November 10, 2003
Washington’s brightest fifth to eighth graders sought by UW
The University of Washington is looking for the best and brightest fifth through eighth grade students in Washington state.
The UW’s Halbert & Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars is launching the Washington Search for Young Scholars (WSYS) to identify the top 3 percent of the state’s students and to work with them, their families and their schools to develop more opportunities for gifted young people.
“Academically talented children need opportunities to stretch their talents, just like young athletes or young musicians,” said Robert Vaughan, associate director of the talent search and the UW’s Academy for Young Scholars.
There are two portions of the search based on grade level. The program is looking for seventh-and eighth-grade students who scored in the upper 3 percent in reading or mathematics in the past two years on such tests as the California Achievement Test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills or the Stanford Achievement Test.
To join the talent search, students must register with WSYS and pay a $10 fee. They also need to provide their address and record of scoring at the 97th percentile on one of the tests. Deadline for registering is Dec. 10. These students will be invited to sign up for and take the ACT, a college admissions examination, whose registration deadline is Jan. 2. They also will need to have the results of their ACT test sent to the UW. The ACT will be given Feb. 2 at many locations throughout Washington, and test locations will be provided when students register with the talent search.
“The ACT offers students a low-stakes look at what they will be preparing for in the years ahead and an opportunity to reveal how potentially advanced they are in a way parents can understand,” Vaughan said. “Many parents took a similar test to get into college. It also starts parents thinking about if their local schools are providing enough intellectual nourishment for their child. This could be a turning point in a child’s advanced academic interests being taken seriously.”
Fifth and sixth graders may join the talent search if they scored in top 3 percent on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) they took in the fourth grade. Eligible students should have scored 458 or higher on the math portion or 440 or higher on the reading portion of the WASL. Students with these scores may join the talent search by paying a $10 registration fee by Dec. 10 and sending in their WASL scores to the WSYS. WASL scores are private information and can be provided only by a parent. Eligible students in turn will be provided with information about advanced summer programs at the UW and elsewhere.
Recognition events for students in both age groups are planned next spring.
The new talent search fills an important need throughout Washington, according to Vaughan. Previously, the primary talent search has been one that is based in Maryland that offers summer enrichment programs primarily on the East Coast or in California. As a result, he estimates that less than 6 percent of Washington’s talented students participate in the search and even fewer utilize its summer programs.
“We want to become a clearinghouse for talented students in Washington, and will share information on who these students are with other educational institutions and pass along information on what kinds of advanced programs are available for these children around the state,” said Vaughan.
Students and parents can obtain more information about the Washington Search for Young Scholars by calling (206) 543-4160 or by e-mailing cscy@u.washington.edu
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For more information, contact Vaughan at (206) 543-4160 or rvaughan@u.washington.edu
