Guidance Services

IMPORTANT NOTICE;  READ THOROUGHLY AND KEEP

                                                                                                          08/28/2008

Dear Parents

       Congratulations, your child has qualified to participate in the Talent Identification Program (TIP) Program through Duke University.  In order to qualify, your 7^th grade child had to score in the 95^th percentile or higher on his/her 2006 or 2007 Iowa Tests of Basic Skills in the verbal/social studies (reading total, reading comprehension, reading vocabulary, language total, and/or social studies), math/science (science, math problem solving and data interpretation, math concepts and estimations, math computation and/or math total), and/or total composite section of this achievement battery.  Your child may also qualify through their 2006 or 2007 COGAT Quantitative or Verbal Scores being in the 95^th percentile or above.  Because your child qualifies for TIP, he/she is eligible to participate in the program’s offerings such as taking the SAT or ACT test and educational seminars offered through the Duke TIP Program.  Please see enclosed TIP brochure for details.

       In deciding whether or not it is appropriate for your child to take the SAT or ACT as a seventh grader, please consider what you know about your child such as test anxiety level, differences in math and verbal performances, etc.  While the SAT or ACT is too difficult for average seventh graders, taking the SAT or ACT may help discriminate the abilities of exceptional seventh graders, scoring at or above the 95^th percentile mark.

       If you decide to register your child for the Duke TIP Program, an information packet will be sent to you which includes a practice test (SAT or ACT).  Students are encouraged to take the practice test because it can help reduce test anxiety by giving students a chance to experience this unknown “SAT or ACT phenomenon.”

       If you would like to register your child for the December SAT , please return the enclosed application by October 1, 2008 to TIP or apply online at the TIP website at www.tip.duke.edu.    The final postmark deadline for January and February ACT testing is November 3, 2008.  The following information needs to be placed on the application form:  St Leo School ID code is 550078-DK, the TIP Advisor is Terri Hardy and the School District is Diocese of Charlotte.  If you have any questions, please contact me at the school.  Thank you.

SAT SITES AND CODES                                      ACT Sites and Codes

1. Mt Tabor High School    Code 34-866              1.Mt Tabor High School   Code 160960

2. Parkland High School     Code 34-855              2. Parkland High School   Code 181690

                                                                               3. Reynolds High School  Code 220640                                                                              

Mrs. Terri Hardy

Guidance Services