By Linden A. Cummings (AIG Coordinator )

1. Hoke County Schools’ AIG ProgramPersonnel and Professional Staff DevelopmentPRESENTATION NCAGT 38th ANNUAL CONFERENCE Winston-Salem, NC March 14, 2012 By Linden A. Cummings (AIG Coordinator)

2. PROFILE OF HOKE COUNTY Tucked away in the Sandhills of North Carolina lies Hoke County – its fragrant pine forests and expanses of fertile land make it the perfect pastoral setting. Hoke’s prime location – bordering Fort Bragg – offers the best of all worlds. Hoke boasts a small-town friendly atmosphere and superior quality of life, all within shouting distance of major metropolitan amenities without the “big-city” hustle and higher prices. Raeford, it main town is located 18 miles west of Fayetteville, 20 miles southeast of Southern Pines, 35 miles from Lumberton, 75 miles from Raleigh and 95 miles from Charlotte. Hoke county has a population of 46, 952 (2011), the majority of whom (56%) work in manufacturing and production occupations. The median household income is $33,230, well below the state average. Hoke’s poverty rate is 17.7%. The unemployment rate for Hoke County in 2011 was 9.6%. The school district’s free and reduced percentage as of June 30, 2011 was 67.55 %. Around 77.3% of Hoke County’s adult residents have a high school diploma; with approximately 12.1% having a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Hoke county has eight Pre-K-5 elementary schools, two 6-8 middle schools, one 9-12 high school, an early college program and an alternative school. Two of our elementary schools operate on a year-round calendar. We have a total student population of 8,223. Our AIG student population numbers 618; 302 females and 316 males.

3. Hoke County Schools’Academically/Intellectually Gifted Program Vision Hoke County Schools’ Vision for the local AIG program is: Hoke County Schools’ Academically and Intellectually Gifted Program is partnership with the community will challenge our gifted students through academic scholarship in order to inspire and help develop their full potential. We will hold our gifted students accountable through high expectations, rigorous and relevant instruction, and research projects which will allow them to be globally competitive in the 21st Century.

4. NC AIG Program Standards Synergy!

5. AIG Standard 3: Personnel and Professional Development The LEA recruits and retains highly qualified professionals and provides relevant and effective professional development concerning the needs of gifted learners that is on-going and comprehensive. PRACTICES: d) Places AIG students in classrooms with teachers who have met the LEA’s professional development requirements for that position or have earned an AIG add-on license. e) Aligns professional development with local AIG program goals and other district initiatives. f) Aligns professional development opportunities with state and/or national teaching standards, including 21st century skills and content at advanced levels. g) Provides opportunities for AIG specialists and other teachers to plan, implement, and refine applications of their professional development learning.

6. High performance is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, careful planning, and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives. Adapted from Willa A. Foster

7. Rigor Rubric for Hoke County’s AIG Cluster Teachers ALL AIG cluster teachers must employ research-based advanced instructional strategies and methods within curricular models. They must offer opportunities for scholarly dialogue/discussions so that students could understand the “whys” of concepts, complex levels of generalizations and essential questions encountered with rigorous texts. Teachers must consistently probe students to deepen meaning and to provide rationale for positions explored.

8. TEACHER DEVELOPMENT= STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

9. HOKE COUNTY SCHOOLS’ TEACHERS ATTENDING THE MOST RECENT AIG STAFF DEVELOPMENT SEPTEMBER, 2012

10. Staff Development Hoke County Schools’ AIG Program offers Staff Development Training (45 hrs) on an annual basis for teachers across the county. Teachers who teach AIG /Accelerated students are selected by their principals to attend this training. This staff development is offered on three weekends; one weekend in September, October and November. Teachers receive 4.5 CEUs. We provide a substitute teacher for each teacher on the Fridays and teachers are paid a stipend of $125 for each Saturday. GEARED TOWARDS: • Equipping teachers with strategies to serve AIG/accelerated students • Extending of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for rigorous instruction • Promoting growth in AIG/accelerated students

