Gifted Licensure
Currently in North Carolina, a teacher can add Academically Gifted (88087) as an area to his or her license only if fully licensed in another area. AIG add-on licensure may be obtained through one of two pathways which are described here:
Coursework Via an Accredited Institute of Higher Education (IHE)
Programs are generally 12-16 semester hours of credit; depending on if courses are taken at the undergraduate or graduate level. If you are a certified teacher interested in obtaining AIG add-on licensure, there are many high-quality program options IHEs that have been approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The options include face-to-face, asynchronous, synchronous, and hybrid programs. Some programs require a summer practicum experience.
Competency-Based Assessment Via the Gifted Education Praxis (5358)
Effective October 1, 2017, the State Board of Education (SBE) approved the adoption of an ETS Praxis testing option as an additional pathway for licensed educators to obtain AIG add-on licensure. These licensure candidates must earn a qualifying score of 157. Successful test takers are typically completing a graduate program in gifted education or have an undergraduate degree and extensive experience planning and providing gifted services in their school districts. For more information, or to review the Praxis Study Companion, please visit the Education Testing Service website (https://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials/5358).
For more information, please visit https://www.dpi.nc.gov/students-families/enhanced-opportunities/advanced-learning-and-gifted-education/academically-or-intellectually-gifted/aig-add-licensure