University of Washington renews its search for Washington’s brightest fifth- through eighth-graders

The annual statewide hunt for Washington’s most talented fifth-through eighth-grade students is on again by the University of Washington.

The university’s Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars is now conducting the 2008 Washington Search for Young Scholars (WSYS) to identify the top 3 percent of the state’s students. The program is designed to work with the students, their families and their schools to improve opportunities for gifted youth. The deadline for students to register for the search is Jan. 25.

"WSYS is like a varsity sports team, except that instead of athletic ability we’re looking for talented young scholars who have great minds and want to use them," said Kathleen Noble, director of the Robinson Center.

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"By participating in the search students receive certificates of achievement from the UW and are invited, with their families, to a recognition ceremony on the UW campus. We also tell the principals of their schools and their local newspapers about them so that their communities can celebrate their academic accomplishment. And they can take fabulous online courses from Duke and Northwestern universities designed specifically for young scholars like them."

There is no application fee to participate in the WSYS. The Washington State Legislature now supports the program on an annual basis and this is being passed along to students and their families as a gift, according to Noble.

There are two parts to the talent search based on grade level. The program is looking for seventh- and eighth-grade students who must take either the ACT or SAT I, college admission examinations. To meet the WSYS deadline, these students must take the SAT on Dec. 1 and register for the test by Oct. 30 or the ACT on Dec. 8 and register for it by Nov. 2. Paper registration forms for both tests are generally available at high school counselor offices or parents can register for a student online. For the ACT, registration forms may be downloaded at http:/www.actstudent.org and the SAT forms are available at http://www.sat.org . Photocopies of test scores for all WSYS applicants must be sent to the Robinson Center by Feb. 1.

Fifth- and sixth-grade students also can join the talent search. They can qualify if they scored in the top 3 percent in reading/verbal or math/quantitative sections on a recent standardized achievement or aptitude test that compared them to students in Washington or nationally by grade level. These tests include the Cognitive Abilities Test, Educational Records Bureau, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, School and College Ability Test and Stanford Achievement Test.

High scores on the Washington Achievement of Student Learning, or WASL, of 440 in reading or 458 in math in the fourth grade and 452 in reading and 476 in math in the fifth grade also will qualify a fifth- or sixth-grade student. Students must submit new test results to be recognized in consecutive WSYS talent searchers. Applicants also must provide the Robinson Center with photocopies of test results or written verification by a school official.

"Young scholars are a gift to our state that will keep on giving only if we encourage their intellectual passions and support them academically. The WSYS is one way to do just that," said Noble.

More information about the talent search eligibility requirements can be found on the Robinson Center’s Web site at http://depts.washington.edu/cscy/programs/wsys/requirements/ .

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For more information, contact Noble at (206) 543-4160 or [email protected]

http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=37470