Academically and Intellectually Gifted

Orange County Schools’ Vision for Local AIG Program

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, committed to equity and excellence, that recognizes and responds to diverse outstanding abilities. We will provide a program of inclusive gifted education through:

• Screening, referral, and identification processes that recognize diverse forms of giftedness
• Differentiated curriculum and instruction that enriches and enhances the North Carolina Standard Course of Study 
• Comprehensive policy and programming aligned to the NC AIG Program Standards and district goals K-12
• Consistent and effective partnership with our diverse community
• Opportunities for high quality professional development

The NC AIG Program Standards (State Board  of Education Policy ACIG-000) provide a statewide framework for quality and comprehensive AIG programs and services, while honoring local context and flexibility. The standards serve as a vehicle for conveying expectations for local AIG programs and articulating best practices for local AIG programs. The standards are further utilized to guide the development, revision, and monitoring of local AIG programs. 

The OCS AIG plan is fluid and while the plan is submitted every three years to the state, it can be reviewed and revised as needed at the local level each year.

2022-2025 OCS AIG Plan: English | Spanish

2019-2022 AIG Plan  

Definition of Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted

Orange County Schools and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) define “gifted students” in the following way:  “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 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.”  All districts must develop an AIG plan that is in accordance with NC State Statute Article 9B.