Frequently Asked Questions
AIG 2024-2025
Do I need to contact you regarding my rising 6th grade AIG student?
AIG identification carries over from elementary to middle school within WCPSS. AIG records are sent with cumulative folders. We receive reports which indicate the names of our AIG students and their area(s) of identification.
How are AIG students served in middle school?
AIG identified students are mostly served in the math and/or language arts core classroom setting with their core teachers, the content specialists. They are not pulled for weekly/regularly scheduled classes like the elementary school model. Differentiation is approached with student readiness and learning interest in mind.
I collaborate with our math and language arts teachers during PLC meetings to plan differentiated lessons, activities and projects. I may join language arts or math classes and/or work with students in my classroom. I will meet with our AIG students during W.I.N. time on a three week rotation schedule. All gifted students will belong to a grade specific AIG online Canvas course for asynchronous enrichment.
If my child was identified as Academically or Intellectually Gifted in another school system, what process is followed to pursue identification in WCPSS?
Please notify me if your child is new to our school system and was identified as gifted at his/her previous school. There is a transfer reciprocity process to follow. A review of all gifted documentation from the previous school system is required before a student can transfer into our gifted program. Not all schools send complete documentation so it is helpful to have copies that you can provide to student services.
My child is not already identified as Academically or Intellectually Gifted but I believe he/she shows potential. My child is already identified in one area, reading or math, but I believe he/she shows potential in the other area. What do I do?
Parents may nominate their child for AIG testing. A written nomination is required and may be sent at any time of the year via email to dpilkington@wcpss.net. A few weeks prior to the fall and spring testing windows, a Google form is sent in the weekly Cougar Newsletter to collect information for nominated students.
Once a nomination is received in the Google form, data is collected including EOG performance, benchmark scores, student work samples and student grades. This information is shared with our School Based Committee for Gifted Education (SBCGE) so that a decision can be made on whether or not to refer the student for evaluation. Both the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (IOWA) are group administered to those students who are referred for evaluation. The SBCGE reviews all test scores in conjunction with previously collected data and determines if (a) the student qualifies for services, (b) the student does not qualify for services or (c) additional data is required to determine eligibility.
This process takes a semester to complete. Students who qualify begin receiving services at the start of the next semester.