Academically Gifted

The image shows a classroom setting with several students seated at desks, engaged in what appears to be an academic activity or test. The students are wearing various colored shirts and appear to be focused on their work.

The GCS Academically Gifted Department is committed to providing rigorous, challenging, and differentiated instruction to students who demonstrate a need for services beyond the regular education setting.

We provide support for more than 12,000 advanced students in grades K-12.

The state of North Carolina legislates the identification and service of academically and intellectually gifted students. The state law, Article 9b, provides a state definition of giftedness and requires school districts to develop a local plan to identify and serve gifted students. The local plans are revised every three years.

Click here to read the NC state law for AIG services.

Contact us with your questions and concerns

Click here to download the 2025-2028 GCS AIG Plan

2026 AP Online Exam Review Sessions

AG Summer Enrichment(AG Explore, Academic All-Star Camp)

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AG Service in GCS

Kindergarten through Grade 2

GCS does not formally identify students for AG eligibility until 2nd grade. However, this does not negate the need for differentiated instruction in the primary grades. For students in grades K-2, the AG Department provides consultative or talent development services.

K-2 Consultative Services

The AG department supports the K-2 classroom teacher in recognizing gifted characteristics and modifying instructional practices in order to personalize learning and cultivate academic and intellectual growth. This occurs through a collaborative process between the classroom teacher and the school-based AG team.

Upon availability of new data, the classroom teacher and the AG teacher consult to establish appropriate modifications to meet the academic and intellectual needs of students who are performing well above their grade level peers.

The AG teacher may identify resources, structures, strategies, and environmental adjustments to aid in appropriate differentiation.

The AG teacher monitors the implemented measures and provides continuous support which may include additional modifications.

Consultation may lead to more structured adjustments to the learning environment:
- Clustering: Assignment to a classroom with other students that demonstrate the need for differentiated instruction
- Curriculum Compacting: Curriculum will be adapted to meet student’s needs
- Subject Acceleration: Pending Principal’s approval
- Grade Acceleration: Pending Principal’s approval

Talent Development

The AG department acknowledges the need to deliberately cultivate the ability of students to promote their academic success. To that end, elementary AG teachers provide Talent Development services that aim to increase AG identification of students from underrepresented populations. These services are provided to students in grades K – 5.

Participation in our Talent Development services is determined on an annual basis and is dependent upon student performance and scheduling capacity. Since talent development services is based on the student’s performance in their local environment (school), these services are not guaranteed should a child transfer to another school/school district during the school year. The programs for students in grades K-2 are:

K – 1 Nurture Program:

Using the Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) Curriculum students at select schools receive weekly whole group enrichment opportunities that help them develop critical thinking strategies. Upon observation from both the classroom teacher and AG teacher, select students are pulled for more individualized or small group enrichment.

Grade 2 Nurture:

Using the Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) Curriculum elementary AG teachers visit second grade classrooms to conduct whole-group lessons focusing on creative and critical thinking skills. The program aims to create scholarly classroom environments that fully engage students in the critical thinking process. Upon completion of the whole-group lessons, the AG teacher provides small group enrichment to students identified using classroom observations and available data. It is the expectation of the AG Department that the Grade 2 Nurture program is implemented at all schools.

Grades 3 to 5

Formal identification for Academically Gifted (AG) services begins in third grade.

In grades 3–5, students may participate in pull-out enrichment or talent development services provided by the AG Department. These services give advanced learners the opportunity to work with a licensed AG teacher and explore learning beyond the regular classroom.

How eligibility works: Students may be identified as AG (Academically Gifted), AR (Academically Gifted in Reading), AM (Academically Gifted in Math), AIG (Academically & Intellectually Gifted), or IG (Intellectually Gifted) based on the established criteria below:

Elementary Pathway

(Use of NC End-of-Grade [EOG] Data)

Intellectually Gifted (IG)

EOG data not used for IG determination

Academically Gifted (AG, AR, or AM)

Level 5 on the math and/or reading EOG

Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG)

Pathway 1:

90th%ile or higher composite or partial composite aptitude score AND Level 5 on the math and reading EOG

Pathway 2:

98th%ile or higher composite aptitude score AND Level 5 on the math or reading EOG

Elementary Pathway

(Use of Nationally Normed Data)

Intellectually Gifted (IG)

98th%ile or higher composite aptitude score

Academically Gifted (AG, AR, or AM)

90th%ile or higher summative achievement score in math and/or reading OR
85th – 89th %ile summative achievement score in math and/or reading + accepted Performance Task

Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG)

Pathway 1:

90th%ile or higher composite or partial composite aptitude score AND 90th%ile or higher summative achievement score in math and reading OR
90th%ile or higher composite or partial composite aptitude score AND 90th%ile or higher summative achievement score in one area (math OR reading) PLUS 85-89th%ile summative achievement score in the other area (math OR reading) + accepted Performance Task

Pathway 2:

98th%ile or higher composite aptitude score AND 90th %ile or higher summative achievement score in math or reading OR
98th%ile or higher composite aptitude score AND 85th – 89th %ile summative achievement score in math or reading + accepted Performance Task

Very Strong (VS) Program at Academy at Lincoln (Grades 4 to 8)

Applying to the VS Program:

Is your child interested in the Very Strong (VS) Program? Here’s what you need to know:

Eligibility: Students must meet the criteria outlined in the presentation slides above.
VS Application Window: October 15, 2025 - November 14, 2025.
Application Code Required: Families will need an application code provided by the AG Department to apply. Applications submitted without the required application code will be cancelled.

✅ [Click here] to request an application code once the Choice Application Window opens (this form opened on October 8, 2025 and will close on 11/14/25)
✅ [Click here ] to submit a late request for VS determination (form anticipated to open in mid-May 2026).

Please see below for the recording and slides from the “Very Strong Program at the Academy at Lincoln (3rd–7th Grade)” virtual information session for families held on October 9, 2025. The session covered details about program eligibility, the application process, and enrollment information

View Presentation Slides

VieW Meeting Recording

Middle School

High School

AG Students in High School are served through the district's many options for advanced coursework and choice schools particularly appropriate for gifted learners.

Click each link below to learn more:

As students prepare to pursue post-secondary opportunities, they may wish to take one or more College Readiness Assessments, such as the SAT and the ACT. While many colleges remain "test optional", more and more universities, particularly the most competitive ones, are requesting test scores once again.

Every GCS 10th and 11th grader takes the PSAT/NMSQT free of charge during the school day during the month of October. This assessment provides useful information regarding potential AP courses the student may wish to consider, as well as offers excellent practice for the SAT admissions exam.

The SAT is offered on multiple weekend dates throughout the year at multiple GCS sites. These dates are determined and announced by the College Board.

GCS 10th graders will also take the Pre-ACT during the school day, which helps to prepare them for the ACT test, also administered free of charge to every 11th grader in the state of North Carolina. Students may also opt to take the ACT independently on a national weekend test date. GCS high schools offer ACT Prep opportunities, which include an ACT Prep Canvas Course and may be accompanied by in-person tutorial sessions during or after school.