Ad Astra

Ad Astra is an online program, providing cross-curricular support for children who need need academic extension. It has a strong emphasis on problem solving and thinking skills while providing students with the opportunity for negotiated study.

At the beginning of each school year, schools are invited to nominate up to five (5) students for AA Junior and five (5) students for AA Senior – a maximum of 10 students per school.

Selection of students should be based on the following criteria:

• students who regularly complete set work early and are looking for further challenge
• students with demonstrated advanced ability in specific areas of the curriculum (eg. numeracy, literacy, science ...)
• students with a 'passion' for an area of learning which is not readily covered by the regular curriculum
• students for whom underachievement is considered to be a real or potential issue.

Although identification as a gifted student is not given as one of the criteria for selection, schools are encouraged to nominate identified students if appropriate and use available resources such as the Identification Package to support nominations.

School requirements for participation

It is expected that schools enrolling students in Ad Astra will support the program in two ways:

• Provision of an AA ‘support person’. This person may be a teacher, teacher aide or other school endorsed person, but must be ICT- capable and motivated to extend bright children.
• Provision of dedicated time for AA students to work together with the support person during the week. A minimum of 45 minutes per week is expected.

Experience has shown that the success of online programs such as Ad Astra is strongly correlated with school-based support for the program. These requirements are a critical element for ensuring that students gain maximum advantage from their access to the program.

Ad Astra brochure [PDF 367KB]

For further information contact Angela Cooke on 6233 5082 or angela.cooke@education.tas.gov.au