Henderson County schools approve revised AIG plan, lowers cutoff for some identification pathways

The Henderson County Board of Public Education voted to approve a revised AIG (Academically or Intellectually Gifted) plan that will guide services for high-ability students for the next three years.

The plan, presented by Dr. Marcy Wilson, refines identification pathways and communication strategies, increases emphasis on differentiated instruction across grade spans and expands online screening and portfolio pathways for students who demonstrate giftedness in nontraditional areas. "I'm excited about the tweaks that we've made to the plan this year," Wilson told the board as she reviewed the document.

The plan is required under Article 9B of the North Carolina General Statutes and sets program standards the district must follow. Wilson said the district serves 23.4% of students through AIG programming; 7.6% are formally identified while 15.8% are designated as "nurtured" and receive targeted supports. The district will continue to employ 14 AIG specialists, many with advanced degrees or national board certification, and will keep most AIG funding focused on personnel costs. Wilson told the board the state provides $1,500 per identified AIG student for up to 4% of a district's population.

Changes in the plan include shifting identification cutoffs to allow a 90th-percentile pathway in some measures and adopting online universal screening (CogAT) and expanded portfolio pathways to identify giftedness in arts, world languages and CTE fields. The revision also calls for increased outreach: beginning-of-year AIG presentations for teachers, a Google Classroom for families and students with extension activities and resources, and more professional development for general education teachers on differentiation and extension.

Board members asked about finances and program scope. A board member asked whether a $13,000 shortfall in the prior contract would hurt services; Wilson replied that any shortfall impacts the program because roughly 95.5% of current AIG spending is for personnel, with the remainder used for materials and professional development. Dr. Reavis, a board member, praised the expanded stakeholder input, saying, "I really do appreciate the updates, and I really, appreciate you bringing in a a wider variety of stakeholders and collecting data and looking at that data."

The board approved the 2025–2028 AIG plan by vote. The administration will proceed with the plan rollout and the district's instructional services team will monitor implementation with school administrators.

The plan's core elements — identification, comprehensive programming, differentiated instruction, personnel and professional development, partnerships and program accountability — remain intact but include the updated identification pathways and new communication strategies.

The board did not adopt any new local funding changes specifically tied to the AIG plan during the meeting; Wilson noted she would continue to manage the program within existing budget lines and seek grants and county support where appropriate.