The Newton County School System (NCSS) is pleased to announce that 12 seventh-grade students qualified for State Recognition in the 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 the Duke TIP Academy for Summer Studies. Four additional seventh-graders met the criteria for the Academy for Summer Studies but fell just short of state recognition in 2015-2016.

“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 11th and 12th 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.”

Each year, seventh-grade students in Duke University’s 16-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:

Students invited to a state ceremony meet at least one of the following criteria:

ACT

ACT English ≥ 21

ACT Math ≥ 21

ACT Reading ≥ 21

ACT Science ≥ 21

* Or with three of the four following scores English = 20, Math = 20, Reading = 20, Science = 20

SAT

SAT Math ≥ 530

SAT Critical Reading ≥ 510

SAT Writing ≥ 500

*Or with two of the three following scores: Math = 520, Critical Reading = 500, Writing = 490

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
Hannah Gaston	Cousins	SAT Critical Reading	Academy for Summer Studies
Ray Holt	Cousins	SAT Critical Reading & Writing	Academy for Summer Studies
Joyce Li	Cousins	ACT English & Reading	Academy for Summer Studies
Taylor Malcolm	Indian Creek	ACT English, Reading, & Science	Center for Summer Studies
Van Nipper	Indian Creek	ACT Math	Center for Summer Studies
Russell Danilchuk	Liberty	ACT English, Math, & Reading	Center for Summer Studies
Logan Dobar	Liberty	SAT Reading	Academy for Summer Studies
Malachi Barratt	Newton County Theme	ACT Reading & Science	Academy for Summer Studies
Trey Kimble	Newton County Theme	ACT Math & Reading	Center for Summer Studies
Cheyanne Washington	Newton County Theme	ACT English, Reading, & Science	Academy for Summer Studies
James Wilson	Newton County Theme	ACT Reading	Academy for Summer Studies
Brennen Reilly	Veterans Memorial	ACT Math	Center for Summer Studies

In addition to our 12 students earning state recognition, four 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:

• Rainey Bailey, Cousins Middle
• Jackson Mitchell, Cousins Middle
• Breauna Walker, Clements Middle
• Luke Gregory, Newton County Theme

For more information on Newton County School System participants in the Duke University Talent Search Program, please contact Ms. Sherri Viniard, Director of Public Relations, at [email protected]