Standard 1: Student Identification
New Hanover County Schools' Gifted Education Plan, approved by the NHC School Board and NC Department of Public Instruction, is in effect for the 2022-2025 school years. Please visit our county AIG webpage for the new Gifted Education Plan.
The Identification Process:
The LEA's student identification procedures for AIG are clear, equitable, and comprehensive and lead towards appropriate educational services.
Identification: Formal identification for gifted services typically begins in 3rd grade.
Nominations: A student may be nominated for gifted services at any time throughout the year. Students can be nominated by a parent, a teacher, a peer, or students can nominate themselves. If you would like to nominate a child for gifted services, please contact Mrs. Powell.
Once nominated for services, data will be collected from the parents, teachers, and student. Once the data is collected, the Murrayville Match team will meet to determine if gifted services are appropriate or if additional data is needed.
The Match Team is composed of the Gifted Education Specialist, administrators, guidance counselor, and teachers. The team uses multiple criteria to evaluate gifted potential. The Match Team considers the criteria listed below in order to qualify for gifted services:
1. Aptitude (by standardized test scores) - Indicator of a student's capacity for learning
2. Achievement (by standardized test scores) - Indicator of a student's knowledge
3. Artifacts - Indicators of a student's potential to perform at substantially high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, and/or environment.(Observable Behaviors - frequency and/or intensity; Interest/Motivation - frequency and/or intensity);Work Samples/Performance on higher level thinking tasks)
Once a determination of service delivery has been made, the Match Team will notify parents.
Click here for the AIG Nomination Form
2023-2024 Timeline
3rd graders
August-February: Nominations (ALL 3rd Grade documentation due to Mrs. Powell on Friday, December 16th)
October: CogAT administered to ALL 3rd graders
January: Match Team Meeting to look at preliminary data / ITBS Testing window
February: Match Team Meeting to evaluate test results and determine service delivery for 3rd Grade
4th & 5th graders
August-March: Nominations
March: Match Team Meeting to look at preliminary data
February 26th-March 15th: CogAT and ITBS testing window
May: Match Team Meeting to evaluate test results and determine service delivery
*Nominations submitted after March will be evaluated in May/June in preparation for the Fall 2024 testing window.
*All rising 6th graders must be nominated prior to February in order to gather all documentation needed for the identification process prior to middle school.
Possible Outcomes of the Initial Match Team Meeting:
Doesn't Qualify: This determination means that the documentation reviewed regarding the student nominated indicated that the regular classroom curricula and differentiation in place in the regular classroom is a perfect "match" for the child's learning needs. Reevaluation in future years may take place if the data indicates a need for reevaluation. If no such data presents itself to the teacher, a child will not be reevaluated after already going through the evaluation process.
Continuation / Wait and Watch: This determination means that the documentation reviewed regarding the student nominated indicated that the regular classroom curricula and current level of differentiation in place is a perfect "match" for the child's learning needs, but there may be reason to revisit this child's data at a later date.
More Data Needed: This determination means that the documentation reviewed regarding the student nominated indicated that differentiated services beyond the regular classroom plan may be necessary, but the student needs to take an assessment to solidify the Match Team's decision. The Cognitive Abilities Test (aptitude) and/or the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (achievement) may be administered to confirm and complete the qualification process.
Evaluation After Testing (for those children who qualified for testing): The Match Team will meet again right after testing is complete to determine appropriate placement with the new data collected from testing. At this point the Match Team is reviewing two additional components:
Student Aptitude (standardized test)
Student Achievement (standardized test)
For a child to qualify in the AIG program, he/she must meet 2 out of 3 set criteria.
Outcomes After the Testing Evaluation Match Team Meeting:
Qualifies for AIG: Students who meet 2 of the 3 criteria for the AIG program will have a Differentitated Education Plan (DEP) written and sent home for a parent signature. Service start dates are determined on an individual basis. This determination means that the documentation reviewed regarding the student nominated indicated that differentiated services beyond the regular classroom plan is necessary to meet the child's learning needs. The Match Team uses the data/documentation to determine how advanced the child's learning capacity is. The Match Team will have analyzed how many years above the current grade level the child performs successfully. It is important to understand that a single test score does not determine level of service. The AIG Match Team uses the Body of Evidence's multiple data points to determine the appropriate level of service.
Doesn't Qualify: A student hasn't met 2 of the 3 criteria. The Match Team Record will be sent home for parent review and signature. This completed form is sent to the nominated child's parent(s) for:
1) notification of the Match Team's decision, and
2) a parent signature of acknowledgement that the notification of the decision has been received.
**It is important to understand that we do not identify children for the purposes of a specific placement in Middle School. We can take nominations at any time. However, nominations made after the final evaluation window in the spring will be evaluated during the following year's schedule.
Reevaluation After Qualification:
A student will never be taken out of the AIG Program. However, a student's service delivery method may change from year-to-year and/or be reevaluated if the data indicate a need for a change.
The teachers at Murrayville Elementary are continuously aware of students and their instructional needs. The AIG Match Team seeks to match the best level of service and service delivery method to each AIG student's specific need, based on data. A student's level of service and service delivery method(s) are initially determined upon qualification by the AIG Match Team. As time goes by, a student's academic needs may change, which means the data has changed. At that point, the AIG Match Team will reevaluate a student's service delivery options. Any time the data shows a consistent change, the AIG Match Team will reevaluate.
Grievance Policy: G.S.115C-150.8. Review of Disagreements - In the event that the procedure developed under G.S. 115C-150.7(b)(7) fails to resolve a disagreement, the parent or guardian may file a petition for a contested case hearing under Article 3 of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes. The scope of review shall be limited to (I) whether the local school administrative unit improperly failed to identify the child as an academically or intellectually gifted student, or (II) whether the local plan developed under G.S. 115C-150.7 has been implemented appropriately with regard to the child. Following the hearing, the administrative law judge shall make a decision that contains findings of fact and conclusions of law. Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes, the decision of the administrative law judge becomes final, is binding on the parties, and is not subject to further review under Article 4 of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes.
In compliance with Federal law, including Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, New Hanover County Schools administers all state-operated educational programs, employment activities, and admissions without discrimination because of disability, race, religion, national, or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, or gender except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.