The APAAS Summer Sprint is for students moving from grade 2 to grade 3. It gives full-day, concentrated training in the four areas assessed for the Irvine Unified School District’s gifted program selection: reading, math, creative writing, and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT). Classes have 6 to 8 students. There are two sessions to choose from, each about four weeks long, with subjects split between morning and afternoon.
Why the APAAS Sprint Runs in Summer
The grade 3 selection takes place during the school year, while students are also handling schoolwork. Summer is the only period when a student can give the work sustained, uninterrupted time. The four areas can be covered in blocks by subject, instead of squeezing in an hour or two each week. Once the main skill-building is done in summer, the school-year course only needs targeted review in the format of the assessment.
What Each Area of the APAAS Summer Sprint Trains
- Reading: progresses by the standardized reading level used in the assessment, training reading comprehension question types and answering speed.
- Math: covers the computation and word problems within the scope of the assessment, with a focus on reading multi-step problems carefully and solving them in the right order.
- Creative writing: trains complete written responses that meet the scoring requirements. Complete content and clear structure matter more than elaborate wording.
- NNAT: the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test measures pattern recognition in figures and spatial reasoning. Its question types are fixed, and becoming familiar with them in advance noticeably reduces unfamiliarity on test day.
A Weekly STAR Test in the APAAS Summer Sprint
The course includes one STAR test each week. STAR is a standardized assessment of reading and math level; we use it to track changes in both and to adjust the content that follows. EDUBUS is the only off-campus official STAR testing center in the Irvine area. Results are consistent with the assessment system schools use, so the data can be used directly to judge the level range a student is in.
APAAS Summer Sprint Full-Day Schedule
Families who enroll in the full-day program choose one of two options: extended care, or free lunch with midday supervision.
How the APAAS Summer Sprint Relates to the School-Year Course
The summer sprint provides concentrated training, and the school-year course provides continuous follow-up. The full school-year plan is on APAAS Prep: Grade 2 Foundations & Grade 3 Sprint. Program background and the selection process are covered in A guide to Irvine’s GATE and APAAS programs.
How to Start the APAAS Summer Sprint at EDUBUS
Start with a placement assessment. We use it to set the level and class, then confirm the year plan with the family. For schedules, tuition, and bundle offers, request the 2026-27 program guide through the form below.
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Contact a course advisorAPAAS Summer Sprint: Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Irvine APAAS assessment cover?
Four areas: reading, math, creative writing, and the NNAT. APAAS is the Irvine Unified School District Alternative Program for Academically Advanced Students. The summer sprint is built around those four areas, with subjects split between morning and afternoon over about four weeks per session.
How should Irvine families choose between the sprint and the school-year course?
They serve different moments. The sprint is concentrated full-day work in the summer before third grade, offered in two sessions of about four weeks each. The school-year track, APAAS Prep, runs weekly from second grade. Many families do the summer sprint first and continue during the year.
Why a STAR test every week?
To track progress. The sprint includes one STAR test per week, so families can see how the student is moving across the session rather than only at the end. EDUBUS is the only off-campus official STAR testing center in Irvine, and the tests are taken on site.
Is lunch or extended care included?
Full-day enrollment includes one of the two. Families choose either extended care or free lunch with midday supervision at the time of enrollment, and the two options are not combined. The exact hours follow the timetable published for each of the two sessions.
Does an Irvine child need separate NNAT prep?
It is already built into the session timetable. The NNAT is one of the four assessed areas, so it is scheduled alongside reading, math, and creative writing throughout the session rather than left to the days immediately before the test itself.
