CTD offers students the opportunity to participate in computer-based mathematics and language arts courses that are developed and administered by Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY).  This component of the Gifted LearningLinks Program allows academically talented students in grades K - 12 to progress at their own pace in math and language arts courses.

Students in EPGY courses use the computer to access multimedia lectures. These lectures are followed by exercises in which students answer questions that are evaluated by the computer.  Students also have the option of joining weekly sessions in the EPGY virtual classroom, a real-time forum for teacher-student interaction.

EPGY students are assigned to course instructors who are available for additional instructional support by phone, email, and virtual classroom.  Instructors monitor student progress, review student assignments, and help address particular student difficulties. 
EPGY instructors have a thorough knowledge of their subject areas as well as expertise in using technology to provide advanced instruction to gifted students. To ensure success, students should be in constant contact with their instructors electronically. They may also seek help from their parents or other family members when questions arise.

Computer Requirements
The EPGY courses are Web-based and run on computers with Windows XP/2000 or Macintosh OS X 10 3/4.  Computers must have browsers that support Flash and Java plug-ins. Click here for more information concerning Mac compatibility. Textbooks are not required.

Recommended Weekly Time Commitment
Students should expect to spend anywhere from two to eight hours per week on the course, depending on the age of the student and the level of the course.

Course Dates
EPGY courses begin on the first of each month throughout the year and last for three months. Registration and payment must be received at least one month prior to the desired start date.

Course Fees

The fee for EPGY courses is $530 per course per quarter (three months). The fee includes tuition, registration and shipping. Full payment for the first quarter of study is due at the

Math Courses

The K–7 mathematics program is a rigorous and complete elementary school level math curriculum with a strong emphasis in conceptual geometry and mathematical foundations from the kindergarten level through pre-algebra. Students should enroll in their current math grade level.

116. Accelerated K–2 Mathematics

Topics include counting, elementary set operations, addition and subtraction, measurement, multiplication, fractional parts, and shapes.

117. Accelerated 3–4 Mathematics

Topics include basic axioms of arithmetic: integers, symmetry, angles, polygons and operations with fractions.

118. Accelerated 5–6 Mathematics

Topics include an introduction to plane and solid geometry, sentential logic and sets, operations on fractions and mixed numbers, decimal arithmetic and percentages, functions and graphing, area and volume, prime numbers, and probability.

119. Honors Pre-Algebra Grade 7

The topics covered in grade 7 Mathematics are traditionally covered in a grade 7-8 prealgebra mathematics curriculum. Topics include the coordinate system, solving linear equations, surface area and volume, exponentiation, elementary statistics and trigonometry, absolute value, and graphing.

120. Beginning Algebra Grade 7

The first year of high school algebra. Topics: the real number system, equations and inequalities, polynomials and exponents, factoring and applications, rational expressions, graphing linear equations, linear systems, roots, radicals, and quadratic equations.

Language Arts Courses

The language arts program presents a rigorous curriculum with a strong emphasis in grammar and writing. Students should enroll in their current grade level.

121. Grades 2–6 Language Arts & Writing

The Language Arts and Writing course provides students with a systematic presentation of the essential elements of English grammar and mechanics, focusing on grammatical concepts, language conventions, and sentence-level writing. The content is divided into three curriculum strands: parts of speech, sentence structure, and sentence composition.

122. Grades 7–12 English Grammar

This self-paced grammar course is designed to help students understand the grammar of the sentence and make stylistic choices informed by their knowledge of grammar. Topics include effective subject and verb choice, active and passive voice, clause coordination and subordination, sentence fragments, comma splices, run on sentences, and phrasal modifiers, including verbal constructions for finite verbs.

University Level Math Courses

These courses, offered year-round, correspond to regular Stanford University courses. Students who successfully complete any of these courses and matriculate as undergraduates at Stanford may use these credits towards their bachelor’s degrees. Students attending other colleges and universities are eligible to apply to transfer the credit. All courses are billed per course. Each course is scheduled to take approximately 15 weeks to complete, although students may progress more quickly if they wish. Each course must be completed within six months of the student’s official start-date for that course. The tuition for each of the following courses is $765.

123. Linear Algebra

Prerequisite: Calculus C

This is an introductory course in Linear Algebra. Topics include linear spaces, transformations, matrices, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and linear operations.

Textbook: Linear Algebra, by Bronson

4 Stanford units.

124. Multivariable Differential Calculus

Prerequisite: Calculus C

This course covers differential calculus for functions of two or more variables. Other topics include vectors, curvature, partial derivatives and differentiability, directional derivatives and gradients, maxima and minima, optimization using Lagrange multipliers.

Textbook: Calculus: A New Horizon, 6th edition by Anton

4 Stanford units

125. Multivariable Integral Calculus

Prerequisite: Multivariable Differential Calculus

Integral calculus for functions of two or more variables. Topics include: double and triple integrals, change of variables and the Jacobian, vector fields, line integrals, independence of path and the fundamental theorem of line integrals, Green’s theorem, divergence theorem, and Stokes’s theorem.

Textbook: Calculus: A New Horizon, 6th edition by Anton

3 Stanford units

126. Introduction to Logic

Prerequisite: Precalculus with Trigonometry

Introduction to Logic is a standard introduction to sentential and first-order logic. Other topics include truth tables, inference rules, proofs and counter-examples, quantification, symbolizing English sentences, consistency proofs and independence.

Note: the text for this course is supplied by EPGY.

3 Stanford units

In addition to the courses listed above, EPGY offers other courses at the secondary and university levels. Information on these courses is available at http:// epgy.stanford.edu.