Indian Creek Middle School:
(L-R): Connor Coursey, Latayla Billingslea, Bailey Smith, & Charles Downs
The Newton County School System (NCSS) is pleased to announce that 12 seventh-grade students qualified for State Recognition in the 2023 Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) for their performance on either the SAT or ACT last year. Each of these twelve students also qualified for either the Duke TIP Academy for Summer Studies or Center for Summer Studies. Eight additional seventh-graders met the criteria for the Academy for Summer Studies but fell just short of state recognition.
“These students should definitely be commended,” said Mrs. Shannon Buff, NCSS Director of Secondary Education. “They are only in middle school but they excelled on very difficult college entrance exams traditionally administered to eleventh and twelfth grade students. I can only imagine what their scores on the SAT and ACT will be when they take these exams again in high school! I am very proud of them and would like to congratulate each of them on a job well done.”
Liberty Middle School:
(L-R): Brianna Francis, Jaden Scurry, & Isaac Garber
Each year, seventh-grade students in Duke University’s sixteen-state talent search region are selected to participate in the prestigious program. School counselors, teachers, and administrators help Duke University identify academically talented students for consideration.
Once their application is approved, the students are given the opportunity to take either the SAT or ACT college entrance exam. In order to receive state level recognition, students must meet one of the following criteria:
ACT
ACT English ≥ 22
ACT Math ≥ 22
ACT Reading ≥ 23
ACT Science ≥ 22
SAT
SAT Math ≥ 540
SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing ≥ 550
The following Newton County School System seventh-graders earned state level recognition for their performance on the ACT and will be invited to the state recognition ceremony this year:
| STUDENT | SCHOOL | TEST EARNING RECOGNTION | ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION |
| Eva Fuhrey | Cousins | ACT Reading | Center for Summer Studies |
| Kaitlyn Phillips | Cousins | ACT Reading | Center for Summer Studies |
| Stephanie Vaughn | Cousins | ACT English & Reading | Academy for Summer Studies |
| Emilee Walker | Cousins | ACT Reading | Center for Summer Studies |
| Matthew Walker | Cousins | ACT Reading | Center for Summer Studies |
| Connor Coursey | Indian Creek | ACT Math | Center for Summer Studies |
| Bailey Smith | Indian Creek | ACT Math, English, & Reading | Center for Summer Studies |
| Jack Ehrig | Theme School | SAT Reading/Writing & Math | Center for Summer Studies |
| Lane Mattox | Theme School | ACT Reading | Academy for Summer Studies |
| Brianna Francis | Liberty | SAT Reading/Writing & Math | Center for Summer Studies |
| Isaac Garber | Liberty | SAT Reading/Writing & Math | Academy for Summer Studies |
| Jaden Scurry | Liberty | ACT Math | Center for Summer Studies |
In addition to our 12 students earning State Recognition, eight NCSS seventh-graders fell just short of the requirement for state recognition but did meet the criteria for the Academy for Summer Studies. They are listed below:
Lawson Holder Cousins Middle
Taylor Nealy Cousins Middle
Chace Parker Clements Middle
Kennedy Tindley Clements Middle
Lauaryn Williams Clements Middle
Latayla Billingslea Indian Creek Middle
Charles Downs Indian Creek Middle
Katherine Hanson Newton County Theme School
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Duke University Talent Identification Program.
Clements Middle School:
(L-R): Kennedy Tindley, Chace Parker, & Lauryn Williams
Newton County Theme School
(L-R): Katherine Hanson, Jack Ehrig, & Lane Mattox
Cousins Middle School:
(L-R): Eva Fuhrey, Lawson Holder, Emilee Walker, Kaitlyn Phillips, Matthew Walker, Stephanie Vaughn, & Taylor Nealy
