstract reasoning abilities can be identified in IQ sub-tests such as similarities, verbal and spatial reasoning, block design, matrix reasoning, comprehension and vocabulary. RMS students have a wide range of IQ’s (from 125 to over 200), processing speeds and learning styles.

What is the Self-Perception assessment?
It is important for us to understand an RMS student as a whole being. A self-perception assessment provides a window into how the child sees himself/herself in relationship to their environment – friendships, academic development, etc. The Harter Self Perception Survey is most often provided.

What is the environment/culture like at RMS?
The environment at RMS is not a “pressure-cooker” environment where competition is highly encouraged. At RMS, we understand that children develop at different emotional, intellectual and physical rates. Students have time to play and go outside. Classroom projects and assignments are designed for creativity and offer much depth and analysis. Basic skills and analytical thinking are taught in a whole-to-part manner that works well for most gifted children. There is little “busy-work” and the small teacher-student ratios allow students to be challenged, moving at their own pace with teacher assistance.

How do you meet the needs of visual-spatial learners?
Many gifted people are visual-spatial learners. In other words, they “think in pictures”. Very often those pictures are two, three (or more) dimensional. Teachers (and parents) must provide visual anchors for learning, retention and retrieval. Visual-spatial learners need a supportive learning environment not found in traditional classrooms. They need a teacher knowledgeable in how they think and learn best; one who understands that an image thinker requires additional time to translate their mental pictures into words ("retrieve" information) and the words they read or hear into mental images ("store" information). RMS faculty understands this learning style and is trained to work with visual-spatial learners.

How big is RMS? What is your student-teacher ratio?
In the 2006-2007 school year, our student population is between 90 – 95 students. Some schools include all the adults (including administrators) in their student to teacher ratio, so it is important when considering school options, to ask about individual class size as well as the positions of the adults counted in the ratio. A 10:1 ratio may mean that there are thirty students in a classroom with three adults; this may feel a little too large or loud for many children. At RMS, our early entrance program for four to five year old students and the four primary classrooms have ten students in a classroom with one teacher. The three intermediate classrooms have 12 students. And our Middle School has 15 students per class. In addition, students have different Focus Teachers for art, music, science and Wellness. They attend each of these classes at least two times a week.

“Do you have space for a “____” (insert your child’s traditional grade here) grade girl/boy?”
A student’s placement in s RMS multi-age classroom is based on social and emotional development as well as academic ability. We don’t have traditional age-based grades at RMS. Because students do not move in a sequential order, we determine which group of students is the best match for a prospective student in terms of social and academic development. If that class is full, your child’s name will be placed in the waiting pool to be considered when an appropriate opening occurs.

Does RMS admit students during the school year?
We have a “rolling admissions” process. Students can enter RMS through March 1st provided there is space in an appropriate classroom.

Do you have many twice exceptional or special needs students?
Many gifted students are asynchronous learners with uneven development. There is a range of twice exceptionalities which we are able to support. If a student has needs for which we do not have the resources and that would prevent him/her from being successful at RMS, most likely leading to a very frustrating school existence, we will discuss our concerns with you during the admission process. We may make referrals for other services or a more appropriate school environment.

What are your school hours?
The school day at RMS is from 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. (For the four to five year old Explorer program there is more flexibility in terms of the hours and days of the week that a child comes to school.) After-school hours are offered through 6:00 p.m. at a charge of $5.50 per hour.

How do Rocky Mountain School students measure up academically?
Sometimes it takes a while for parents to become comfortable with the curriculum and process at RMS. It certainly is not like how we were educated! Rest assured; it works. Every spring nationally normed standardized achievement tests are administered to RMS students who would be in 2nd grade or higher in traditional age based schools. The achievement tests are administered two years above grade level. Even with "off level" testing, in 2006 the mean equivalent scores of RMS students range from 3.7 years to 7.8 years above grade level in Reading, Language and Math. In Science, the students scored 5.1 grades to 7.8 grades above grade level and students embraced Social Studies with scores ranging from 4.9 grades to 6.7 grades above their aged based grade.

Where do students go after RMS?
In 2005, seven students were graduated from RMS to high school. Eight students were graduated in 2006. The retention rate of all other students was 92%. Alumni follow numerous paths after they leave RMS. Students often attend local public and private high schools including Boulder High School, Fairview High School, and Niwot High School; schools that offer AP courses and/or International Baccalaureate programs especially appeal to some alumni. Some students attend area private high schools while, in rare cases, some RMS alumni go directly to college or attain their diplomas through correspondence courses. Follow-up surveys completed by alumni and their parents indicate that alumni leave RMS with a high level of self awareness, confidence, and a love of learning intact. Students understand what they need and are strong self-advocates. They make sound, ethical decisions. They continue to have a wide range of interests and activities. The early RMS alumni are now in Ivy League universities, state colleges and small liberal arts institutions across the nation. Many have studied abroad and continue community service and volunteer activities sparked by interests developed at Rocky Mountain School.