The Thomas County School System recently announced that two of its middle school students were recognized as a part of the 2018-2019 Duke University Talent Identification (TIP) Program.

Ally Moore and Owen Petrey, seventh graders at Thomas County Middle School, were among a select group of students statewide to meet the criteria to be Duke TIP students.

In December 2018 and January of this year, 26 students took either the ACT or SAT through TIP. They sat for the exams in Thomasville alongside the usual group of college-bound 11th and 12th graders, and many earned scores that rivaled or surpassed those earned by the older students in the next seats. Of the 26, 10 seventh-grade students were further selected to take either the SAT or ACT as part of the Duke TIP Program. Four of the students met or exceeded in evidence-based reading and writing and one student met or exceeded in math. 

Moore and Petrey were state qualifiers, eight qualified for e-Studies, and five of the students qualified for summer studies.

“We are proud of these seventh-grade students for taking on the challenge of exams such as the PSAT, SAT and ACT,” Thomas County Middle School’s TIP Club Advisor Retha Lee said. “The high scores our students received are indicative of the academic rigor of their MERIT courses here at Thomas County Middle School, as well as the students’ intelligence and motivation. We hope the work they’ve done in our Duke TIP Club will continue to serve them well in their academic careers.”

Lee helps students prepare for national tests such as the PSAT, SAT, and ACT by guiding them through sample test questions and showing students online resources for further practice.

Both Moore and Petrey scored high enough to be eligible for participation in Duke’s Summer Studies programs and State Recognition Ceremony, which only about 35 percent of Duke TIP students qualify for participation.

“We are very happy to recognize these students on this wonderful accomplishment,” said MERIT Program Coordinator Dana Studdard. “They are both exemplary representatives of their families, communities, and our schools. It is exciting to see them earn recognition for their ability and talents at the state level. Their success is a reflection of their hard work, the support of their family, and the dedication of their teachers to prepare them for success now and in the future.”

TIP identifies seventh graders in 16 states in the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest who have scored at the 95th percentile or above on a national grade-level achievement test, but several students from TCMS scored higher than the 90th percentile nationally on this assessment. TIP provides participants with suggestions for using their ability more effectively, and a variety of educational materials and publications.