The purpose of this website is to provide you with information about the AIG Program in Middle School. It will keep you up to date with opportunities for enrichment, important dates, and ideas and suggestions for working with your AIG student.
North Carolina defines AIG students in Article 9B (N.C.G.S. § 115C-150.5)
Academically or intellectually gifted (AIG) students perform or show the potential to perform at substantially high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experiences or environment. Academically or intellectually gifted students exhibit high performance capability in intellectual areas, specific academic fields, or in both the intellectual areas and specific academic fields. Academically or intellectually gifted students require differentiated educational services beyond those ordinarily provided by the regular educational program. Outstanding abilities are present in students from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.
“The General Assembly believes that public schools should challenge all students to aim for academic excellence” (Article 9B). The State Board of Education’s (SBE) mission is that “every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and post-secondary education and prepared for life in the 21st Century.” Therefore, quality and comprehensive AIG programs are essential in supporting these goals and the needs of gifted learners across North Carolina.
AIG programs in North Carolina are embedded within and responsive to the local context of an LEA and, as a result, give rise to differences among programs across the state. Therefore, the AIG Program Standards are critical in providing a statewide framework for quality programming, while still honoring local flexibility. In an effort to strengthen gifted education in North Carolina, these AIG Program Standards represent the SBE’s and DPI’s commitment to ensure that the academic, intellectual, social, and emotional needs of AIG students are being met.
Based on the AIG Program Standards, each district creates the local AIG Plan. This comprehensive document contains the information about how Hickory Public Schools will address and meet each program standard for elementary, middle, and high school students. The 2022 - 2025 AIG Plan has been approved by the Hickory Public Schools School Board as well as the NC State Board of Education. The plan contains information on identification, curriculum differentiation, personnel and professional development, programming, community partnerships, and program accountability.