11. What is the Goal of the AIG Staff Development Teachers willacquire the necessary skills to: • be more knowledgeable about AIG students and the characteristics and needs of these students • incorporate qualitatively different academic environments in their classrooms ( more in-depth, complex and abstract concepts and ideas) • build upon interests, strengths and personal goals of AIG students • engage their AIG students in sophisticated investigations of materials, texts, interactive technologies and learning activities • employ research based advanced critical and creative processes in their classroom instruction • utilize effectively existing knowledge and create new knowledge • develop and apply deep understanding of significant concepts, generalizations and essential questions to problem finding and and problem solving • create life-long learners and thinkers capable of independent reflection, self-evaluation and reasoning

12. HOKE COUNTY SCHOOLS’ AIG STAFF DEVELOPMENT 2011-2012 The following are covered over the three weekends: • Introduction to Gifted/Characteristics and Needs of Gifted Students • Differentiating the Curriculum for Gifted/Unit and Lesson Development (A district initiative) • Developing Critical and Creative Thinking Skills in Gifted Learners; Social and Emotional Needs of the Gifted; Underachieving and Underserved Populations of the Gifted

13. INTRODUCTION TO GIFTED/CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS OF GIFTED STUDENTS (15 HOURS) • Rationale for Gifted Education • A Brief History of Gifted Education • Gifted Education Laws (Article 9B) • Definitions of Giftedness (Liberal vs. Conservative) • Characteristics of Giftedness (Sources of evidence) • Problems and Issues in Gifted education • Identification of Gifted Students • Service Delivery Options • Types of Acceleration • NC Program Standards • Local AIG Plans

14. DIFFERENTIATING THE CURRICULUM FOR THE GIFTED/UNIT AND LESSON DEVELOPMENT (15 HOURS) • What is Curriculum Differentiation • How does it look • Ways to Differentiate • Content Differentiation • Process Differentiation • Product Differentiation • Management of Differentiated Instruction • Curriculum Compacting • Primary Level Alternative Challenge centers • Interest Centers for Middle and High School • Tiering Instruction • Learning Contracts • Rafts • Unit and Lesson Development

15. DEVELOPING CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS IN GIFTED LEARNERS; SOCIAL AND EMOYIONAL NEEDS OF THE GIFTED; UNDERACHIEVIVG AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS OF THE GIFTED • Bloom’s Taxonomy/Assignments utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy • Critical and Creative Thinking Assignments in math, reading, social studies and science • Creative Problem Solving • Paideia Seminars • Characteristics to Social and Emotional Needs in Gifted students • Characteristics of LD Gifted • Intervention Strategies for AIG/LD/ADD students • Characteristics of LEP students • Four barriers to Identification of Gifted Minority /Disadvantaged students • Common Traits among successful Economically Disadvantaged & Minority students • Strategies that work

16. TEACHERS PARTICIPATING IN A PAIDEIA SEMINAR AT THE NOVEMBER 2012 AIG STAFF DEVELOPMENT

17. HOKE COUNTY SCHOOLS’ AIG LICENSED TEACHERS AND TEACHERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE 45 HOURS OF AIG STAFF DEVELOPMENT

18. STAFF DEVELOPMENT PRESENTER Mrs. Linda P. RobinsonCONNECTIONS-NC, Inc(CONSULTANTS IN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES)1808 Arlington StreetRaleigh, nc 27608(919) 828-0844email: connections@bellsouth.netwww.connections-nc.com

19. Failure to help gifted children reach their potential is a societal tragedy, the extent of which is difficult to measure but is surely great. How can we measure the loss of the sonata unwritten, the curative drug undiscovered, the absence of political insight? They are the difference between what we are and what we could be as a society. James J. Gallagher, Ph.D. Senior Scientist Emeritus, FPG CDC, UNC-CH

20. QUESTIONS???? Thank you for your time and patience!!