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FARMINGTON HILLS, MI. July 21, 2010 — An independent school association awarded full membership status to Steppingstone School for Gifted Education. Kiyo Morse, head of school, reported, "This was a very rigorous process, and we are very pleased that our school has been fully accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)."

The nationally recognized ISACS school accreditation process involves a repeating seven-year cycle of required activities and written reports that covers all aspects of each school’s operation. These reports are assembled into a self-study document that is reviewed by an on-site visiting team of ISACS teachers and administrators seeking congruence between the written reports and their findings during a three and one-half day observation. An extensive written report is issued by the visiting team.

Morse added, “I was very proud of our faculty, staff, trustees, and parents for the work that went into gaining approval and achieving accreditation from this third party assessment team of professionals."

ISACS is a membership organization of 230 independent schools from 13 states of the Midwest region. The purpose of ISACS is to promote the development of strong learning communities characterized by high achievements, social responsibility, and independence of governance, programs, and policies. This goal is achieved through a rigorous accreditation process, targeted professional development programs, and focused support services.

Steppingstone School for Gifted Education is an elementary and middle day school (Kindergarten – Grade 8) with a full academic and enrichment curriculum dedicated to addressing the unique and individual needs facing many gifted children. Steppingstone was founded in 1981 by the current head of school, Kiyo A. Morse, to help a group of families who urgently needed an educational program for their gifted children.

After more than 25 years of development, the curriculum provides integrated in-depth studies and enrichment as well as problem solving and critical thinking skills. Supplementing the basic curriculum, the school also offers fine arts, foreign languages, discovery science, computer education, and physical fitness.

Steppingstone will be moving to a new location in Farmington Hills this fall – the former Holiday Chevrolet dealership at 30250 Grand River in the fall. "Our school is unique and our students do best when challenged. We see the repurposing of this building as a unique and challenging project to integrate into their learning," Morse emphasized.

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI. June 21, 2010 — Students at Steppingstone School for Gifted Education surprised even their Head of School when seventy-eight percent of the test-takers qualified for the Northwestern University Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS). Thirty students in grades three through eight scored in the 95th percentile or higher on the nationally normed IOWA Test of Basic Skills.

Some elementary schools with hundreds of students would be pleased to have twenty-one students qualify for NUMATS, but Steppingstone has only 30 students in third through eighth grade and a total of 52 students school-wide, which makes this feat even more remarkable. The remaining six students who did not qualify were only one to six percentile points short of qualifying.

"I am not aware of any school performing at this level," said Tom Herbst, former Head of School of Kensington Academy and current Assistant Head of School at Steppingstone. "Last year approximately fifty percent of our students qualified, so this represents a fifty percent improvement."

Head of School Kiyo Morse attributed this dramatic increase to the curriculum. "Many of the students were new to our program last year, and they were learning the ropes," Morse said. "But, this year, they are seasoned veterans and are making use of the skills we've taught them."

Steppingstone's teaching system, called the Akaba method, provides individualized education for every student. "We challenge each student at their academic level," Morse said. "That means that a student who is socially a fourth grader could be taking seventh grade math and doing college level reading." Equally important is that Steppingstone students, who are all gifted, socialize with students who are like themselves."

"It's not unusual for a first grader and eighth grader to carry on a discussion of some substance where each contributes," Morse added. "It's the environment of appropriate academic challenge, staff teamwork, and appreciation of each other's abilities that allows our students to perform at their best. I'm really proud of our students and staff for what they have achieved."

Steppingstone School for Gifted Education is an elementary and middle day school (Kindergarten – Grade 8) with a full academic and enrichment curriculum dedicated to addressing the unique and individual needs facing many gifted children. Steppingstone was founded in 1981 by the current head of school, Kiyo A. Morse, to help a group of families who urgently needed an educational program for their gifted children.

After more than 25 years of development, the curriculum provides integrated in-depth studies and enrichment as well as problem solving and critical thinking skills. Supplementing the basic curriculum, the school also offers fine arts, foreign languages, discovery science, computer education, and physical fitness.

Kiyo A. Morse, Head of School since 1981, holds BS and MS degrees in population genetics and immunology from the University of California. Her experience as a research scientist at the University of California and with the Swiss National Red Cross in Bern provided her with the expertise to serve as a science mentor for gifted students in the Plymouth-Canton Schools. She served for three years on the steering committee of the Plymouth-Canton Association for the Academically Talented (PCAAT).

In daily interaction with hundreds of students, Morse has gained deep insight into how gifted children think about themselves and their world. In addition to all the responsibilities of daily and long-term school operations, she attends a wide variety of seminars and workshops on gifted education, nationally as well as locally. She is particularly interested in the social and emotional aspects of total child development.

Torrance, Calif. – March 27, 2009 – Toyota and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) awarded Farmington Hills’ Steppingstone School for Gifted Education teacher Philip Morse a $10,000 Toyota TAPESTRY grant for excellence and innovation in science education. Morse was honored for his outstanding science project on March 20 at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, La.

Morse’s grant money will go toward the acquisition and maintenance of electronic resonance equipment, data analysis software and laboratory space and materials to create a functional working lab. This facility will provide a place for students to conduct hands-on experiments as they study biochemistry and biophysics.

"Supporting excellent teachers who can excite and energize their students is a great way to make an impact on future generations," said Michael Rouse, Toyota’s vice president of philanthropy and community affairs. "TAPESTRY's reach over the past 19 years has allowed countless numbers of students to be inspired by the possibilities of science education."

Morse has been teaching for 33 years, 25 of those as a university professor in the area of physical biochemistry. He has worked at Steppingstone School for the past eight years.

Sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and administered by NSTA, Toyota TAPESTRY is the largest annual K-12 science teacher grant program in the United States. Award-winning projects are selected from three critical areas for today’s youth: environmental science, physical science, and science applications that promote literacy. Fifty grants of up to $10,000 are awarded each year, along with a minimum of 20 grants of up to $2,500 each. In total, Toyota awarded $550,000 in grants to 82 teachers in 2009. More than $8.5 million has been awarded to 1,064 teams of teachers throughout the program’s 19-year history.

Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs over 36,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $17 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.

Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $464 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S.

For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit www.toyota.com/community.

The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes more than 58,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.