Media Contact: Matt Bowden
Email: mtbowden1@jhu.edu
Phone: 410-735-6045
BALTIMORE June 17, 2006— Over 460 of the most academically gifted young seventh and eighth graders in the country were honored on Saturday, June 17, 2006 at the Grand Awards Ceremony hosted by The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY). Among the middle school students invited: - All earned a 700 or higher on at least one section of the college SAT, or a 28 or higher on the ACT
- 78 achieved perfect scores of 800 on a given section of the SAT
- Three eighth graders distinguished themselves with perfect scores of 1600 for Math & Critical Reading
Identified through the Johns Hopkins CTY Talent Search These exceptional children earned their opportunity for recognition by participating in the annual Talent Search organized by The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (www.cty.jhu.edu). Since 1979, CTY has sought the most academically able elementary and middle school students each year and encouraged their enrollment in CTY’s annual fall Talent Search. In 2005-6, over 83,000 students from 19 states and the District of Columbia participated in the Talent Searches offered through CTY. Students enrolled in the search go on to test in December or January. The results of these tests give families a better idea of a child’s academic talents, earn children possible recognition through CTY’s awards ceremonies, and possibly qualify a student for CTY’s summer programs or distance education courses. Their day in the limelight The students honored at CTY’s Grand Ceremony are a select group. From close to 31,000 seventh and eighth grade testers across the country, they have scored the highest on either the SAT or ACT. CTY’s founder, the late Dr. Julian Stanley, once estimated that only about one in 10,000 seventh graders can achieve scores as high as the students honored at the Hopkins ceremony. “CTY is honored to give them a stage on which to recognize their achievements, as might be done for excellence in athletics or the performing arts,” said Dr. Lea Ybarra, executive director of CTY. “Today is really their day in the limelight.” Ybarra credits parents and educators for sharing in the honored students’ accomplishments. “Parents who make academics a first priority for their children, and teachers who inspire their students to achieve their best, create engaged young people who are well-prepared to lead and shape tomorrow’s world.” She also credits the students for their success. “These students possess an academic fearlessness, combined with the desire to learn and achieve,” she said. “Not only will their enthusiasm for learning benefit them, it will benefit their entire generation, for these students will be the leaders, thinkers, and doers of tomorrow,” she said. The top students invited to the Grand Ceremony were individually honored on stage at Johns Hopkins by Dr. Ybarra. Dr. Bruce Margon of the Space Telescope Institute delivered the keynote speech and offered breathtaking images of deep space taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. # # # Media colleagues: For a complete list of students honored at the national Grand Ceremony, please contact Matt Bowden at (410) 735-6045, or email mtbowden1@jhu.edu. CTY and gifted education quick facts reporters may use: - CTY is a nonprofit center at The Johns Hopkins University.
- CTY draws students from 19 states and DC, as well as students from over 55 countries.
- 2005-2006 saw over 83,000 second through eighth graders participate in CTY's Talent Searches.
- CTY provided over $4.5 million in financial aid to over 7,000 students in 2004-5.
- In the 2005-6 Talent Search, 19.8% of students in CTY's Talent Search were identified as underrepresented.
- Gifted students qualifying for the Federal Free or Reduced-Price lunch program may join the Talent Search virtually for free.
More information is available at www.cty.jhu.edu, including a May 4 story that aired on NPR about middle schoolers and the SAT. # # # | 
