AIG PROGRAM

Kindergarten through Second Grade:

• Talent Development Classes

  • Our Talent Development (TD) program is designed to introduce our youngest learners to a variety of thinking skills that they can utilize to solve problems and to guide their critical thinking process. The AIG Coordinator provides our first and second graders with two lessons per month utilizing the Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) program.

• WIN Time: What I Need

  • During this block of the day, scholars are grouped with academic peers to focus on the skills they need to be a successful learner. These lessons are often taught with curriculum materials differentiated for advanced learners.

• Early Admission to Kindergarten

• Single Subject Acceleration

• Grade Level Acceleration

• Afterschool Enrichment Activities such as Robotics or Chess

Grades 3 through 5

• Cluster grouping in Math and ELA for AIG identified scholars

• Differentiated ELA curriculum for AIG identified scholars

• Single Subject Acceleration

• Grade Level Acceleration

• Afterschool Enrichment Activities such as Math Olympiads, Odyssey of the Mind, Robotics, and chess.

Grades 6-8

• Honors ELA classes

• Compacted math programs

• Single Subject Acceleration

• Grade Level Acceleration

• Afterschool Enrichment Activities such as Math Olympiads, Odyssey of the Mind, Robotics, and chess.

Grades 9-12

• Honors Classes

• Advanced Placement (AP) Classes

• Dual Enrollment

• Early Graduation

• Global Studies Diploma

• Ellinomatheia Exam (certificate of proficiency in Greek language)

• Apply to NC Governor’s School

All Grade Levels

• Social and Emotional Lessons specific to AIG scholars are embedded into our program

Formal gifted identification occurs at the end of Second Grade. All second grade scholars are universally screened for aptitude (a scholar’s natural ability) through the CogAT test and for achievement (what they have learned) through MAP testing. AIG Identified scholars are placed in cluster groupings for reading and/or math at the start of 3rd grade.

At the end of each school year, scholars with at least one qualifying score are screened for qualification for the next school year.

Re-screening: Scholars will be re-screened during the first week of summer vacation in order to receive services during the upcoming school year.

When your scholar is accepted to Socrates Academy, please inform the registrar if they received AIG services at their previous school. The AIG Coordinator will confirm this and an appropriate classroom decision will be made. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Holder at KHolder@SocratesAcademy.us.

Talent Development supports our school’s mission by ensuring gifted student growth and achievement through a system of support, programming, and advocacy. Our gifted students will have resources to maximize their potential as appropriate to their educational needs and talents. TD has been added to our program because:

• All scholars benefit from opportunities to expand their thinking skills.

• Not all scholars enter school on an even playing field. It is our responsibility to nurture every scholar’s potential.

• Talent Development provides greater opportunities for identification.

• Achievement and giftedness are not the same. All scholars have a right to be successful.

Socrates Academy recognizes that giftedness should be nutured throughout a child's educational journey. Our Talent Development program begins in Kindergarten for all scholars. Formal gifted identification occurs at the end of Second Grade. Our AIG self-contained cluster classes for identified AIG scholars begin in Third Grade.

TD stands for talent development.

• ALL K-2 students receive enrichment through regularly occurring Talent Development lessons led by the Elementary AIG Coordinator (Mrs. Rohde)

• Students who are not identified as AIG, but demonstrate a need for enrichment in grades 3-5 will receive TD through WIN.

AIG stands for academically and intellectually gifted.

• AIG is a formal identification that entitles scholars to services.

• Formal identification happens at the end of 2nd Grade through CogAT testing and Gifted Rating Scales.

• ALL scholars will be evaluated for identification.

• Identified scholars receive a Differentiated Education Plan (DEP) that outlines their services.

Socrates Academy uses both a referral process and a screening process when searching for student nominations, evaluating student data, and starting the identification process. A student is considered screened for gifted services when he or she is evaluated using an instrument approved for gifted identification.

Scholars may be gifted in different ways. Socrates Academy is committed to serving scholars with a range of gifts and talents. We've expanded our identification to include 5 different identification types. Identification labels are based on a combination of Gifted Rating Scales, aptitude test scores and achievement test scores. In no particular order, Socrates Academy identifies scholars in the following ways:

• AI - Academically and Intellectually Gifted

• AG - Academically Gifted

• IG - Intellectually Gifted

• AM - Academically Gifted in Math

• AR - Academically Gifted in Reading

Yes, Socrates will rescreen one additional time. After that, parents may have their child rescreened at their expense. Rescreening Criteria: Socrates Academy will offer one additional aptitude test for a student if the following criteria is met for rescreening during the student’s time as a scholar at Socrates Academy.

• 3rd graders: L5 on Beginning of Grade Test (BOG).

• 4th - 5th graders: Prior year’s EOG L5 in either math or reading, teacher recommendation, parent/guardian nomination, or self-nomination for re-screen at the end of the school year.

• 6th - 11th graders: Teacher recommendation, parent/guardian nomination, or self-nomination for re-screen at the end of the school year.

The AIG Team (in conjunction with the EC/ESL team) can decide to use either the CogAT or NNAT as a second test to determine a new aptitude score based on the needs of the student. Parents/Guardians of these students receive a Consent to Evaluate form and a copy of the Parent Rights - Due Process. Testing does not begin without the expressed consent and signature of the parent/guardian. Once evaluation is completed, parents/guardians receive written notification. If a student qualifies for services, the parent/guardian is invited to the school for a conference to discuss gifted services and to sign the student’s documentation agreeing to or declining services at the beginning of the new school year.

The AIG “Watchlist” is a list of scholars that may benefit from or who are anticipated to meet the criteria for re-screening. The “Watchlist” is generated from MAP testing data as well as referrals from teachers, parents, community members and scholars. Referrals can be submitted using the AIG Referral Form on the Socrates AIG Website. Scholars on the Watchlist may receive an Enrichment Plan to supplement their core curriculum until re-screening occurs at the end of the current school year.

Parents and guardians have the right to deny AIG services. Services will be reviewed annually with the AIG Coordinator during DEP (Differentiated Education Plan) conferences. The AIG Service Waiver form can be found HERE.

No! Gifted scholars are gifted all day. Through Socrates Academy's cluster and push-in model, AIG services will replace or enrich existing curriculum. Gifted scholars will not be pulled out of classes for services eliminating the need for make-up work at home.

The National Association for Gifted Children and the North Carolina Association for Gifted Children both have excellent resources for parents. Both parent resources pages are linked above. We highly recommend parents of gifted children familiarize themselves with the nature and needs of their scholars as gifted learners.

You can find Socrates Academy's Early Entry policies and procedures HERE.

• National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)

• North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT)

Offers a website and a podcast, “They’ll Be Fine”