Academics

Gifted and Talented School Program in Arizona

What Is RISE?

RISE stands for Reaching Intellectual Success and Excellence. RISE is Arizona Virtual Academy’s (AZVA’s) self-contained program for gifted students.*

Students accepted to RISE are encouraged to take their learning to a deeper level as they explore their interests, solve problems, and work side-by-side with other gifted students.

RISE students benefit from:

  • Live class discussions, projects, and collaborative virtual learning
  • Instruction from gifted-certified teachers
  • Renzulli Learning supplements personalized to their age and ability level
  • Acceleration in areas of exceptional strength 
  • Interest-based projects and field trips

Who is RISE intended for?

Gifted students in grades 3–9 who meet one of the following criteria:

  • Exhibit high-performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area
  • Possess an unusual capacity for leadership
  • Excel in a specific academic field

What are the qualifications?

Qualifying for RISE involves three steps:

  1. Nomination
  2. Screening/assessment
  3. Qualification 

Nominated students must be identified as gifted according to one of the following qualifications:

Composite IQ score

  • 125–134 for the pull-out program
  • 135+ for the self-contained program

Qualifying score in the 97th percentile on a state-approved gifted assessment (e.g., the CoGAT test or similar)

  • 97th percentile (V or Q) for the self-contained program
  • 92nd–96th percentile (V or Q) or 97th percentile for the pull-out program

How does my child get started?

For more information, to learn how to apply to RISE, or to provide assessment scores, please contact RISE Program Coordinator Kylee Mills at [email protected].

*Only students enrolled at AZVA are eligible to apply to RISE.