What is AIG?

In North Carolina, state legislation mandates that public schools identify and serve academically or intellectually gifted (AIG) K-12 students. Each LEA determines how to identify and serve its own AIG student population. This honors local context and supports each LEA to do what is best for its own AIG student population. LEAs must adhere to state legislation, which guides LEAs and defines academically or intellectually gifted students (see below), and also use the NC AIG Program Standards, as a guide in the development of local AIG plans and programs. The State Board of Education approved NC AIG Program Standards provide a statewide framework for quality programming while supporting local context.

State Definition of AIG Students

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. Article 9B (N.C.G.S. § 115C-150.5)

Gifted Behaviors Checklist For Teachers

Helping My Child Thrive: https://helpmychildthrive.com/the-other-side-of-being-gifted/

Polk County students have a few paths to the AIG Elementary program.

Starting after the third grade BOG, a student scoring a 5 (95%) may be served but not identified as gifted; identification occurs in fourth grade. If a child scores a 120 on any part of the CoGAT, OR scores a 5 (93%) on an EOG, OR has a teacher/parent recommendation then the process starts for identifying the student.

For Kindergarten through Second grade there is a program called PETS (Primary Education Thinking Skills) which can be used to inspire/encourage creative and critical thinking. The lessons are designed to help teachers keep a record of which students may be learning at a faster rate or thinking more outside of the box and ahead of peers. For those students my role is to help the teacher (if needed) to find engaging activities to keep their minds moving at their potential.

AIG classes meet one day a week for ELA and one day a week for Math while integrating other subject areas during those times.

The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids: How to Understand, Live With, and Stick Up for Your Gifted Child by Sally Yahnke Walker, Ph.D. How can parents cope with the unique challenges gifted kids present? Parents learn what giftedness is (and isn’t), how kids are identified, how to prevent perfectionism, when to get help, how to advocate for their children’s education, and more. (Parents of children ages 5 and up) Annotations are taken from www.freespirit.com