Making Tomorrow Together:

New Hanover County Schools AIG Program and

Plan

Department of Public Instruction

DPILegislated State AIG Standards

Fall 2009The state releases the draft of newly legislated state standards and practices for AIG. There are 6 standards and 51 practices. The six

standards include: Standard 1: Student Identification

Standard 2: Differentiated Curriculum and InstructionStandard 3. Personnel and Professional Development

Standard 4. Comprehensive Programming within a Total School Community

Standard 5. PartnershipsStandard 6. Program Accountability

All schools are asked to fill out a needs assessment of the current AIG program for New Hanover County. Parent input was given from

individuals at various schools.

January-June 2010A writing team, made up of the AIG coordinator and six

Gifted Specialists, from both elementary and middle school levels, compiled data from the needs assessment to identify areas of need and potential improvement for our district’s AIG program. The Writing Team met with

Gifted Advisory Council to get additional input from parents and community members. The Writing Team

identifies 12 focused practices that will be the targeted areas for the 2010-2013 cycle. The team also identified

areas of future focus that will be targeted in the next cycle 2013-1016. All other practices will be maintained,

as the current met the standards set by the state.

June 2010The new AIG plan is presented

to the Board of Education for approval. A document

outlining major changes in the AIG plan is reported by the

Assistant Superintendant for Instruction and Accountability, for the purpose of clarification.

Standard 1:Student Identification

This standard outlines how our district screens, refers, and identifies students for

the gifted program.

Area of FocusProcedures that respond to traditionally under-represented populations in gifted education. These populations include students who are culturally/ethnically diverse, economically disadvantaged,

English language learners, highly gifted, and twice-exceptional.

Criteria to qualify for the AIG program is the same at every school.

A student must meet 4 out of 5 criteria to qualify.

Once identified, a student’s level of service will be identified. There

are three level of service identification:

MODERATE

SIGNIFICANT

EXTENSIVE

Moderate DifferentiationThis level of differentiation is appropriate for

students functioning up to one year above grade level.

This level of differentiation can usually be accomplished by the classroom teacher, with

consultation from the Gifted Education Specialist.

At times, a student identified at this level may work in a pull out setting with the Gifted

Education Specialist, or the GES will team teach with the regular classroom teacher.

Significant Differentiation

This level of differentiation is appropriate for students functioning 1-2 years above

grade level.

The Gifted Education Specialist works with students identified at this level

through team teaching with the regular classroom teacher, resource pull out

classes, and/or content delivery.

Extensive DifferentiationThis level of differentiation is appropriate for

students functioning 3-4 years above grade level.

The Gifted Education Specialist works with these students in team teaching, resource pull out

classes, and/or content delivery.

Based on the individual student’s interests and needs, the GES may also access community

resources to meet the child’s needs.

Differentiated Service MenuOnce identified, a student’s service level will be matched with delivery options. These options

may vary from school to school, depending on the individual school’s needs. Examples of delivery

options are:• Consultation with Classroom Teacher• Curriculum Compacting• Cluster Grouping• Subject Grouping• Extension Resource Units• Pull-Out Resource Class• Cross Grade Grouping• Grade Skipping• Subject Skipping• Regional Service

Standard 2:Differentiated Curriculum

and InstructionThis standard demonstrates the

rigorous and challenging curriculum we offer our gifted students.

Area of FocusDevelopment of 21st Century skills,

including technology, global awareness, creativity and innovation,

collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving

Standard 3:Personnel and Professional

DevelopmentThis standard ensures that persons working with gifted students in our district are highly qualified.

Area of FocusThe district has developed Credentials for AIG (CAIG), a series of workshops to train classroom teachers, and eventually school counselors, in

working with gifted students. Once implemented, gifted students will only be placed in classrooms with teachers who have earned their credentials.

Gifted Education Specialists will receive training in implementing 21st Century Skills to ensure a

rigorous and challenging curriculum.

Standard 4:Comprehensive Programming

This standard promotes the development of K-12 programming and services, involving

the total school community.

Area of FocusThe district will improve communications between

schools and teachers, especially at key transition points (grade 6 and grade 9). The GES will meet

monthly for half day staff development to promote consistency among schools.

In the future, our district would like to develop programs relating to the social and emotional needs of gifted students. The county is also working toward the creation of a high school position to track and counsel identified gifted

students.

Standard 5:Partnerships

This standard promotes partnerships between the school, parents, and the

community at large.

Area of FocusThe GES will analyze and update our current

parent awareness strategies in order to improve communications with families.

In the future, we aim to offer families that speak another language information and literature about the AIG program, in their

native language.

Standard 6:Accountability

This standard requires that the AIG program be monitored to ensure that all programs and

services offered are effective.

Areas of Focus:The program will continue to analyze the needs of

the district, in order to write a comprehensive plan, which will monitored through individual

school site notebooks, outlining the specifics of each site’s implementation of the plan. The district will elicit feedback from parents and

community members to continue the development and improvement of the AIG

program. In the future, the district will develop a system to monitor the screening, referral, and identification

processes for traditionally under-represented populations.

Evaluation of the Program and Plan

Each district’s AIG program will be evaluated by the state, based on the

evidences the county provides for implementing the new standards. This

evaluation will be made public, as a New Hanover County AIG Report Card.

AIG Program and PlanAIG Program and PlanSarah Saia

Supervisor of Academically and Intellectually Gifted

For more information regarding the program and plan, please visit the

NHCS website:http://www.nhcs.net/instruction/aig/

index.htm