Recently, the Wake County students enrolled in AIG opened their emails to be greeted by an unexpected message: “The WCPSS Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted program seeks middle and high school students’ input via this survey.” Many students seemed perplexed by the purpose of the communication, chiefly because of the irregularity of the AIG program’s management. However, many claim that enrichment programs exist in forms other than the pull-out class elementary students had been accustomed to.
According to a Patriot Press survey, the AFHS student body indicated that the AIG experience differed between the elementary and middle school programs. When asked about this, Haylie D’Orlando (10), an AIG student, said, “there wasn’t really an AIG at my middle school, just more advanced math classes.” Allie Majka (11) another AIG student, said, “the only real AIG experience I had in middle school was that they would mail me this thing for Duke Tip and they had me take the SAT in seventh grade.” All of the students interviewed expressed that they would not have participated in an AIG program in high school even if one had been offered.
AFHS Dean of Students Ms. Wilson says that high school lends itself to enrichment by design. “AIG looks different at the high school level because the opportunity to accelerate in courses is built into the high school curriculum,” she says. This view has become widespread throughout North Carolina high schools, with counties like Davidson and Guilford attributing their programs to AP courses and CCP opportunities.
Another way Wake County, like others, reaches out to students appears to be through magnet schools. WCPSS outlines the appeal of these programs on their website, saying “Wake County magnet schools create well-rounded students by challenging them with programs tailored to their strengths and exposing them to new experiences.” These schools provide a different, more immersive form of AIG that allows students to take advanced courses in fields of interest, and to expand that learning into hands-on activities and projects.
While North Carolina AIG programs follow similar curricula, other states take advanced education to another level. Johnston County in Virginia uses AIG programs that have been developed by William & Mary College and the University of Connecticut. They use Project M3, a math curriculum developed by the University of Connecticut, and English opportunities such as Navigator, a novel study. The Navigator program even extends to high school, with students also being required to take advanced courses each semester and be monitored by administrators to ensure they receive challenging instruction.
For more information on public AIG programs, check out the Wake County Action Plan. Ms. Wilson also recommends that students make it a priority to meet with their counselors. Students should take advantage of every opportunity available in order to get the education that they want to receive.
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