WHAT IS AIG? AIG, is the gifted resource program implemented in New Hanover County Schools. This program provides a Gifted Education Specialist for each elementary school. The AIG Program is designed to serve children who are achieving far above grade level in Reading or Math and to provide support to the classroom teacher as they provide in class differentiation. At Codington the Gifted Education Specialist(GES) is Mrs. Karma Maples. As the GES, I collaborate with the classroom teachers to develop differentiated services to meet special needs through a variety of methods. They may include: cluster grouping, subject grouping, cross grade grouping, contracting within content areas, independent studies within the classroom, AIG resource classes, participating in a variety of contests and fairs, such as Science Fair, Math Fair, Young Authors Contest, National Geography Bee and Continental Math League Competition, and other strategies that reinforce individual needs. THE REFERRAL PROCESS A parent, teacher, or another person within the school can recommend a child for AIG services. If you think your child needs the services provided by AIG, talk to the classroom teacher or me. You will be asked to complete a referral/assessment form concerning the strengths of your child. Additional data will be gathered and evaluated by the AIG Service Match Team. Information and forms for the referral process can be found at www.nhcs.k12.nc.us/instruction/sage. This is the website for the coordinator of gifted services for New Hanover County Public Schools. THE AIG SERVICE MATCH TEAM AIG Service Match Team is composed of six classroom teachers, the Gifted Education Specialist, and an administrator. This team will review all of the information gathered on a student and determine if differentiation is required, and if so, what services will best meet the needs of the student. THE DIFFERENTIATED EDUCATION PLAN A Differentiated Education Plan (DEP) is proposed for those students who receive AIG services. The DEP will be sent home for a parent signature and filed in the student’s cumulative folder. A NURTURING PROGRAM KINDERGARTEN – 2ND GRADE The Nurturing Program was developed to pursue the exploration of ability among all students. This program is grounded in the belief that potential giftedness can be found among diverse groups of children. The K-2 nurturing component is an interdisciplinary program in math and language arts designed to prompt both academic achievement and thinking skills for all students. I will collaborate with the K-2ND grade teachers on differentiated strategies appropriate for K-2 students and provide teachers materials/activities that emphasize problem solving and critical and creative thinking skills. Services may also include the GES teaching with the classroom teacher to provide whole class resource activities. Kindergarten, First and Second Grades Differentiation services in these grades are based on the strengths of the individual student and are usually provided by the classroom teacher in consultation with the Gifted Education Specialist. I provide the teachers materials/activities that emphasize problem solving and critical thinking skills. Some students may need extensive differentiation (those continually performing three to four years above grade level) and receive extra services in an enrichment group. Enrichment group services may include book study and discussions, book projects, advanced vocabulary, vocabulary building, researching topics, keeping a journal, math explorations in geometry and algebra, algebraic thinking word problems, math problem solving using two-three operations, Continental Math League problems, real world problem solving using Marsano thinking skills. 3rd-5th SERVICES Academic AIG services for 1st-5th grade may be provided in the classroom by the classroom teacher in collaboration with the Gifted Education Specialist, and/or from the Gifted Education Specialist in a AIG resource area. THIRD GRADE Third graders participate in various differentiated units/contracts where they have the opportunity to further develop their skills in problem solving, planning, researching, reading, writing, and mathematics. Unit titles may include Geometry, Algebraic Thinking, Hands- on-Equations,writing a research paper, keeping a journal of advanced vocabulary and others units. Third grade may also participate in Continental Math League Contest. FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE Fourth and fifth graders who require resource services from the Gifted Education Specialist in language arts receive emphasis on vocabulary development, grammar, literary analysis, writing a research paper. Works of fiction, plays, and non-fiction are studied. In math, emphasis is on problem solving, geometry--tessellations and line designs, fractions, negative numbers, pre-algebra, and Hands-on-Equations. In addition to work done in class, there may be AIG homework. Parents will be given advanced notice if AIG students will be required to do a large amount of outside AIG homework. Both the 4th and 5th grade levels may also participate in the Young Authors Contest, Continental Math League Competition, National Geography Bee Competition, county science fair and a regional math fair.