Iredell-Statesville presents rewrite of AIG local plan; board to vote May 12

Kelly Hinson, who presented the plan to the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education on April 7, described the proposed rewrite of the district’s academically or intellectually gifted (AIG) plan and how it aligns with North Carolina requirements for 2025–2028.

Hinson told the board that trustees would receive a digital copy of the full plan and “you'll have this plan with you for 30 days,” and that the board would not vote until the May 12 meeting.

The plan, Hinson said, must address six state standards: opportunity/identification, comprehensive programming, differentiated curriculum and instruction, personnel and professional development, partnerships, and program accountability. She summarized required elements including multiple pathways to identification, social-emotional supports, use of MTSS (multi-tiered systems of supports), documentation and differentiated education plans (DEPs) for identified students.

Hinson gave district data and state context. She said the district currently identifies about 11 percent of students as AIG, compared with the state funding level tied to 4 percent of ADM, and reported “2,244 identified students based off our fall headcount,” an increase of about 300 since 2022. She said the department received 2,574 responses to a formal districtwide survey used for the rewrite.

On identification, Hinson said the district would keep its point system (40 points for K–2; 30 points for grades 4 and up) and expand “multiple pathways” (portfolios, learner profiles and other alternatives) to avoid missing students who “had a bad test day.” She said Arnold State School Schools (as referenced in the presentation) identifies both math-only and intellectually gifted students.

Hinson described proposed operational changes: offering an opt-in universal screening opportunity in sixth grade to capture students who transferred in after third grade screening; moving data from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus; and creating a DEP for K–12 students to document differentiated instruction. She also said the district would incorporate statewide changes, including the North Carolina honors-course policy and MTSS implementation for both struggling and advanced learners.

Programming changes described by Hinson include four levels of service (DEP only; cluster-teaching and services; subject advancement; and grade-skipping for students performing at the 90th percentile or above), continued collaborative teaching models, monthly communications to counselors about social-emotional needs of advanced learners, and alignment with district “Depth of Knowledge” language and the district’s portrait of a graduate.

On personnel, Hinson said the gifted department is licensed staff and the district will continue to offer local endorsement and licensure pathways so teachers who complete professional achievement courses can pursue state licensure. She also described rebuilding external partnerships that lapsed during the pandemic—examples included the Statesville Chamber of Commerce and North Carolina School of Science and Math—and noted the plan includes program-accountability language about budget, head counts and procedures to resolve disagreements.

Board members asked for clarifications on multiple topics including how local norms from CogAT testing affect identification, the number of staff that support AIG at schools, and how Depth of Knowledge and the portrait of a graduate relate to instruction. Hinson said school coordinators and differentiation specialists support site-level work and professional development is ongoing.

The board will have the full 78‑page plan for 30 days and return to take a formal vote on May 12. Hinson asked for feedback during the review period.

Ending: The board took no action on April 7; trustees will consider the AIG local plan on May 12.