Lee County Schools AIG Plan

1. Lee County Schools AIG Plan 2013-2016 The purpose is to inform and communicate

2. State Definition of AIG Students, 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.

3. State Definition of AIG Students, Article 9B (N.C.G.S. § 115C-150.5) 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.

4. State Definition of AIG Students, Article 9B (N.C.G.S. § 115C-150.5) 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.

5. State AIG Program • ACADEMICALLY OR INTELLECTUALLY GIFTED • CONTACT • Sneha Shah-Coltrane, Director, Gifted Education and Advanced Programs • http://www.ncpublicschools.org/academicservices/gifted/

6. Lee County Schools • Dr. Lynn Warren – Director of Special Programs and Projects • Karen Foushee-Cameron District AIG Lead Teacher

7. AIG Team here at Deep River Elementary: • 4th Grade: May Dell Floyd • 5th Grade: Angela Spurlin (Language Arts) Brandon Morehouse (Math) ** AIG Committee : Representatives from each grade level, an administrator, ESL, psychologist or guidance, AIG lead contact.

8. Lee County AIG Plan • Revised Spring of 2013 • AIG Advisory Council • Surveys to students, parents, and educators • Subcommittees: • Parent Communication • Review of the Lee County AIG Plan Reviewed by the Curriculum and Instruction Committee Board of Education adopted June 11, 2013

9. K-3 Nurturing • Begins with teachers observing students for gifted characteristics using the Teacher’s Observation of Potential in Students (TOPS) form • Categories include: Learns Easily Show Advanced Skills Displays Curiosity & Creativity Has Strong Interests Shows Advanced Reasoning & Problem Solving Displays Spatial Abilities Shows Motivation Shows Social Perceptiveness Displays Leadership

10. K-3 Nurturing Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) Materials have been purchased for each grade level K-3. Begins with whole class activities to introduce the thinking skill. Then students are organized in flexible groups so that students may be nurtured in areas of strength as well as receive interventions in areas of need.

11. P.E.T.S. • Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) is a systematic enrichment thinking skills program for 1st and 2nd grade students.  Its purpose is to help primary aged students develop higher level thinking skills.  PETS follow the taxonomy of thinking skills outlined by Benjamin Bloom, presenting lessons in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. 

13. AIG Identification Criteria • Measuring Tool Score Points Weighting • Student Achievement • EOG 95th -100th Percentile 25 25% • 88th-94th Percentile 20 • 80th-87 Percentile 15 • Student Aptitude • CogAT 90th -99th Percentile 25 25% • *Use the Age Score % 85th -89th Percentile 20 • 80th -84th Percentile 15 • Student Performance • Grades 93-100 25 25% • 85-92 15 • 80-84 5 • *Use third quarter averages • Observable Student Behaviors • Renzulli AIG 9 very high 128-172 25 25% • Checklist of high 112-127 20 • Displayed • Characteristics Total 100% • Range to qualify • 70-100 points.

15. 4-5 Grade AIG • 4th & 5th grade AIG cluster classes -Directly served in regular classrooms with formally identified students and grade level peers -Jacob’s Ladder materials created by The College of William & Mary -students will be taught Common Core in reading and math -students will be expected to work 1-2 years beyond grade level in the core areas of reading and mathematics

17. Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program Intended as a supplement to the William & Mary language arts units, Jacob's Ladder targets reading comprehension skills in high ability learners. In the form of three skill ladders connected to individual readings in poetry, myths/fables, and nonfiction, students move from lower order, concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. For example, Ladder A moves students from Sequencing to Cause and Effect to Consequences and Implications. These materials are now available from gifted education publisher, Prufrock Press.

18. Elementary 4-5 Learning Environment at Deep River School • Describe how students are grouped- • 4th and 5th Cluster-grouped by homeroom. • 4th Grade: AIG/Enrichment students will switch to Mrs. Floyd’s class from 8:15-11:30 to be served in math, reading/language arts. • 5th Grade: Mr. Morehouse and Mrs. Spurlin • Block to provide enriched instruction for AIG and high ability students.

19. Computer-Based Instruction/Telecommunications Computer-based instruction can be used both to enrich the curriculum and to remediate specific skill deficits. This is particularly appropriate for gifted students having specific skill gaps (e.g., gifted underachievers, learning disabled, culturally diverse, and credit accrual).

20. Thematic Units Thematic units deal with information from various disciplines that is integrated under a broad based theme such as conflict, power, patterns, etc. Because it provides the opportunity to deal with content at a highly abstract level of sophistication, it is an appropriate way to modify curriculum for gifted students.

21. Curriculum Compacting Curriculum compacting is modifying or streamlining the regular curriculum in order to eliminate repetition of previously mastered material, upgrade the challenge level of the regular curriculum, and provide time for appropriate enrichment and/or acceleration activities while ensuring mastery of basic skills. Curriculum compacting can be implemented at any grade level and with minimum additional funding. Teachers do require training and support during implementation. During compacted time, students may pursue activities in their classroom, media center, or special resource center.

22. Mastery Learning Teachers design units of instruction with enrichment activities that students choose to pursue once they have demonstrated content mastery (85%) of the basic material. Reinforcement activities are also designed for students needing additional work or performing below mastery. The units are “learner based” but “teacher paced.” This allows teachers to appropriately pace the instruction for the entire class for an extended period of time (a marking period) and yet provide differentiation and an incentive for high performance. By “testing out”, students gain access to the enrichment activities. In a team situation, one teacher might take the “reinforcement group” and one the “enrichment group.” At the end of the unit, everyone begins again at the same place. In this way, enrichment and reinforcement groups remain flexible. This process is a district-wide option with the date of full implementation three to five years after initiation of plan.

