Parents of gifted children are praising the progress their kids have made while enrolled in Mallinckrodt Academy in Missouri, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Within the last two years, officials from the St. Louis Public Schools have worked to take this institution, which was once listed for closure, and transform it into a top-tier magnet school for gifted children, the news source stated. Mallinckrodt Academy is designed to cater to the demand for accelerated learning in the area.

Many feel that Mallinckrodt can also serve as an alternative to Kennard Classical Junior Academy, a St. Louis magnet school for gifted children that is difficult to get into, according to the news outlet. In order to enroll at Kennard, students must complete an IQ test and receive a minimum score of 125.

In 2010, a total of 115 students applied for the 61 openings at Kennard, the news source reported. Some of the pupils who were not accepted turned to Mallinckrodt.

Gifted children are considered to demonstrate high levels of aptitude in one or more domains, according to the National Association for Gifted Children. As a result, parents will want to make sure they identify their kids' gifts early on so they can place them in the right school. A kids IQ test may prove helpful during this process.