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Asheville City Schools revises AIG plan: universal nonverbal screening, broader identification criteria and equity measures
Summary
The district presented a revised academically/intellectually gifted (AIG) plan that moves from single‑test screens to multiple criteria, adds a nonverbal Naglieri screener in grade 3 and again in grade 6, and adopts a subgroup '20% allowance' to address under‑identification.
Asheville City Schools presented a three‑year revision of its Academically/Intellectually Gifted (AIG) plan that the state requires every three years, proposing changes to screening, identification and services designed to broaden access and address under‑representation.
AIG coordinator Shannon Hunt said the district will move from a system that previously relied heavily on a single superior aptitude score to a multiple‑criteria model recommended by current research. The revised plan adds universal nonverbal screening with the Naglieri General Ability Test (GAT) at the end of third grade and a nonverbal screen in sixth grade. Hunt said universal aptitude screening produces information for families and teachers that is distinct from achievement testing and can help identify students with high potential who have not had access to advanced instruction.
Under the new identification rubric, students will need two points from multiple sources (aptitude, achievement, committee recommendation, or other evidence) to qualify. The plan allows a district committee to grant a point based on evidence of giftedness, and retains a pathway for a single superior composite score on the CogAT for subgroup top‑10% placements.
The district also proposed adopting a demographic equity check, citing scholar Donna Ford’s work: an annual “20% allowance” applied to third grade data to ensure under‑represented subgroups are not below 80% of expected representation and over‑represented groups are not above 120%. Hunt said early implementation already shows improved Black student identification and that changes in practice take time because identifications persist once made.
Board members praised the broader identification strategy and asked for notification when testing windows are scheduled; one member asked to observe an administration of the screener. Hunt said specialists will continue whole‑class instruction and offer talent‑development options and that schools must provide professional development to teachers around the revised plan.
Ending: The revised AIG plan will be submitted to the state for feedback as required; the board will consider final approval in its consent agenda later in the process. The district plans to monitor outcomes, including subgroup representation and growth, and to report site visits and progress to the board.
