The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts has launched the ASMSA Talent Identification Program (ASMSA-TIP) for gifted Arkansas seventh-graders.
ASMSA-TIP will provide gifted students, parents and educators with resources and guidance that are tailored to support a child’s educational, social and emotional development. Such programs empower students to reach their full potential while helping parents and educators make the best educational decisions for their students.
Participants will receive a voucher to take the ACT as an “above-level” test, a standardized assessment that is designed for a higher grade level. This practice will help ASMSA-TIP better enrich and support talented students and their parents.
“ASMSA’s heartbeat is providing opportunities for high-achieving students all across the state of Arkansas,” said Jason Hudnell, ASMSA director of admissions. “To that end, we believe that ASMSA-TIP will provide incredible opportunities and resources for Arkansas’ seventh-graders and their guardians.”
Parents and educators may be familiar with the Duke Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP). Founded in 1980 by Duke University in North Carolina, Duke TIP previously served students, educators and schools throughout the Southeastern region of the United States. With the program’s closure in 2020, hundreds of students throughout Arkansas have lacked a similar opportunity.
ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice noted that after engaging with educational partners statewide campus leadership recognized an opportunity to fill critical needs for Arkansas gifted students and coordinators.
“As advocates for the needs of gifted and talented students, we were certainly shocked by the loss of the Duke TIP program amid the pandemic,” Alderdice said. “Through our conversations with ASMSA stakeholders in the time since, we concluded that filling this void for Arkansas while encouraging students to learn to the full potential was a commitment the school should embrace.”
Participants also will receive a monthly e-newsletter with specific content for students and their parents, access to quarterly webinar sessions with Gifted and Talented professionals and an opportunity to participate in a recognition ceremony for students who perform exceptionally well on the ACT exam.
ASMSA-TIP candidates are current seventh-graders who have met one of any of the three following criteria:
- The student scored in the 90th percentile on one or more subtests of a state or national standardized exam, such as the ACT Aspire or MAP testing.
- The student has been formally identified as gifted or talented by their school district.
- The student has been recommended as gifted or talented by a teacher, administrator or educational community leader (Scout leader, camp counselor, etc.).
Program fees are $95 per student, but a number of assessment waivers are available for families with exceptional need.
For more information or to register for ASMSA-TIP, visit www.asmsa.org/tip or email talent@asmsa.org.