Lenoir County Public Schools

1. Lenoir County Public Schools AIG Plan By: Jaclyn Summerlin & Caren McCarter

2. Lenoir County We reviewed Lenoir County’s AIG plan for this assignment. Lenoir County is located in eastern North Carolina. Lenoir County Public School system consists of 18 public schools. There are 9 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 3 high schools, 1 early college, and 1 learning academy.

3. Lenoir County’s Location

4. How is a child nominated for the gifted program in elementary, middle, and high school in Lenoir County? • Beginning in August, teachers observe students for any indicators that might demonstrate AIG needs. They collect samples of workand record observations. In December, teachers will be asked for AIG referrals. The teacher will then nominate a child for the gifted program through an AIG referral. • Parents may also nominate their child for testing to see if they qualify for the gifted program.

5. What are the legal guidelines and provisions regarding the gifted program in Lenoir County? • Lenoir County Public Schools developed the local AIG plan based on the NC AIG program standards adopted in July 2009. These standards were used to help develop and implement the gifted program of this county. Lenoir County’s AIG plan follows the six NC AIG program standards, which correlates to the categories presented in NC’s AIG legislation, Article 9B. This AIG plan has been approved by Lenoir County’s Board of Education, as well as NC DPI.

6. What is the assessment process for identification of gifted students in Lenoir County? • The process of identification of gifted students in Lenoir County is the same for elementary, middle, and high school.

7. Identification Process Timeline • The following is the timeline used throughout the K-12 schools to identify gifted students.

8. Identification & Assessment Process Continued… • Students referred for AIG will be evaluated using five criteria. The criterion used is Coleman, Gallagher, Harrison, and Robinson’s Multiple Indicators of Giftedness model. • Students must meet four out of the five criteria to qualify for AIG. • No single criterion can eliminate a student from consideration.

9. Identification & Assessment Process: Multiple Indicators of Giftedness • The 5 criteria assessed for giftedness in Lenoir County are: • Observation of Student • Student Performance • Student Aptitude • Student Achievement • Student Interest • Student Motivation to Learn

10. Identification & Assessment Process: Observation of Student • Communication • highly expressive • Motivation • Humor • Inquiry • questions concepts & topics, explores interests, experiments to find answers • Insight • Quickly grasps new concepts, makes connections easily

11. Identification & Assessment Process: Student Performance • Student performance can be shown by using various grades, work samples, or portfolios completed in the classroom. • Other tasks such as projects, oral presentations, or activities including rubrics can be used as evidence.

12. Identification & Assessment Process: Student Aptitude • A student’s aptitude can be shown by one of the following aptitude tests: • Cognitive Abilities Test • WISK IV • Naglieri II Non-Verbal Test

13. Identification & Assessment Process: Student Achievement • The following acheivement tests can be administered to determine if the student meets this criteria of giftedness: • Iowa Test of Basic Skills • Woodcock Johnson III

14. Identification & Assessment Process: Student Interest • The teacher and parents are given a behavioral checklist to complete for this criteria. • The checklist reflects the student’s interests such as: • Passions • Kinds of books he/she reads • What he/she likes to do • What his/her favorite subjects are • How he/she likes to work

15. Identification & Assessment Process: Student Motivation to Learn • The teacher and parents are given a behavioral checklist to complete for this criteria. • The AIG plan for Lenoir County recognizes that this criteria may not be met for some underachieving students because of the characteristics they display in the classroom.

16. What are the gifted students’ rights? What are the rights of parents/guardians of gifted students? • Gifted students have the right to an individualized DEP encompassing their abilities and strengths. • Gifted students and parents have the right to waive gifted education. They also have the right to refuse AIG evaluations when their child is referred. • Parents have the right to advocate for their gifted child. They can do this by referring their child for AIG testing, approving the DEP, and attending annual review sessions for the DEP. • According to Lenoir County’s AIG plan, standard 1, practice F, establishes policies that protects the rights of the AIG students and their parents/guardians. • These safeguards include forms, brochures, and procedures.

17. Student & Parents’ Rights Continued… • The following is a list of forms used to protect the students: • Consent for Evaluation • DEP • Notification of Evaluation Results • Decision for Non-Differentiation • Invitation to DEP meeting • Parental Request for Removal from AIG Services

18. Terminology Related to Lenoir County’s AIG Plan • AIG • Academically or Intellectually gifted • DEP • Differentiated Education Plan • Self-contained cluster • Homogenous grouping for AIG services • Resource Teacher/Pull Out Services • Addresses specific needs of AIG students • Differentiation • Applying the needs of students to the curriculum instruction • Nuture • If a teacher observes that a student may qualify for the gifted program, the teacher will begin to collect data, work samples, and record observations about the child. These students may require extra differentiation but do not receive gifted services.

19. Gifted Services at the Elementary School Level • In Lenoir County, the gifted services for elementary students varies by year. However, there are two options: • Self Contained – The gifted students are in a self contained classroom. They are clustered with other gifted students. They are taught by a licensed AIG teacher. • Pull Out – The gifted students are spread out between the grade level teachers in heterogeneously grouped classrooms. The students are pulled out by a AIG resource teacher at least once a week.

20. Gifted Services at the Middle School Level • In middle school, the gifted students are self contained in clustered classrooms. Therefore, they are homogenously grouped for core subjects such as ELA, math, science, and social studies.

21. DEP Service Options for K-8 • The following service options are also available for elementary and middle school students in accordance with their needs & DEP.

22. Gifted Services at the High School Level • In Lenoir County, there are 3 different high schools. Each high school provides slightly different DEPs for their gifted students, however, there are many similarities between the three.

23. Gifted Services at the High School Level • Each high school offers honors and AP courses for the gifted students. • Kinston High School offers the IB program for juniors and seniors. The IB program is an International Baccalaureate advanced studies program. • South Lenoir High School offers PLTW program for all high school gifted learners. PLTW stands for Project Lead The Way for engineering.