Rising 6th Graders

Here is a copy of a letter sent home today for all rising 6th grade AIG students. Please contact me with any questions.

Thanks!

May, 2015

Parents of Rising AIG 6th Graders:

As we start looking toward the end of the school year, it is time to look ahead to what gifted services will look like next year at Asheville Middle School.  We are beginning now to collect data on each AIG student in order to determine the very best service match for your student.  This process will continue in the fall.  While this data is being collected and services are being determined, all sixth grade AIG students will be served through a weekly enrichment opportunity called Transition Study Group.  In Transition Study Group, the AIG Specialists work with the students to consider the nature of giftedness, offer enrichment opportunities, and help the students to transition academically to the sixth grade.

Here is the process that will be used to match appropriate services to student’s determined needs:

1. All current AIG students will have a new Gifted Rating Scale completed for them by their 5th grade teachers this spring. The Gifted Rating Scale (GRS) measures motivation and five areas of gifted characteristics: Intellectual, Academic, Creativity, Artistic, and Leadership. It provides nationally-normed percentiles in each area.
2. ALL 6th grade students, including those identified as AIG, will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) in the fall of 2015. The CogAT consists of three sections: Quantitative, Nonverbal, and Verbal. It measures a child’s thinking and reasoning, as well as their potential for learning.
3. Also in the fall, AIG students will take the Iowa Assessment. This test provides a comprehensive picture of student progress in three areas: reading, written expression, and mathematics.
4. Once all the data is collected, the AIG Services Committee will meet to determine an appropriate service match based on determined needs as described in the Asheville City Schools AIG plan. The AIG plan is available on the AIG district website. Descriptions of services are included with this correspondence.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the AIG specialist serving your school. You may also contact our middle school specialists, Jo Landreth (jo.landreth@asheville.k12.nc.us) and Keith Buff (keith.buff@asheville.k12.nc.us).

Respectfully,

Kristin Doe, Vance Elementary and AHS/SILSA (kristin.doe@asheville.k12.nc.us)

Julie Griffith, Hall Fletcher Elementary (julie.griffith@asheville.k12.nc.us)

John Pruett, Claxton Elementary and Jones Elementary (john.pruett@asheville.nc.us)

Marti Sullivan, Dickson Elementary and AHS/SILSA (marti.sullivan@asheville.k12.nc.us)