The number of students in the program increased by 29.6 percent during the same period. The emphasis is on problem solving, whole brain approaches to learning and task commitment. The curriculum includes content-specific instruction, which incorporates creative, intellectual and leadership skills. High school students enroll in pre-advanced placement and advanced placement classes. Teachers, counselors, parents or other interested persons nominate students for Discovery after completion of the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students evaluation.
Special effort is made to secure nominations of students who have special needs.
The nomination process for services provided is ongoing with screening of students occurring no less than twice each year. Students who do not qualify for the program but have a high screening performance may file for formal reconsideration. The selection committee places students who are unable to maintain satisfactory performance in the program on furlough. The purpose of such a furlough is to provide the student an opportunity to attain performance goals established by the selection committee. A furlough is granted for nine weeks, a semester or the remainder of the school year as deemed appropriate by the selection committee.