Why CGS?

Established in 1998, The Commonwealth Governor’s School (CGS)  is an Academic Year Governor’s School that provides gifted and highly motivated high school students with challenging academic courses. Based on a school-within-a-school model, this half-day program utilizes real-time interactive technology, field experiences, and team teaching to create a regional community of learners. Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford students are offered a rigorous program of study that emphasizes interaction with other talented students in the region. Students from twelve participating high schools attend one of six CGS sites.

Class of 2024 Academic Achievements

141

Graduates

7

Valedictorians

6

Salutatorians

100%

Enrolled in Higher ED

>1,200

AP Test taken in 12 Subject Areas

83%

Scored 3+ on at least 1 AP exam

56%

Scored 4 or 5

on an Ap Exam

>$4 Million

Scholarships Awarded to Graduates

Mission & Goals

To provide gifted and highly motivated high school students a challenging, differentiated, and interdisciplinary academic program of study in the core subject areas of English, mathematics, science, and social studies using non-traditional activities supported by technology at their sites.

  • To develop students who are prepared to succeed at the post-secondary level.
  • To develop students who are life-long learners, possessing critical thinking skills and individual and team problem-solving skills.
  • To develop students who are risk-takers and who will lead, participate in, and contribute to democratic and global societies.
  • To provide students with a learning environment that is active, student-centered, and adaptive to students’ individual learning styles and interests.
  • To provide learning experiences that are investigative, broad-based, and/or thematic, and integrate multiple disciplines into the area of study.
  • To encourage self-directed learning, self-understanding, and cooperation in the pursuit of new knowledge.
  • To provide students opportunities for choice in extended instructional activities.
  • To provide students opportunities for interaction with other communities of learners.

Program of Study

9th Grade

Honors English 9

Honors Algebra II

AP Environmental Science

AP European History

Research Skills & Writing (Culminating)

10th Grade

Honors English 10

Honors Geometry with Trigonometry OR

AP PreCalculus

AP Biology

AP US Government

Research Skills & Writing (Culminating)

11th Grade

AP English Language & Composition

AP PreCalculus OR

AP Calculus AB

Dual Enrollment Chemistry

AP US History

Research Skills & Writing (Culminating)

12th Grade

AP English Literature & Composition

AP Statistics OR

AP Calculus BC

AP Physics

AP Human Geography

Research Skills & Writing (Culminating)

MORE ABOUT STUDENT LIFE

Field Experiences

A field experience is a school-sponsored and school-chaperoned activity, which provides an effective means of accomplishing the stated goals of the instructional program. Field experiences are an important part of the CGS experience.



Purposes of these educational experiences include:

  1. Providing community-based learning opportunities
  2. Focusing on the four CGS community pillars of technology, community of leaders, community outreach, curriculum, and instruction focus
  3. Enabling students to participate in real-world problem-solving
  4. Building a regional community of learners through face-to-face educational experiences
  5. Reaching into the community as both learners and contributors


MORE ABOUT STUDENT LIFE

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do regulations of the Commonwealth of Virginia require differentiated services for gifted students?

    Answer: Yes.

  • Is Commonwealth Governor’s School (CGS) the only program of its kind in Virginia?

    Answer: CGS is 1 of 19 academic-year governor’s school programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VA Department of Education (VDOE) also supports summer governor’s school programs at both a regional and state level.

  • Do students need to be identified Gifted/FOCUS/SCOPE/TAG student in order to apply to CGS?

    Answer: No. Students become candidates through a multi-criteria application process that includes: ability test scores, achievement test scores, grades, teacher recommendations, portfolio, and an interview.

  • Does CGS offer a challenging program of studies?

    Answer: YES! CGS offers academically talented and highly-motivated students a challenging, college-level, differentiated, interdisciplinary, academic program in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

  • How is CGS funded?

    Answer: CGS receives additional state funding on a per-pupil basis. Over $1,000,000 additional state and grant funding is available for the region because of CGS.

  • Is CGS a separate school?

    Answer: No. CGS is a school-within-a-school program. Students spend half the day with their regional academic peers at a CGS site, and half the day at their home-based school. Students participate in home-based school classes, clubs, sports, fine arts activities, SCA, etc. Most CGS students report that they feel very connected to their home-based high schools.

  • Is the CGS curriculum based on the Advanced Placement (AP) concept?

    Answer: No. CGS incorporates AP recommended curriculum, but broadens it to incorporate interdisciplinary connections and the four CGS community pillars of technology, community of leaders, community outreach, curriculum and instruction focus.  AP test scores (as well as SOL test scores) are credited to the home-based high school.

  • Are CGS students guaranteed high school valedictorian or salutatorian honors?

    Answer: NO! However, due to the number of courses with weighted credits offered within CGS, students participating in the CGS program are often candidates for valedictorian or salutatorian honors.The opportunity to earn a high GPA is available to non-CGS students as well as CGS students.

  • Do CGS students have time for a social life?

    Answer: CGS students are normal teenagers. Most work very hard on their time management skills to enable them to maintain balanced academics, extracurricular activities, and social lives.

  • Do CGS students go on field trips?

    Answer: YES – the Virginia Department of Education requires that CGS students have field experiences.

    Learn More

  • How many courses do CGS teachers teach?

    Answer: CGS teachers teach on a block schedule, plan in teams, have duties both at CGS and a home-based school. They participate in extended-hour learning activities after school, evenings, weekends, and during the summer. These activities include tutoring, AP test preps, enrichment activities, community outreach, and professional development. Approximately half of CGS teachers balance teaching responsibilities at a home-based high school and at CGS. The other half teach in CGS exclusively.

    LEARN MORE

  • Do many CGS students withdraw from the program?

    Answer: No – approximately 10% of students have withdrawn in past years. New applicants fill vacated spaces. Students leave CGS for a variety of reasons, e.g., they feel more comfortable in a traditional structured learning environment; choose to use more of their time to pursue other goals or interests such as music, arts, drama, dance, sports, etc.; negative effect on GPA; not comfortable balancing CGS with home-based school activities; desire to select college-level courses in a single academic discipline; early graduation; moving; etc.

More About CGSVA

High School Diploma with options for Advanced Studies Diploma and Seals

Students who successfully complete the requirements of the Commonwealth Governor’s School receive an official Governor’s School seal issued by the Virginia Department of Education. In order to earn this seal and successfully complete the entire program, students must complete at least two years in the program including 11th and 12th grade, maintain a weighted GPA of 2.5 or higher in their CGS classes, and pass the CGS Culminating Research course and receive an elective credit.


All Commonwealth Governor’s School students sign the Early College Scholars agreement as ninth graders. Students who fulfill the requirements of the agreement receive the Early College Scholars seal on their diploma along with the Governor’s School seal.​

A large group of people standing on the steps of the capitol building

College Acceptances

100%  of CGS students go on to attend higher education. Our students have been accepted at institutions that include:


  • Art Institute at Washington, DC
  • Baylor University
  • Boston University
  • California Institute of Technology
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Clemson University
  • Cornell University
  • Harvard University
  • Purdue University
  • University of Virginia


And many more! See Full List Below.

College Acceptances