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.
