North Carolina passed Article 9B: Academically or Intellectually Gifted Students in 1996. This article includes a formal statewide defination for AIG and outlines the mandate for school districts to create AIG programs. Each public school district or public charter school is required to develop a three-year plan explaining how their LEA (local education agency) will both identify and serve AIG students.

Article 9B defines Academically or Intellectually Gifted Students as those students who show high levels of performance or the potential for high levels of performance, relative to other students of the same age, with similar experience and from a similar environment. It is important to note that Article 9B states that gifted students come from all cultural groups across all ecomonic classes.

Since North Carolina districts create local AIG plans, they can look very different depending on your location. Regulations for gifted education is different in every state. In 2014-2015, the National Association for Gifted Children produced a State of States in Gifted Education report. This report provides specific information about gifted education policies and programs in each state.

The North Carolina State Board of Education developed six standards for AIG Programs. Each LEA must address these six standards in their plan before the plan can be approved by the local school board and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Standard 1: Student Identification

The LEA's student identification procedures fro AIG are clear, equitable, and comprehensive and lead towards appropriate educational services.

Standard 2: Comprehensive Programming within a Total School Community

The LEA provides an array of K-12 programs and services by the total school community to meet the diverse academic, intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted learners.

Standard 3: Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction

The LEA employs challenging, rigorous, and relevant curriculum and instruction K-12 to accommodate a range of academic, intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted learners.

Standard 4: Personnel and Professional Development

The LEA recruits and retains highly qualified professionals and provides relevant and effective professional development concerning the needs of gifted learners that is on-going and comprehensive.

Standard 5: Partnerships

The LEA ensures on-going and meaningful participation of stakeholders in the planning and implementation of the local AIG program to develop strong partnerships.

Standard 6: Program Accountability

The LEA implements, monitors, and evaluates the local AIG program and plan to ensure that all programs and services are effective in meeting the academic, intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted learners.