AIG and Advanced Learning Department

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Advanced Learning Department Vision

With a mindset of talent development, Lee County Schools seeks to recognize potential in all student populations. Recognizing that gifted behaviors may be evident in a student’s aptitude, academic performance, motivation, or social interactions, Lee County Schools is committed to providing an academic, intellectual, and social/emotional support system so that students may reach their full potential by matching service with the students’ identified abilities. In partnership with parents and community, Lee County Schools will identify, develop, and serve gifted potential in students.

Advanced Learning Department Goals

  1. Equitable Identification - Identify academically and intellectually gifted students equitably across subgroups, using local norms and multiple criteria, in order to provide appropriately differentiated learning opportunities.

  2. Differentiation - Differentiate and enrich the core curriculum to challenge advanced learners in their identified area(s) of strength as part of an overall educational program that supports excellence for all students.

  3. Professional Development - Provide professional development so that teachers responsible for teaching gifted students acquire and develop an appropriate base of knowledge and methodology in gifted education, and provide information on local certification and state licensure in gifted education.

  4. High Expectations - Set high expectations for academically and intellectually gifted students and support their attainment of knowledge, skills, and work habits to promote their becoming lifelong learners and productive members of society. 

  5. Social and Emotional Well-Being - Provide appropriate counseling and support services to assure gifted students’ social and emotional well-being is addressed.

  6. Fostering Growth - Provide opportunities for gifted students to spend appropriate time with other students who are similar to themselves in order to foster cognitive, academic, and social growth.

  7. Talent Development - Provide additional support to develop talent in students who may not be maximizing their abilities or who may be under-represented in gifted populations.

  8. Early Access to Challenge - Provide young students (K-2) with access to an appropriately stimulating and challenging education to shape their learning habits and challenge and develop their abilities.

  9. Partnership - Develop beneficial two-way partnerships with parents and the community to support gifted students in their academic, intellectual, and social-emotional development.

AIG District Plan

Each school district in North Carolina is required to produce a local AIG Plan detailing how its AIG program meets the AIG program goals outlined by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in accordance with Article 9B legislation.

Plans must be approved by each local Board of Education, and each plan is expected to last for three years.

This plan was approved by the Lee County Board of Education on June 10, 2025. 

Click here to view the current 2025-2028 LCS AIG Plan

District Contacts

Dillon Crockett

Director of Secondary Curriculum and Advanced Learning

Email Mr. Crockett

P: (919) 774-6226 ext. 7204

Leslie Cottrell

Elementary AIG & Advanced Learning Coordinator

Email Mrs. Cottrell

P: (919) 774-6226 ext. 7203

Anna Hunter

AIG Administrative Assistant

Email Mrs. Hunter

P: (919) 774-6226 ext. 7266

School Contacts

AIG Certification and Licensure

All teachers, administrators, and student services personnel are encouraged to participate in our district AIG Local Certificate professional development course!

Option 1: AIG Local Certificate

  • Lee County Schools offers two professional development pathways for educators to obtain their Local AIG Certificate, one for elementary schools and one for secondary schools.

  • Any teacher who is teaching an AIG cluster class in an elementary school or an advanced, honors, AP, or IB course in a secondary school is required to obtain their AIG Local Certificate (or state AIG License) within the first two years of teaching those courses.

  • The courses will be delivered in a hybrid format, are estimated to take 35 hours to complete, and will count for 3.5 CEUs, which will be awarded when the course is completed.

  • If you earned an AIG Local Certificate from another district, please send a copy of your certificate to Dillon Crockett so that you can be added to the the Lee County's records. ( If you no longer have a copy of your certificate from a previous district, let Dillon Crockett know which district you completed your course with, and he can get in touch with their AIG Coordinator to verify it for you. )

  • If you are interested in participating in the AIG Local Certificate Course, please contact...

Option 2: AIG State Licensure

  • There are two ways to obtain an AIG add-on license.

    • A teacher may complete four required graduate courses offered by an accredited institute of higher education.

    • A teacher may earn a qualifying score on the Gifted Education Praxis examination.

  • The AIG Local Certificate course is designed to prepare teachers to take the Gifted Education Praxis test. Completion of this course accompanied by a passing score on the Praxis may qualify a teacher for reimbursement for their exam fee. 

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AIG Advisory Council

The AIG Department actively encourages participation from all stakeholders (students, parents, educators, community members) in our district AIG Advisory Council. We meet three to four times per year at the Heins Education Building (106 Gordon Street). You are welcome to join us!

At each meeting we...

  • Share recent and upcoming events (competitions, student camps, teacher workshops, etc.) hosted by the AIG and Advanced Learning Department

  • Share resources and strategies for parents to support the social and emotional needs of gifted students at home

  • Collect feedback about portions of our District AIG Plan as we continually evaluate and improve our program

  • Answer any questions participants have about the AIG program and the services and opportunities we provide for students

If you would like for us to place you on a listserv to receive updates about future AIG Advisory Council meetings, please fill out this Google Form. We would love to keep you in the loop!

Agendas from past AIG Advisory Council meetings