Davidson Academy (Reno, Nevada)

Davidson Academy (Reno, Nevada)
Address
1164 N Virginia St Reno, Nevada 89503 United States
Coordinates	39°32′20″N 119°48′59″W / 39.538830°N 119.816432°W / 39.538830; -119.816432Coordinates: 39°32′20″N 119°48′59″W / 39.538830°N 119.816432°W / 39.538830; -119.816432
Information
Type	public school
Established	2006
Director	Colleen Harsin
Website	www.davidsonacademy.unr.edu

The Davidson Academy is a public school located in Reno, Nevada. The school, founded by Jan and Bob Davidson in 2006, is for profoundly gifted secondary students, and is the first public school of its kind in the United States.^[1] The public school is located in the Jot Travis Building on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. As of the 2016-2017 school year, 159 students attend the Davidson Academy.^[2] The Davidson Academy has announced an new online high school option for students living anywhere in the United States, which will open for the 2017-2018 school year.^[3] The Davidson Academy provides each student with a personalized learning plan, designed to give them an education specifically catered to their individual, unique needs. Unlike traditional school settings, the Academy’s classes do not group students by age, but by ability. The school is designed to provide an educational setting where the abilities, strengths, and interests of highly intelligent young people are encouraged and supported. Eligible candidates for the Reno school must score in the 99.9th percentile on accepted intelligence and/or achievement tests; perform at a required academic level; exhibit intellectual and academic achievement; are, or intend to be, residents of Nevada; and other criteria.^[4] As ranked by the Washington Post's Jay Mathews, the Davidson Academy is one of the nation's "Top-performing schools with elite students."^[5][6]

The average class ratio for students to teachers is currently about 15:1.^[7] The Academy's current director is Colleen Harsin.^[8] The school is a division of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a nationwide nonprofit organization established by the Davidsons to support the needs of profoundly gifted children through information resources, networking and educational opportunities, family support, advocacy, and scholarships.^[9]

History

The Academy was created following state legislation in 2005 that designated it as a “university school for profoundly gifted pupils.” The Davidsons decided to create the Academy as an outgrowth of the Davidson Young Scholar program, upon requests by many of the parents asking them to start a school and saying they would move for their students to attend.^{[10] [11]}

Awards and honors

• Consistently ranked as one of the nation's "Top-performing schools with elite students" by the Washington Post's Jay Mathews.^[12][13][14]
• 2016 Winners of the Nevada Science Bowl.^[15]
• 19 National Merit semifinalists in 2016-2017, one National Merit winner in 2015-2016.^{[16] [17]}
• The Davidson Academy Mathcounts Team took first place in the state competition for Mathcounts.^[18]
• The Davidson Academy Spanish Knowledge Bowl team took second place in the Knowledge Bowl, and the Language Expressions team took first place.

Notable alumni

• Taylor Wilson (born 1994), nuclear scientist and youngest person to build a working Farnsworth–Hirsch fusor.

References

External links

• Official Site
• Davidson Institute for Talent Development
• Davidson Academy YouTube channel
• Cover story Time, August 27, 2007
• Article, USA Today, August 4, 2009
• Article, ABC News, June 5, 2007
• Article, The Daily Beast, August 27, 2014
• Gallery, The Daily Beast, August 27, 2014