Today’s children need to be taught in

an environment that will prepare them

for the future in an ever-changing

21st century. Project Bright Tomorrow

was created by the Exceptional

Children Division at the North Carolina

Department of Public Instruction

(NCDPI) and the American Association

for Gifted Children (AAGC) to transcend

racial and ethnic inequality, poverty

and background knowledge in the

classroom, so that every child has the

opportunity to reach his or her potential.

A nurturing and cognitive development

strategy for all children and a re-training

model for all teachers, Project Bright

Tomorrow challenges both students and

educators in a new intelligent way.

American Association for G

ifted Childrenat Duke U

niversityBox 90420Durham

, North Carolina 27708

About Project Project Bright Tomorrow

Project Bright Tomorrow

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Durham

, NC

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Educators As anyone who has spent any signi� cant time in a classroom can tell you, teachers have the ultimate power to change a student’s life. Project Bright Tomorrow understands that in� uence and empowers classroom teachers, principals and curriculum specialists to change their classroom environments to meet the interests, talents and learning styles of all children.

Through training and mentoring, Project Bright Tomorrow changes the dispositions of teachers to believe that all students can “be smart” when immersed in rich and engaging curriculum. Teachers are motivated to � nd the talents, learning styles, interest and gifted behaviors in each student.

Teachers, principals and specialists are taught to:

> Redesign classroom environments to meet the learning styles, abilities and interests of all children

> Deliver instruction through tiered levels of dif� culty (curriculum is designed for the top 3–5 percent of the class) with entry levels for all students

> Ensure success for students through � exible grouping and multiple intelligence centers around learning targets, performing tasks, skill development and formative assessment of procedural knowledge

Students Students born into an underprivileged environment are often targeted at school as not being able to succeed. Project Bright Tomorrow is challenging the myth by proving that racial and ethnic inequality, poverty and background does not limit the potential for students and their successful academic achievement.

Classrooms participating in Project Bright Tomorrow have strategies for extending state and national standards. Students and teachers speak in complete sentences at all times, students practice thinking and re� ection on learning during every lesson, and students are immersed in analysis skills and advanced vocabulary that are critical for success in academics.

Parents Project Bright Tomorrow encourages partnerships between principals, teachers, parents, students and the community. Students can continue to excel outside of the classroom by getting parents on board with the program. Meeting the needs of both exceptional children and low performing students can be dif� cult within one program, but parents can help Project Bright Tomorrow succeed from within the home.

Resources > North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Exceptional

Children Division: www.dpi.state.nc.us/ec/

> UNCTV NOW Interview: Mary Watson, Director, Exceptional Children Division, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Principal Investigator, Project Bright IDEA and William A. Darity, Arts & Sciences Professor of Public Policy Studies, Professor of African and African American Studies and Economics at Duke University and Board Member of The American Association for Gifted Children discuss: Project Bright IDEA and the rationale for the research on NC Now, UNCTV on March 1, 2010. http://is.gd/a2vu3

> Increasing Opportunity to Learn via Access to Rigorous Courses and Programs: One Strategy for Closing the Achievement Gap for At-Risk and Ethnic Minority Students. A report prepared for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction by William Darity, Jr. and Karolyn Tyson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Domini Castellino, Duke University. Submitted to the State Board of Education, May 2001, the report was in response to State Law 2000-67, Section 8.28(b), which directed the State Board to study the under-representation of minority and at-risk students in Honors classes, Advanced Placement and academically gifted programs.

Results After � ve years, Project Bright IDEA 2 demonstrated a capacity to initiate and sustain a desired transformation in teachers and principals and produce a remarkable increase in the number of underserved students who become eligible for Gifted and Talented and Advanced Programs. Bright IDEA is evolving into a national model program for transforming teaching and learning at K-2 levels and to expand to other grade levels.

This brochure is funded by gifts to the Marjorie Craig Memorial Fund.Marjorie Craig provided years of outstanding leadership to AAGC.

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