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WELCOME!!!

Academically Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Program & Services

9/16/2025

Goals:

Meet and Greet
Share district information
Give a brief overview of what AIG services look like here

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Mrs.Sensbach- jessica.sensbach@orange.k12.nc.us

919-732-9326 ext. 40754

Bachelor's Degree in

Elementary Education from

Appalachian State University

K-12 AIG Licensure from

Duke University

Montessori Certified Pre-K-5th
12th year teaching
4th year at River Park

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Amy Price: amy.price@orange.k1.2nc.us

919-732-9326 ext. 40900

Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree

(Elementary Education)

National Board Certified Teacher
NC AIG Licensure Add-On
30 + years of teaching experience

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Preparing every learner for lifelong service and success

VISION

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Engage, Challenge, Inspire

Educating students in a safe, inclusive environment where we engage, challenge, and inspire them to reach their maximum potential.

MISSION

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AIG in Orange County Schools

In Orange County Schools, we believe that giftedness exists within all ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic groups, that students demonstrate gifted behaviors in many ways, and that gifted learners have unique learning needs. We aim to provide a program of inclusive gifted education that recognizes and responds to diverse outstanding abilities.

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State Laws and Regulations Regarding AIG

From Article 9B:

"... Academically or intellectually gifted students require differentiated educational services beyond those ordinarily provided by the regular educational program."

From NC Department of Public Instruction:

Enhance Complexity & Depth of NC Standard Course of Study both in and out of the regular classroom.

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The General Assembly believes that public schools should challenge all students to aim for academic excellence and that academically or intellectually gifted students perform or show the potential to perform at substantially high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. 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. 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. (1996, 2nd Ex.Sess.,c.18, s.18.24(f).)

North Carolina Academically or Intellectually Gifted Program Standards

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K-2: “Experiences and Exposures”
3-5: “Talent Development”
6-8: “Agency and Independence”
9-12: “Planning for the Future”

Grade Span Organization of Programming

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In March 2021, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Division of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education highlighted the OCS AIG grade span organization as a Promising Practice for NC’s Call to Action for Equity and Excellence strategic initiative.

Programming is organized by grade span, with each grade span having a specific purpose. The purpose of programming in Kindergarten-2nd grade is to expose all students in those grades to activities, text, and tasks that require various kinds of higher-order thinking, such as divergent and inventive thinking. The purpose of programming in grades 3-5 is to provide AIG students with learning opportunities to develop their talents in their area or areas of identification. The purpose of programming in grades 6-8 is to continue to provide opportunities for AIG students to develop their talents in their area or areas of identification while providing them with a greater opportunity to make choices about their learning. The purpose of programming in high school is to provide opportunities for students to develop deep knowledge and skills in their area or areas of identification, and to begin to think about their futures beyond high school.

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Flow of Communication

Step 1: Classroom teacher and/or AIG specialist
Step 2: Principal
Step 3: Director of Integrated Academics
Step 4: Executive Director of Elementary or Secondary Instruction
Step 5: Chief Academic Officer
Step 6: Superintendent

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Social and Emotional Wellness

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Standard 3

Another important component of our AIG plan is a system of support for AIG students' social and emotional needs. We will use a 3-tiered approach to addressing these needs.

Tier 1 supports are utilized for all AIG students. This includes the use of cluster grouping to provide students with an intellectual peer group, opportunities to choose activities and participate in leadership roles, such as student government, and extracurricular activities like Future Problem Solvers and environmental clubs.

Tier 2 supports are available for AIG students who require support beyond the Tier 1 level. At tier 2, the classroom teacher, AIG specialist, and school student support personnel collaborate to identify what a student is having difficulty with, and provide support. This might include some targeted social skills work or a method called bibliotherapy, where students use literature to identify and find solutions to problems they are facing.

Tier 3 supports are available for AIG students who need more ongoing, intensive social and emotional support. Students may receive formal student support services at this level.

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“What” we do

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Service Models (the “how”)

CO-TEACHING

CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION

SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION

CLUSTER GROUPING

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Standard 3

OCS uses a variety of methods to deliver the enriched curriculum and differentiated instruction that AIG students need.

One of the most important practices is cluster grouping, which is when a group of AIG students, usually 5-9, are placed in the same class. Because there is a group of students with similar needs, the students have an intellectual peer group, and both the classroom teacher and the AIG specialist can provide the group with enrichment.

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Consultation and collaboration between the AIG specialists and the classroom teachers is ongoing. This allows the AIG specialists to know what is going on in the classroom and provide resources and suggestions for enrichment.

Push-in/Co-teaching- this is when the AIG specialist goes into the classroom and teaches with the classroom teacher, embedding enrichment and differentiated instruction into the lesson

Pull-out Resource- this is when AIG students go to the AIG specialist's classroom to work on units of study or special projects that enrich or extend what is being taught in the classroom

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Considerations to Determine Participation in Small Groups

Reading:

*AIG identification

*Reading levels determined by MClass and HMH testing

*Consistent Classroom performance

Math:

*Math pretest scores

*Teacher recommendation

*AIG identification

*Consistent Classroom Performance

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What is the difference between identification and Nurturing?

Identification:

A student is identified using a combination of district/ state/national testing and consistent performance in class in an area. A formal meeting is held with the Needs Determination Team with parent consent. A DEP (Differentiated Education Plan) is written by the AIG specialist and signed by the parent.

Nurturing:

A student is nurtured when they have consistently high performance on classroom/district testing but has not yet been through the formal identification process. The student shows that enrichment and more rigorous learning is required for the student to meet potential.

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Reading and Math Group Information

Reading

K-2nd

-reading during class

-materials provided

3rd-5th

-Has assigned reading for homework

-Will use composition notebooks (kept in class)

Math

K-2nd

-projects/activities in class

-materials provided

3rd-5th

-Groups are based on Pre-Test scores

-Will use 2 pocket notebooks (kept in class)

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K-2 Enrichment

Whole Group Enrichment Lessons- We are doing project based activities this year to ALL STUDENTS in kindergarten, first, and second grade. These activities will focus on critical thinking skills, team building exercises, creativity, curiosity, growth mindset, and hands on exploration.

Math or Reading Enrichment- These small groups are data driven and evidence based with a cut off score needed at times. Students who perform above average in math and reading, and fall in the determined score range, can attend small group enrichment. Small groups change throughout the year based on data and/or teacher evidence of student performance.

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Attend parents/guardians information sessions
Read information and updates in newsletters
Visit the AIG page of the district website
Participate in parents/guardians surveys
Volunteer in schools
Serve as a parent/guardian representative on the AIG Advisory Committee

Opportunities for Family and Community Involvement

Please check out our website for more information and to donate important supplies for groups!

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QUESTIONS & FEEDBACK