Wrightsville Beach ElementaryAIG Program Overview

Gifted Education SpecialistKatherine H. Kochakji

Educational Background University of North Carolina

at Charlotte, AIG Add-On Licensure

University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Elementary Education, K-6

University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Bachelors of Social Work

Saint Mary’s High School and College in Raleigh, NC, Associates of Arts

Work Experience Pine Valley Elementary

School, 5th Grade Teacher, 2001-2002

Cape Fear Elementary 5th and 3rd Grade Teacher,

2002-2007 Pender County Schools AIG Specialist and Coach,

2007-2012 Carolina Beach

Elementary, Gifted Education Specialist

This standard outlines how our district screens, refers, and identifies students for the gifted program.

Standard 1:Student Identification

Criteria to qualify for the AIG program is the same at every school. A student must meet 4 out of 5 criteria to qualify.

Match Team Meetings:September (W & W), December (new nominations), and March/April (new nominations)

Work Samples and Data Collection:September – November (Grades 3-5)May – Students who are W & W in preparation for revisit at the start of the next school year.

Testing:3rd Grade-January

Pull-Out Classes:3rd Grade - January

A student can be nominated at any time during the school year by a teacher, a parent, or

themselves.

Once identified, a student’s level of service will be identified. There are three level of service identification:

MODERATE

SIGNIFICANT

EXTENSIVE

This level of differentiation is appropriate for students functioning up to one year above grade level.

This level of differentiation can usually be accomplished by the classroom teacher, with consultation from the Gifted Education Specialist.

At times, a student identified at this level may work in a pull out setting with the Gifted Education Specialist, or the GES will team teach with the regular classroom teacher.

Moderate Differentiation

This level of differentiation is appropriate for students functioning 1-2 years above grade level.

The Gifted Education Specialist works with students identified at this level through team teaching with the regular classroom teacher, resource pull out classes, and/or content delivery.

Significant Differentiation

This level of differentiation is appropriate for students functioning 3-4 years above grade level.

The Gifted Education Specialist works with these students in team teaching, resource pull out classes, and/or content delivery.

Based on the individual student’s interests and needs, the GES may also access community resources to meet the child’s needs.

Extensive Differentiation

Consultation with Classroom Teacher Curriculum Compacting Cluster Grouping Subject Grouping Extension Resource Units Pull-Out Resource Class Cross Grade Grouping Grade Skipping Subject Skipping Regional Service

Differentiated Service MenuOnce identified, a student’s service level will be matched with delivery options. These options may vary from school to school, depending on the individual school’s needs. Examples of delivery options are:

This standard demonstrates the rigorous and challenging curriculum we offer our gifted students.

Standard 2:Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction

Standard 2:Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction

K-2 Nurturing: Weekly classroom visits to provide whole group lessons that encourage critical, creative, and higher order thinking skills.   All activities are hands-on and address multiple intelligences. Thinking skills include convergent and divergent thinking, spatial and non-verbal reasoning, evaluation, analysis, and problem solving.  

“HOT Seats” (Higher Order Thinking Skills) will be set up in your child’s classroom to broaden and develop the targeted thinking skill. 

 *Weekly classroom visits will begin in the fall. *

3rd Grade Nurturing Data collection will take place in the fall so different children will be pulled for this purpose.

Enrichment classes for 3rd grade will be provided for identified students.

Standard 2:Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction Nurturing Lessons Collaboration & Co

Teaching Small groups, Push-In Primary Education

Thinking Skills Junior Great Books Nonfiction Reading &

Writing

3rd Grade

Standard 2:Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction

Weekly pull out groups for 4th and 5th graders will begin mid September.

Groups will be determined based on student identification and needs.

Groups can change according to individual student needs and performance.

4th and 5th

Grade

This standard ensures that persons working with gifted students in our district are highly qualified.

Standard 3:Personnel and Professional Development

Standard 3:Personnel and Professional Development

Katherine KochakjiGifted Education Specialist

Bachelors of Social Work, 2000

Certification in Elementary Education, 2001

AIG Add-On Licensure, 2007

Elizabeth Harkcom, Reading Coach Teresa Carter, Teacher Kimberly Guthrie, Kindergarten

Teacher Meredith Collins, Kindergarten

Teacher Meaghan Thomas, 1st Grade

Teacher Sarah Payne, 1st Grade Teacher Michael Whittle, 3rd Grade Teacher Kristi Jarnagin, 2nd Grade Teacher Maria Thompson, 3rd Grade

Teacher Jimi-Ann Burgess, 1st Grade

Teacher Debra Sewell, Kindergarten

Teacher

This standard promotes the development of K-12 programming and services, involving the total school community.

Standard 4:Comprehensive Programming

Standard 4:Comprehensive Programming

Geography Bee, Spelling Bee, Battle of the Books, Science Fair, Girls on the Run, Student Council, Island Youth Minds (Social/Emotional), Young Authors , Poetry Out-Loud Contest

North Carolina and NHCS give administrators the right to grade and place students. Seeing a need for guidance in making these decisions, the AIG program adopted the Iowa Acceleration Scale and created a Subject Acceleration Checklist to assist schools.

Acceleration and AIG

Whole Grade Acceleration

Typically used at primary level

Use Iowa Acceleration Scale

Subject Acceleration

Typically used at secondary level

Use NHCS Subject Acceleration Checklist

NHCS Acceleration Procedures

This standard promotes partnerships between the school, parents, and the community at large.

Standard 5: Partnerships

Gifted Advisory Council (GAC) Need at least 2 parents to become members of the GAC for the

county. Meeting dates:◦ Tuesday, September 11th @ 6:00◦ Tuesday, October 9th @ 6:00◦ Tuesday, November 13th @ 6:00◦ Tuesday, January 8th @ 6:00◦ Tuesday, February 12th @ 6:00◦ Tuesday, March 12th @ 6:00◦ Tuesday, April 9th @ 6:00◦ Tuesday, May 14th @ 6:00

WBS AIG Parent Advisory (WAPA) Informal monthly meetings with the Gifted Specialist

Requesting 2-3 parents to become a member of the advisory. Please email if you are interested.

Standard 5: Partnerships

This standard requires that the AIG program be monitored to ensure that all programs and services offered are effective.

Standard 6: Accountability

Evaluation of the Program and Plan

Continued Success Communication with AIG

families Project Based Learning Meeting the needs of

identified students in grades 4-5

Focus Assisting the teachers

with differentiation strategies in the classroom

◦ Applying the coaching strategy

Communicating with the total school community.

Utilizing data to assist with instructional decisions.

K-2 Nurturing

Student, Teacher, and Parent Survey's Site Evidence Notebook Data Collected:

EOG Test ScoresDibels AssessmentsIOWACogAt

Standard 6: Accountability

For more information regarding the program and plan, please visit the NHCS website:

http://teacherpages.nhcs.net/schools/wbeach/KatherineKochakji/Pages/Default.aspx **http://wbsaig.wikispaces.com/**

AIG Program and PlanKatherine KochakjiGifted Education Specialist