Onslow County Schools Academically and Intellectually Gifted Program

1. Onslow County Schools Academically and Intellectually Gifted Program Created by: AIG Specialists Onslow County Schools

2. How does the identification process work? • Anyone (parents, teachers, students, administrators, etc.) can refer a child for Academically/Intellectually Gifted (AIG) testing. • A Potential Development Team (PDT) at each school looks at the referral and required documentation to make a decision as to whether or not to proceed with testing. The process stops if it is determined that screening is not necessary at that time. If screening proceeds the following procedures will take place. • The student takes an aptitude test. Onslow County Schools (OCS) uses the Cognitive Abilities Test. • The student takes an achievement test. OCS uses the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. • The PDT looks at the student’s testing data, classroom performance, and motivation scales to determine eligibility and placement.

3. AIG and Onslow County Schools • Students recommended for AIG screening will be tested in the fall of third grade. • AIG screenings may also take place in the fall or spring for grades 3-12. • Students may be screened only once per school year. • Once a child is identified as an AIG student that identification is valid through grade 12. Students are not rescreened after they have qualified for AIG identification. • Each county in NC has their own criteria for placement into the gifted program. • Each state in the USA has their own identification standards. • Prior placement in another county or state will be honored until a student can be screened by OCS during the fall or spring testing window. • Test data from another county, state, or private institution will be considered for AIG identification but does not guarantee identification.

4. Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) • The CogAT is a test of reasoning skills. Itisnot like a spelling or a math test where if you know the words or the facts you can get 100%. There is no defined curriculum for the CogAT. It is an age normed test and the national average is 50th percentile. • The CogAT is notused to give an IQ score but is compared to one often.

5. CogAT Verbal Battery • Verbal Classification The student is given a list of three words that are alike in some way. The student is asked to choose a word, from a selection of five words, that is also alike in the same way. • Sentence Completion The student is given a sentence with a word left out and is asked to choose a word that makes the best sense in the sentence. • Verbal Analogies The student is given three words in dark type. The first two words go together. The third word goes with one of the answer choices. The student is asked to choose the word that goes with the third word the same way that the second word goes with the first.

6. CogAT Quantitative Battery • Quantitative Relations The student is given two problems numbered one and two with three answer choices. The student is to solve the two problems and determine if the answer is greater, less than, or equal to. • Number Series The student is given a series of numbers and is asked to decide which number should come next in the series. • Equation Building The student is given numbers and signs. The student is asked to combine the numbers and signs to get a solution that is an answer choice.

7. CogAT Nonverbal Battery • Figure Classification The student is given three figures that are alike in some way. They are given three answer choices and five pictures to choose from. They are asked to decide which figure goes best with the three answer choices. • Figure Analogies The student is given three figures. The first two figures go together; the third figure goes with one of the answer choices. • Figure Analysis The student is shown how a square piece of dark paper is folded and where holes are punched in it. The student is to figure out how the paper will look when it is unfolded.

8. Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) • The Reading ITBS consists of two tests. The scores are combined to give an overall reading achievement score. • Vocabulary • Reading Comprehension • The Math ITBS consists of three tests. The scores are combined to give an overall math achievement score. • Math Concepts and Estimation • Math Problem Solving and Data Interpretation • Math Computation

9. AIG Identification • Students scoring at 92% or above on both the CogAT and the ITBS will be considered for AIG identification. • Students scoring at 92% or above on either the CogAT or ITBS will need additional indicators to be considered for AIG identification. These indicators may come from motivational scores, student work samples, report card grades and EOG/EOC scores. • The PDT will review all information and make an identification decision. • Students will be identified as AIG Reading only, AIG Math only, or AIG Reading and Math.

10. AIG Service Options • Students will be served in the curriculum area(s) determined by their AIG identification results-Reading, Math, or both areas. • OCS uses several models for service options. • “Pull Out” service is when students are taken out of their classroom to work on differentiated curriculum. • “Inclusion/Co-Teaching” service is when the AIG Specialist and the classroom teacher plan and teach the entire class together in the classroom. • “Consultative” service is available for students that qualify for the AIG program. Consultative service will be recommended by the PDT or may be requested by the student’s parents for various reasons. The AIG Specialist and classroom teacher will meet regularly to discuss individual students in this situation. • All service models are flexible and may change according to the school’s or students’ needs.