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Frequently Asked Questions about EPGY
What are the objectives of EPGY?EPGY's goal is to present gifted students with the opportunity to take courses suitable to their ability. Because the EPGY courses are computer-based, students can take advanced courses regardless of where they live, and without leaving their normal school environment. Within the context of this goal, EPGY strives to deepen and improve the nature of computer-based distance learning instruction. We revise our courses regularly based on the data we collect on student performance. We also evaluate new technologies as they become available and incorporate them into our courses when we feel it is appropriate to do so. In this way we continue to improve upon the quality of the educational experience we provide. Top How do the courses work?Because there is some variation in the instructional models used in the K-7, Secondary and University-Level Mathematics, Writing, and Physics courses, we devote separate sections to each:
When do the courses begin?Please see the registration deadline page in the 'Apply and Register' section of the website. It lists start date information and registration deadlines. How do I decide what course to begin with?Usually, EPGY leaves the question of initial placement in most courses up to the students and parents. However, we have produced some placement tests and charts to aid students and parents in making an initial placement decision. Placement in most writing courses are determined by EPGY, based on age. If you need assistance in choosing a course, please contact EPGY; we also have a complete listing of course prerequisites. Top
Are there instructors?In addition to the instruction they receive on-line from the computer, students can ask questions of instructors at Stanford by electronic mail, phone, or in "virtual classroom" sessions. This contact between students and instructors is an important part of the EPGY experience. To facilitate this type of interaction, the instructors keep detailed records on each student. Towards this end students are required in most courses to file weekly electronic reports in which they transfer a complete record of their recent work to computers at Stanford. In this way students get rapid feedback on their work, while the instructors are able to maintain detailed records on the work of each student. These records enable the instructors to closely monitor student progress and help to isolate particular student difficulties which can be addressed in a later tutorial session. Top How do EPGY courses relate to other courses?A frequently asked question is whether students should remain in their math classes at school while participating in our program. Generally, the assumption underlying participation in EPGY is that school courses are not sufficiently challenging and that the student would prefer to move at a faster rate. However, the answer to this question depends on the student, the school, and whether he or she is receiving proper instruction from the math class at school. In order to first ensure that the content and presentation of the EPGY courses is suitable for a particular student, EPGY recommends that the student remain in his or her school math class for the first quarter of their participation. Furthermore, students should pull out of their normal mathematics courses only for those parts of those courses which are truly redundant, if possible. After they have completed several courses with EPGY, students will probably gain very little from the standard mathematics classes at their grade level in school. The EPGY courses are designed to be complete courses, covering all the material presented in standard high school and college courses, so once a student has successfully completed a given EPGY course, they do not need to repeat this course at school. EPGY is happy to explain and discuss this with school officials should the need arise. Once a student no longer takes math classes at school, we request that arrangements be made with the school to have a daily study period that can be used for doing homework associated with our courses. This sort of arrangement has proved useful in two ways. First, it gives students extra time to work on the course and helps to spread the work out during the day. Second, it shows the school that the student is working hard on serious material. While students are not required to make this arrangement, we do strongly recommend it. Top How much time does it require?Students should expect to spend 5 to 10 hours per week working on the course material, depending on their grade level. The 5 to 10 hours corresponds to the amount of work expected in a standard class that meets 5 days a week for an hour with 45 minutes of homework per night. (Of course this will be less for younger students.) Students are expected to move rapidly through the primary and secondary school curriculum. Students in EPGY are required to complete a certain minimum amount of work each week. If they need to take time off for vacation, illness, or other extenuating circumstance, this can be arranged with the student's instructor or the EPGY administrator. Top What is the role of the parent?For students' participation in EPGY to be successful, parents need to take on several responsibilities. The most important is to make sure that the students are in constant contact with us electronically. The programs have been designed to let us keep an eye on each student's progress. In order for this to work, the students need to be comfortable using these facilities. It is up to parents to make sure that they are. If they are not, please contact EPGY for help. In addition to making sure that the students are in regular electronic communication with us, parents also need to be sure that the students keep up with their schedules and, for students in the secondary courses, that they take their exams when they are supposed to. Each student is given an exam packet which contains tests for each of the chapters in the book, a schedule telling them the minimum acceptable rate of progress, and an assignment sheet telling them which problems to do out of the book after they finish a given lesson on the computer. Students should