Several 7th Graders were recognized at this week’s District 56 School Board meeting. They were saluted as participants in the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP).
TIP is described on Duke’s web site as serving academically gifted and talented youth. 7th graders in the TIP program take either the SAT or the ACT college entrance exam with their scores sometimes competing well against high school students.
District 56 School Superintendent Dr. David O’Shields explained Monday night that while being invited to be a TIP student is in itself an honor, there were three students who received state recognition for their scores and one student, Kinsey Canterbury, received what Duke calls Grand Recognition. In order to qualify for that honor she had to score in the top 2% in the nation….not just among 7th graders but among all who took the test. Dr. O’Shields pointed out that albeit small when compared with other districts in the state, District 56 was well represented in the TIP program.