Metro now handles its brightest students in different ways, depending on their grade level and whether they are in a magnet program. High school students at regular zoned schools can choose to enter the scholars program, which involves more rigorous course requirements such as honors and AP classes. All students at Hume-Fogg and M.L. King magnet high schools are in the scholars program. The top middle school students can take high-school level classes such as algebra, geometry and foreign languages. But the opportunity to do so varies greatly.
Many middle schools offer algebra, but only a handful offer more.
J.T. Moore, a south Nashville middle school, offers six high school classes, a curriculum comparable to Meigs magnet middle school. It takes some schedule shifting and staff shuffling, but Schneider says middle schools should be able to serve all high-achieving students. The students are selected based largely on scores on a battery of standardized achievement and intelligence tests. In Encore, students tackle in-depth projects that teach critical thinking skills. Some programs offered include creative writing and Spanish.