expect to spend approximately one hour per day running lessons on the computer and another 30-45 minutes per night doing homework. Parents should make sure that the students are doing their work at regular intervals and not working sporadically. Parents should also administer the tests at the appropriate times. It is up to the parents to make sure their students are doing this work and staying in touch with us. If after repeated attempts to contact a student, we feel that a student has lost touch with us, we will drop him or her from the course. Parental Involvement in the K-7 Courses In addition to the above duties, parents of K-7 students are encouraged to participate in the K-7 course as much as they like. It is important that students thoroughly understand the concepts that they learn from the Arithmetic and Geometry course. Student questions may be answered by parents whenever they arise and/or parents should encourage students to call their EPGY tutor or to write questions and comments to be read and answered through the electronic mail as often as necessary. Top What is the connection to Stanford University?The Education Program for Gifted Youth is located at Stanford University, under the President's and Provost's Office. Students enrolled in EPGY courses may receive credit through the Continuing Studies Program (CSP) at Stanford University. The EPGY courses have been developed under the supervision of the EPGY faculty advisory board which at present consists of:
Additionally, Professors Mason Yearian of physics and Greg Brumfiel of mathematics have had active roles in course development. Top How is EPGY accredited?EPGY is formally part of Stanford University, which in turn is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Students completing courses offered by EPGY, and with EPGY instructional/tutorial support, will be able to request a formal transcript from the Stanford University Continuing Studies Program showing the courses that they have completed and the grades that they have received. What sorts of credits can I get for EPGY courses?All students successfully completing courses with EPGY are eligible to receive transcripts from the Stanford University Continuing Studies Program. These transcripts, which bear the seal of the Stanford University Registrar, show the courses that a student has completed from EPGY, together with the grades obtained. Students who wish to transfer this credit to their school may do so. Decisions concerning whether or not the credit is accepted by the institution to which it is transferred are up to the receiving institution. Students who complete courses at the Advanced Placement level are encouraged to take the corresponding Advanced Placement Examinations. The Stanford University Committee on Academic Achievement and Accreditation has decided that students who complete courses at the University level who subsequently matriculate at Stanford University will be allowed to apply those courses to their undergraduate degree. Who is eligible to receive a formal transcript?For a student to be eligible for a formal transcript, a student must be officially enrolled in a course with EPGY and must receive instructional support from an EPGY instructor. Students who do not satisfy these criteria, or who have administrative holds placed on their accounts, are not eligible to receive transcripts. What are the tuition fees for courses?Tuition costs vary by course and if a course has a one-time fee or is billed quarterly. For more information on tuition, please visit our Admission - tuition section. Is financial aid available?We encourage all families in difficult or unusual financial situations to apply for financial aid. This includes having more than one student enrolled in EPGY or taking more than one course at a time from EPGY. Financial aid will be given in the form of decreased tuition. Families interested in receiving financial aid should contact the administrative staff for a financial aid form. While most financial aid grants are paid quarterly over the course of a year, one-time grants of aid may be applied for by victims of unforeseen circumstances. Top What is the history of EPGY?EPGY began in 1985 at the Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences, under the direction of Professor Patrick Suppes and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, as a project to develop a complete first year calculus course that would be entirely machine-based. This project grew out of 15 years of teaching university level courses in logic and set theory at Stanford. The motivation for doing a calculus course was the fact that fewer than 25% of the high schools in the country currently offer calculus. Computers were seen as a way to make calculus available at schools that had no other way to offer it. In 1990-91, we decided to turn our attention to middle schools because they provided situations where there might be a few students capable of taking the course, but no one available to teach it. We selected a group of 30 interested students in the area, in grades 7-10 to attend a special summer course at Foothill Community College to prepare them to take the calculus. Out of these 30 students we selected 13 from seven schools to participate in the first test. All of these students took the AB Calculus Advanced Placement exam in May of 1991. Following this success we extended the calculus course to cover the entire BC curriculum, the equivalent of a full year of college calculus. We also developed courses designed to take students from Beginning Algebra through Pre-calculus. During the summer of 1992 we moved the program from expensive workstations to personal computers, making it possible for students to have machines at home on which to run the course. It also meant that the number of students who could participate in the project was no longer limited by our computing resources. Top You can view more information on the history of EPGY. How do I go about purchasing textbooks?There is no textbook for the K-7 courses. In most other courses, textbooks are required and must be purchased separately. Complete textbook ordering information can be found on the textbook ordering information page. Top |
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