Each school has an instructional coach which provides support to teachers in employing diverse and effective instructional practices. Co-teaching is used as the service delivery model to ensure that differentiation, extension, and enrichment are provided to the gifted students. This model includes the following:
The specific co-teaching approaches that are used include: team teaching, parallel teaching, station teaching, and alternative teaching.
During team teaching, the instructional coach and the classroom teacher share the instruction of all students in the class:
During parallel teaching, the instructional coach and classroom teacher plan jointly, but each teach the content to half of the class:
During station teaching, the instructional coach and classroom teacher provide small group instruction at stations:
During alternative teaching, the instructional coach or the classroom teacher works with a small group while the other teacher instructs and manages the rest of the class:
Grades 4-5 AIG Services
At the elementary level, AIG students are cluster-grouped in classes. The instructional coach collaborates weekly with the regular classroom teachers to plan instruction, teach, and assess AIG students. Additional opportunities offered include science and math fairs, after-school clubs, and Battle of the Books.
Grades 6-8 AIG Services
At the middle school level, students are subject-grouped according to their area of identification. The Instructional Coaches collaboratively plan with instructional staff to ensure appropriate services for gifted learners. Coaching cycles are utilized to facilitate teacher growth and improvement in instructional practices. Additional opportunities offered include science and math fairs, after-school clubs, and Battle of the Books.
Grades 9-13 AIG Services
At the high school level, students are able to self-select courses and participate in special activities. This self-selection process is supported through counseling, DEP meetings, and recommendations from teachers, instructional coaches, and school counselors. Students have the option to pursue Honors and Advanced Placement classes as well as High School Academies. Each student has the option of attending a traditional high school program or one of the following academies:
The instructional coaches collaboratively plan with instructional staff to ensure appropriate services for gifted learners. Coaching cycles are utilized to facilitate teacher growth and improvement in instructional practices.
Through Collaboration Around Student Achievement (CASA) and department meetings, teachers analyze data to form flexible groups, such as for acceleration, enrichment, extension, and remediation. The following assessments are utilized:
Instructional coaches support teachers to ensure that instruction is appropriate and differentiated for students through modeling, co-teaching, professional development, informal discussions, and planning sessions
- Cluster-grouping of AIG students in classrooms
- List of all AIG certified teachers is provided to the principals
- Training on co-teaching practices for the instructional coaches, teachers, and administrators
- Instructional coach planning time with teachers
- Flexible use of four co-teaching approaches
- Equitable services for unidentified students from underrepresented populations
- Combinations of approaches used during a lesson to meet needs of students
The specific co-teaching approaches that are used include: team teaching, parallel teaching, station teaching, and alternative teaching.
During team teaching, the instructional coach and the classroom teacher share the instruction of all students in the class:
- to encourage discussion by the students
- to facilitate the use of higher order questioning techniques
- to model best practices with gifted students
- to bring different viewpoints into the classroom for students
- to elicit more student involvement
- to meet the needs of a variety of learning styles
- assist individual students more quickly and effectively
During parallel teaching, the instructional coach and classroom teacher plan jointly, but each teach the content to half of the class:
- to lower student/teacher ratio
- to allow for enrichment or extension for students based on formative or summative assessment data
- to provide instruction based on the interest, readiness, or learning styles of students
During station teaching, the instructional coach and classroom teacher provide small group instruction at stations:
- to provide more focused small-group instruction for students
- to accomplish several objectives in a lesson with students moving around to different stations
- to differentiate instruction according to:
- readiness
- interest
- process
- product
During alternative teaching, the instructional coach or the classroom teacher works with a small group while the other teacher instructs and manages the rest of the class:
- to provide more focused, individualized instruction for students when needed
- to enrich or extend instruction for small groups of students when needed
- to provide AIG students with an opportunity to receive instruction outside of the regular classroom for a limited period of time to do projects or activities requiring a different environment
Grades 4-5 AIG Services
At the elementary level, AIG students are cluster-grouped in classes. The instructional coach collaborates weekly with the regular classroom teachers to plan instruction, teach, and assess AIG students. Additional opportunities offered include science and math fairs, after-school clubs, and Battle of the Books.
Grades 6-8 AIG Services
At the middle school level, students are subject-grouped according to their area of identification. The Instructional Coaches collaboratively plan with instructional staff to ensure appropriate services for gifted learners. Coaching cycles are utilized to facilitate teacher growth and improvement in instructional practices. Additional opportunities offered include science and math fairs, after-school clubs, and Battle of the Books.
Grades 9-13 AIG Services
At the high school level, students are able to self-select courses and participate in special activities. This self-selection process is supported through counseling, DEP meetings, and recommendations from teachers, instructional coaches, and school counselors. Students have the option to pursue Honors and Advanced Placement classes as well as High School Academies. Each student has the option of attending a traditional high school program or one of the following academies:
- Reidsville High School - IB program
- Rockingham County High School - Public Safety Academy
- Morehead High School - Health Science Academy
- McMichael High School - STEM Academy
- Rockingham Early College High School
The instructional coaches collaboratively plan with instructional staff to ensure appropriate services for gifted learners. Coaching cycles are utilized to facilitate teacher growth and improvement in instructional practices.
Through Collaboration Around Student Achievement (CASA) and department meetings, teachers analyze data to form flexible groups, such as for acceleration, enrichment, extension, and remediation. The following assessments are utilized:
- Pre-assessments
- EOG data
- MClass Beginning of Year Data
- MClass Middle of Year Data
- MClass EOY data
- Benchmark data
- Rubrics
- Checklists
- Teacher-created assessments
- Students’ self assessments
Instructional coaches support teachers to ensure that instruction is appropriate and differentiated for students through modeling, co-teaching, professional development, informal discussions, and planning sessions