State of our State 2009

East Carolina University3rd Annual AIG Conference

Sneha Shah-ColtraneNC DPI, State Consultant for Academically/Intellectually Gifted

Why we are here…

• The General Assembly believes that public schools should challenge all students to aim for academic excellence. Article 9B AIG mandate.

• Every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st century. SBE

• All of us here believe that the needs of AIG learners must be met.

Current Educational Landscape• NCLB does not specifically address AIG students, focus

on proficiency,• Standards movement has moved to Assessment-driven.• Equity and excellence are still seen as dichotomies.• Tensions exist between traditional and innovative.• Racial disparities have not been abated (gap,

disproportionality, etc.)• Competing values of standardization and personalization.• STEM, Globalization, Economic Needs.• Reach for excellence.

Our Goals at NC DPI:

• Build regional and local capacity • Support program improvement, state-wide

framework, program standards• Provide professional development• Support quality teacher preparation, IHE• Serve all school populations, under-served• Collaborate with other DPI initiatives, ACRE, RtI• Use data more effectively• Synergize all of our efforts• Others based on your needs… let us know.

Gifted Education in North CarolinaLed by…

• Article 9B, 1996, § 115C-150.5

– State Definition

– State mandate to ID & Serve (K-12)

– Local plan required per LEA for K-12

– Local plan approved by LEA School Board

– Local plan is in effect for three years

– Local Plan reviewed by DPI with comments/recommendations; sent back to LEA

NC DPI AIG Child Count Summary NC WISE, April 2009

# of Total

NC Public School Students

# of total

NC AIG students

% of total

NC AIG students

1,499,824 161,866 10.8%

# of AIG Identified Twice-Exceptional Students

Female Male Total

551 1726 2,277

Further AnalysisFormally AIG identified, April 2009

# of students identified AIG by race/ethnicity

Native Asian Black Hispanic Multi White # of total

NC AIG students

1,323 7,051 17,047 5,683 4,791 125,971 161,866

% of identified AIG within each group

6.0% 22.8% 4.4% 3.8% 9.0% 14.6%

Questions to ask about the data.

AIG State Funding (PRC 034 funds)• The General Assembly funds all LEAs for AIG programming.  All

LEAs receive PRC 034 funds regardless of the number of identified AIG students.  LEAs receive funds based on 4% of ADM. These funds are allocated as part of the general student allocation from DPI.

• GA passed for FY 08-09 an increase in the per pupil allocation for AIG as $1,163.07. The per pupil allocation FY 07-08 was $1083.32 per AIG student. For year 2008-09, NC LEAs received $66,949,383 to support AIG student identification and services.

• GA passed for FY 09-10 the same allocation, even in this crisis!

• NC is in the top 4 funded states in US** NAGC’s State of

the States, 2006-07

State Funding for Gifted Education in NC

Fiscal Year * Amount Funded

2003-2004 $46,677,023.

2004-2005 $49,015,878.

2005-2006 $51,789,577.

2007-2008 $60,965,069.

2008-2009 $66,949,383.

2009-2010 Initial Allotment

66,985,569.

* 2006-2007 unavailable

NC AIG Program Standards• Responds to Audit’s findings• Articulates expectations to which LEAs should

progress• 6 Standards, with Practices

– Student Identification– Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction– Comprehensive Services– Personnel and Professional Development– Partnerships– Accountability

• SBE approved in July 2009

NC AIG Program StandardsSYNERGY!

COMPREHENSIVEPROGRAMMING

PERSONNEL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULUM

& INSTRUCTION

PARTNERSHIPS

ACCOUNTABILITY

STUDENT IDENTIFICATION

AIG LEARNERS

NC leading in gifted education…

• 1 of only 5 states that provide funding to all LEAs by mandate*

• Legislation mandates ID and Service

• NCAGT, NAGC, PAGE, Duke TIP, AAGC

• IHE Consortium

• NCSSM, NCSArts, Governor’s School, NCVPS, AP/IB State Fee Grant

• Dedicated and high quality professionals

Next Steps…• Continue to build local and regional capacity

• Strengthen AIG Programs:– AIG Program Standards serve as guide!– Local AIG Plan development; local AIG

Program review process

• Collect, interpret and share AIG data

• Support teacher development, IHEs

• Communicate effectively, Website revision, Family component

…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

We must synergize our efforts to ensure that the potential of all AIG learners is optimized!

Sneha Shah-Coltrane, AIG State ConsultantNC Department of Public InstructionAcademic Services and Instructional Support6307 Mail Service CenterRaleigh, NC 27699-6307(919) 807-3849sshahcoltrane@dpi.state.nc.us

Please write questions on cards and email address.