When Anne Glass, Head of School at The Roeper School, describes what it means to be gifted, she doesn’t talk about test scores or IQ cutoffs. Instead, she speaks of potential.
Founded in 1941, The Roeper School in Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham has long been recognized as the country’s oldest independent school dedicated to gifted learners and a leader in gifted education. From its earliest days, its mission has been to honor the whole student — intellectual, social, ethical — and to ensure that “gifted” means more than being the smartest in the room.
“At Roeper, we see giftedness not as something stagnant or crystallized within one person,” Glass says. “It’s a capacity to grow and question, and that’s really where education comes into play.”
That philosophy that “none of us is a finished product,” as Glass believes, is about students understanding themselves to become independent thinkers while also nurturing a greater sense of belonging and community.
“There’s an ethical imperative that comes along with intellectual pursuits,” she adds, “that’s not just about pursuing a passion in math or history, for example, but about understanding oneself — and recognizing our interdependence and our rights and responsibilities as citizens of a broader community.”
A curriculum that grows with curiosity
Students at Roeper have a large degree of autonomy that you won’t find at other schools, Glass says. In addition to the core curriculum, Roeper’s academic program balances structure with exploration.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, Roeper builds learning experiences around what excites and engages each classroom community. Even in elementary grades, students can choose electives in history, art or technology, with options that expand through middle and upper school to include courses in film, electrical engineering, coding and advanced humanities topics.
Elective offerings shift yearly based on teacher and student interests, reflecting Roeper’s belief that learning should be dynamic, not static. Independent study projects, guided by faculty mentors, give students the chance to dive deep into specialized subjects or creative pursuits that inspire them.
That trust cultivates agency — and it lasts. Students who stay through graduation often carry that self-assurance into adulthood, confident in their voices and capable of effecting change in college and beyond.
Graduates find that they are prepared for college, Glass notes, because they have had this experience of trust and respect as whole human beings at Roeper.
Supporting every gifted learner
Glass brings a unique lens to Roeper’s gifted education model, shaped by her background as a learning and reading specialist. In 2019, she was recognized as Educator of the Year by the Learning Disabilities Association of America.
Her expertise in supporting twice-exceptional (2E) students, which refers to those who are both gifted and also have learning differences such as dyslexia or ADHD, aligns with Roeper’s holistic philosophy of student-centered education.
“We see learning differences as part of the continuum of human variation,” Glass says. “Each of us has things that come naturally and things that take more work. Recognizing those intra-individual differences in all our students is what allows many 2E learners to thrive here.”
Roeper’s teachers come to know their students deeply and work closely with a dedicated student support team to provide technologies of accommodation, notes in advance, and flexible learning structures, for example. These strategies, Glass notes, often benefit every student — not just those with diagnosed differences.
Beyond the classroom: athletics, arts leadership
While Roeper is often thought of as “cerebral,” its student life is anything but one-dimensional, Glass notes. Every Roeper student has the opportunity to be part of a team.
Roeper athletics has a no-cut policy and continues to find ways to cater to gifted students who are passionate about athletics. Student athletes are often capable of playing at the next level, but their academic priorities come first and determine where they attend college. Team sports offer skills and lessons that cannot be replicated in the classroom.
Beyond athletics, Roeper students always have a variety of arts programs to participate in as well, from dance and band to orchestra and theater. Roeper also has an award-winning forensics team, robotics club and numerous affinity groups that foster identity and belonging.
Student government is a cornerstone of school culture, serving as a respected leadership body with direct input into school policy — including monthly lunch meetings between student officers and the Head of School.
Extending the mission beyond the campus
The Roeper philosophy reaches beyond its walls. Through the Roeper Institute — founded in the 1970s and publisher of the Roeper Review, a leading journal on gifted education — the school provides outreach and teacher training.
One initiative, “Matter of Equity,” partners Roeper educators with Detroit Public Schools and universities like Wayne State in Detroit and William & Mary in Virginia to train teachers in recognizing and supporting gifted students from historically marginalized communities.
“We’re deeply invested in equitable access to gifted education,” Glass says. “Our goal is to ensure that gifted learners, regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic background, are seen, supported and inspired.”
A community built on purpose
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of The Roeper School, Glass says, is its community. Many teachers, former students, and families have been connected to Roeper for decades, bound by shared values and a belief in education as a living philosophy.
“What stands out most to me is the deep love and dedication here,” Glass says. “The people who make up Roeper are ready to live our philosophy every single day. It feels like we can do almost anything together.”
At The Roeper School, “gifted” isn’t simply a label, she adds — it’s a lifelong invitation to grow, question, and contribute to the world we share.
This content is sponsored by The Roeper School, a gifted school for grades Pre-K-12 in Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham. To learn more, visit The Roeper School’s website.
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