Programs for Gifted Kids in Fort Worth, TX area

North Texas Leadership Academy, Keller:
Located 20 miles north of Fort Worth in Keller, Tarrant County TX, The North Texas Leadership Academy is a PreK-3 - 12th grade college preparatory private school committed to providing an innovative and rigorous curriculum for bright and gifted students. The curriculum is designed to challenge students as they progress, as well as foster the growth of young leaders through the incorporation of leadership skills and service learning. The North Texas Leadership Academy’s approach to learning includes hands-on, real world application of skills learned as well as weekly experiential learning. We believe that learning is an on-going adventure and can be extended through off-campus instruction.

PreK-3 through 12th Grade College Preparatory Program:
North Texas Leadership Academy is committed to preparing our students for the future by integrating 21st Century Skills and Project Based Learning within our curriculum. Because NTLA is designed to meet each student’s needs and interests, one curriculum map will not work for all students. However, all students must master state-mandated standards and will do so at their own pace through engaging lessons designed specifically for them by their teachers.

Students will be assessed on their knowledge and progression through “levels” which are aligned with the content based grade standards set forth by the state. These assessments will take place when the teacher feels the student has mastered concepts and is ready to advance to the next level. Students do not have to be on the same level in every subject (i.e. a student can be on Level F in Math and Level C in Reading).

Leadership
It is NTLA’s mission that our students become productive citizens in our community. With daily lessons in leadership and service learning students are able to achieve this goal on a daily basis. Students will have focused lessons on responsibility, teamwork, respect, action, guiding and leading others, setting a good example, initiative and self-direction. At NTLA we believe that “being a leader means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Students are expected to practice their leadership skills at all times as well as make a positive impact in their community. The NTLA curriculum includes 4 (quarterly) service projects designed by and carried out by the students. These community service projects will increase students’ awareness of the needs in their community and their ability to help change and shape the future.

Math
Once students master basic numeric operations and number sense on each level, they are challenged with real-world mathematical problems. Students will explore problem-solving models that encourage them to use critical thinking, manipulatives and technology to determine solutions. These models will incorporate analyzing information (including what is needed and what is unessential), using a known strategy or forming a new plan and deducing and justifying the solution. Along with problem solving students will show mastery in predicting, comparing, estimating, reasoning, probability, geometry, measurement and analyzing relationships. Students will be able to communicate mathematical ideas in written, pictorial and oral form. Students will also show mastery in reasonableness of their solution and justification of strategies and tools used before being advanced to the next level.

Reading/ELA:
Starting in Pre-Kindergarten students will be given activities that engage their curiosity for the written word and build on prior knowledge to develop their reading, writing and oral language skills. As students progress through the levels they will be introduced to a variety of literature and resources that will enhance their reading, writing and communication skills. Novel based units will revolve around student ability and interest and will develop each student’s fluency, understanding of author’s message, ability to monitor and adjust comprehension, make inferences, ask literal, interpretive and evaluative questions, summarize information and make connections to their lives, other texts and the real world. They will continue to apply their prior learning and acquired skills with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers and writers.

Social Studies:
At NTLA Social Studies is more than just studying maps and state symbols. Students build a foundation in history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, culture, and science, technology and society. In Pre-Kindergarten students will begin by exploring the relationships between themselves, their home, family and classroom. They will build onto those relationships as they progress through levels into more complex studies of their community, state, nation and the world. Students will study important events in history as well as significant individuals that have impacted the world. As they progress, students will gain a greater depth of understanding in complex issues surrounding our society as well as using critical thinking skills to analyze historic events, government, economics and culture.

Science
Following the NTLA philosophy of hands-on, experiential learning the majority of Science instruction is hands-on, exploratory and student led. Students will engage in experiments that help them practice inquiry methods, analyzing information, making informed decisions and using tools to collect and record information. They will progressively gain understanding in physical, earth and life sciences including matter, energy and force, earth, space, organisms and the environment. Students will learn to incorporate their critical thinking skills as they delve deeper into the content through each level.

Fine Arts
Art, Music and Theater are important aspects of the NTLA curriculum. Students spend time weekly in each domain as they learn to creatively express their thoughts and ideas artistically, musically and dramatically while challenging their imagination and building on their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students are encouraged to explore these elements in the core subjects as well and often incorporate what they have learned about expression, perception, evaluation and culture in their daily leadership lessons.

Spanish
NTLA students receive Spanish instruction each day. As global citizens our students will learn to communicate in Spanish in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing as well as understand the culture and history behind the language. As students master Spanish they will have the option to learn another foreign language, depending on availability.