Education 4.12 - Flipbook - Page 15
| Sunday, April 12, 2026 15
How Schools Support
Gifted and High-Achieving
Students
Structure, mentorship and balance are key
to helping ambitious students thrive
By Claire Duarte, Contributing Writer
A
dvanced Placement classes and honors courses are
often seen as the pathway
for high-achieving students
to challenge themselves academically
while preparing for college. But educators say rigorous coursework is only one
part of the equation. Equally important
are the support systems schools build
to help students manage demanding
schedules, avoid burnout and maintain
balance.
At St. Vincent Pallotti High School
in Laurel, administrators say supporting high-performing students requires
intentional planning, academic flexibility
and close mentorship throughout a student’s four years.
“We’re a relatively small school
with about 450 students,” says David
Tenney, assistant principal of academics at St. Vincent Pallotti High School.
“But we offer as many opportunities
as many larger schools in terms of
Advanced Placement classes, athletics,
arts programs and specialized tracks.”
With so many opportunities available, students often juggle demanding schedules filled with challenging
coursework, sports practices, arts programs and extracurricular activities.
That’s why the school created a daily
academic block designed to give students time to focus on their studies
before heading to after-school commitments.
School ends at 2:30 p.m., but from
2:30 to 3:15 p.m., the school implements what administrators call “pro-
tected time.”
“School ends at 2:30, but from 2:30
to 3:15 we have what we call protected
time,” Tenney says. “No sports can
start then, which gives students space
to meet with teachers, make up work
or get tutoring before heading to their
activities.”
The idea is simple: students should
not have to choose between academic
success and extracurricular involvement.
During the protected time block,
teachers remain in their classrooms
and are available to provide extra help.
Students can drop in to review assignments, get clarification on difficult
material or make up assessments they
missed because of travel for athletics or
other activities.
The school also offers peer tutoring
through the National Honor Society,
allowing students to get support from
older classmates who have already
excelled in the coursework.
“Teachers are available in their
classrooms during that time, but we
also have a room staffed by National
Honor Society students where kids can
drop in for peer tutoring,” Tenney says.
Students can receive help with
homework, test preparation and study
strategies, as well as organizational
skills that can become essential for students balancing demanding academic
schedules.
In addition to academic support,
schools increasingly recognize the
importance of helping students manage
At St. Vincent Pallotti, students can participate in specialized academic and artistic tracks.
stress and avoid the pressure that often
accompanies high achievement.
Guidance counselors at St. Vincent
Pallotti work with the same group of
students throughout their entire high
school career, allowing them to build
long-term relationships with students
and their families.
“Our guidance counselors follow the
same group of students through all four
years,” Tenney says. “They really get to
know them well and can support both
their academic progress and their college planning.”
Counselors regularly meet with
students to discuss academic performance, course planning and college
goals, while also checking in on how
students are managing their workload.
The school also uses internal academic tracking tools to help counselors
quickly identify students who may need
additional support.
“I’ve developed spreadsheets that
pull grades from our gradebooks on
a daily basis so guidance counselors can quickly scan their students’
performance,” Tenney says. “It helps
them identify students who might be
struggling or students who are doing
extremely well and might need additional challenges.”
For many high-achieving students,
the challenge is not a lack of ambition
but managing multiple interests and
commitments.
At St. Vincent Pallotti, students can
participate in specialized academic and
artistic tracks, including programs in
engineering, visual arts, theater, dance
and music. Some students participate
in multiple programs simultaneously.
To help students balance these
opportunities, administrators work with
families early to map out a four-year
academic plan.
“We map out four-year plans with
students from the beginning so we can
make sure they’re challenging themselves but not becoming overwhelmed,”
Tenney says.
Planning ahead allows educators
to ensure students complete required
coursework while avoiding an overloaded schedule that could lead to unnecHelping Ambitious Students,
continued on page 21
