AEGIS Math
Academic Excellence, Guidance, Industry and Scholarship
Julie B. Klingensmith, AEGIS Math mentor
In the middle 1980’s, the superintendent of schools for Norman Public Schools issued a
request to the mathematics department of Norman High School to develop a special mathematics
program to assist those students extremely gifted in math. The superintendent wanted an
advanced curriculum and an innovative approach. The AEGIS Math program was developed.
A group of twenty or so students are chosen each year out of a pool of 80-100 students to
complete a two-year mathematics-intensive program. The students are chosen based on Cogat
scores, PSAT scores, PLAN and/or ACT scores and teacher recommendation. These students are
required to take Trigonometry in the regular curriculum. In addition, the students attend an AEGIS
class where the following topics are covered: systems, set theory, logic, polynomials, logarithms,
matrices, sequence, series and probability. The first year for these students includes Advanced
Placement Calculus AB and selected math research topics, while the second year includes Advanced
Placement Calculus BC, linear algebra and differential equations.
I act as their instructor, mentor, scheduler and college adviser during both years. In last
year’s class there were five National Merit Semi-Finalists, two Oklahoma Academic All-Staters and
three Robert C. Byrd Scholars. This year we have three National Merit Semi-finalists in a class of 19
seniors. The last three graduating classes currently attend such prestigious schools as Princeton,
Cornell, Rice, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Cal Tech, NYU, Texas, Pepperdine, Brandeis, Carleton, Colorado,
George Washington, Purdue, Washington University in St. Louis, etc. The students generally have
perfect GPA’s and their transcripts are loaded with Advanced Placement and honors courses. Much
is expected of these students and each student exceeds expectations.
I am a teacher, mentor, counselor and evaluator for each student in the AEGIS program. The
AEGIS Program has seen everything from Rhodes Scholars to a Professor at Princeton, from the CEO
of a major textbook company to an engineer at NASA. The program has produced outstanding math
students and outstanding leaders. I encourage all the students to participate in community work,
get involved at school and run for offices. This year, the program has the Senior Class President,
Student Council Officers, the Homecoming Queen, the Prom prince, three Cross County State
Champions, the Drum Major, the Mascot and the President of Mu Alpha Theta, an honorary math
organization. I believe the program has exceeded the superintendent’s expectations.