23. Differentiated Units One of the most effective ways to deliver differentiated curriculum to gifted students is through designing differentiated units that incorporate individual learning abilities and levels of content and skill. This instructional design has proved to be an effective planning tool and is appropriate for gifted students in regular classrooms, part-time classes, resource settings, and full-time placements.

24. Tiered Assignments The teacher uses different levels of activities within a class to accommodate the needs and prior knowledge level of the student. Students may explore basically the same content but at different levels of complexity.

25. Yearly Performance Review AIG 17 If a Differentiated Education Plan (DEP) is not meeting the needs of a student and a more specific individual plan is needed, an Individual Differentiated Education Plan (IDEP) should be developed to support student growth. The purpose of the Annual Review is not to re-evaluate the student by taking him/her through the entire identification process. If the student is performing satisfactorily, complete the AIG 17 Yearly Performance Review of Progress indicating services to be continued and notify parents.

26. Annual Reviews The purpose of the Annual Review is not to re-evaluate the student by taking him/her through the entire identification process. If the student is performing satisfactorily, (80 % or higher on EOG, EOC, or grades) complete the AIG 17 Yearly Performance Review of Progress indicating services to be continued and notify parents. Sent home in the final report card.

27. Communication between the Teacher and Parents • Survey results reflect that this is an area which needs to be improved. • Examples of how we will communicate with you: • Lee County Website • Teacher Web Pages • Class Dojo / Calendar • Weekly Newsletter (4th)

28. PAGE – Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education • PAGE sponsors the Lee County Spelling Bee. • This year the Lee County Spelling Bee will be in February. • PAGE is asking that each school have their school Spelling Bee before Christmas • If you would like more information about PAGE please sign up at the end of the meeting to be placed on a communication list.

29. KaleidoscopeTwo-Week Summer Enrichment Program • Rising sixth graders • Two weeks in June • 8:00 – 12:00 at one of the middle schools • Parents provide transportation • Optional Washington, D.C. trip

30. Optional trip to Washington D.C.

31. Planning for Kaleidoscope • Registration for camp is around $30.00. • If you are interested in your child going on the Washington, D.C. trip start saving now. The trip for June 2014 will be around $697.00 if at least 70 students sign up for the trip. • More information will be provided for this year’s fifth graders in September.

32. Differentiated Education Plan

33. DEP • Service Options: • Learning Environment • ____ Enrichment • ____ Cluster Grouping • ____Math • ____ Reading • ____ Resource Class • ____Math • ____Reading • ____ Cross-Grade Grouping • _____Math • _____Reading • ____ Grade Acceleration • ____ Dual Enrollment • ____ Other (Please specify): _________________________________

34. DEP • Service Options: • Content Modification Learning Centers Computer-Based Instruction Thematic Units Curriculum Compacting Mastery Learning Differentiated Units Tiered Assignments Contracts Independent Investigations Individualized Differentiated Education Plan (IDEP) Other (Please specify):

35. Signing the Differentiated Education Plan (DEP or AIG 7) • At this time Or • At an individual parent conference

36. Question and Answer Tme

37. Additional slides follow… • Additional slides follow which you may or may not decide to use.

38. Your search begins at the beginning of the school year. • All teachers will be given the Renzulli checklist. • The checklist is to be completed over time. • What are the opportunities within your classroom for the student to demonstrate these behavior?

39. Enter into the database in January … • CogAT scores - Use the Age Score % • You will not use or enter the Composite score. • Enter scores for Verbal, Quantitative, and Non-verbal scores even if the score is below the criteria cut off score. • For math, during the decision making stage, you will use the higher of the two - Quantitative or Non-verbal. • Invite all third and fifth grade teachers to the AIG Team meeting to analyze the data and discuss the students. • Is there a student who should be added to the pool?

40. Enter into the database at the end of third quarter… • The averages for the first three quarters for reading and math for all of the students who are in the pool or for any students who you think should be considered for the AIG program. • Complete and enter the Renzulli checklist for all students who are in the pool. • Analyze the data and discuss the students. • Is there a student who should be added to the pool?

41. At the end of the year enter.. • Enter the End-of-Grade % for math and reading. • Analyze the data and make a final decision for each student in the pool. • Complete the AIG 11 database and e-mail a copy of the file to Dr. Warren, one to your principal, and one to your NCWISE operator.

42. Annual Reviews • Use AIG 17 Year Performance Review of Progress (Annual Review) • Send home a copy in the final report card.

44. “Selection of students for special programs should be based on a relatively equivalent balance of tests and non-test based information.” Joseph Renzulli

45. “The ultimate test of any identification system is the degree to which it has successfully identified students who can and do profit from and succeed in the educational programs that are provided.” Joseph Renzulli

46. “Some young people show their potential at certain times and under certain circumstances.” Joseph Renzulli • page vii of the manual

47. Gifted behaviors can be found "in certain people (not all people), at certain times (not all the time), and under certain circumstances (not all circumstances).“ Joseph Renzulli

48. Observation Observation is useful in recognizing children with high potential who are : • Culturally or linguistically diverse • Economically disadvantage • Twice exceptional

49. Observations • Over multiple time periods • Natural learning environments • Across settings • Across tasks • U-STARS pages 2-3

50. Positive’s and Negative of These Characteristics • High Energy • Intellectual Curiosity • Creative, original, and inventive • Good memory, ability to retain information • Perfectionist • Concern with moral issues and fairness • Analytical and critical thinker • Rapid learner • Sensitivity • Keen sense of humor