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Top Students From New York Are Recognized for Academic Excellence

Photo of Gloria Martinez (daughter of James Martinez & Paula Kamperman) and Tiffany St. Hilaire (daughter of Austin and Heather St. Hilaire)

BALTIMORE, Fall 2010�Gloria Martinez & Tiffany St. Hilaire, two students from Hoosick Falls, were recently honored at a statewide awards ceremony for gifted children held by The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

Gloria Martinez & Tiffany St. Hilaire were invited to this awards ceremony sponsored by CTY (www.cty.jhu.edu) based on an exceptional performance on a rigorous, above-grade-level test given to second through eighth grade Talent Search participants. Seventh and eighth graders took the SAT or ACT�the same tests used for college admissions. Second through sixth graders took the SCAT, an above-level test scaled for younger students.

Since 1979, CTY has sought the most academically able elementary- and middle school students each year and encouraged their enrollment in CTY�s annual Talent Search, going on now. Students enrolled in the Talent Search go on to test through the fall and spring.

The results of these tests give families a better idea of a child's academic talents, particularly in comparison to the thousands of other academically talented students in the Talent Search. Students can also earn recognition at CTY's awards ceremonies, and their test scores may qualify them for CTY's summer programs and distance education courses.

In 2009-10 alone, over 53,000 students from 21 states and the District of Columbia participated in the Talent Searches offered through CTY. About 30% of the 2nd and 6th graders who tested this winter earned an invitation to CTY's Awards Ceremony, and about 25% of the 7th and 8th grade testers earned an invitation to an Awards Ceremony.

Gloria a fourth grader, and Tiffany, a seventh grader, who attend Hoosick Falls Central School, joined other award recipients at the recent state ceremony held at Siena College, and were individually honored by Johns Hopkins for their academic performance and promise.

"With our annual award ceremonies, we're committed to giving these exceptional young people a stage on which to recognize their academic achievements, just as we celebrate achievements in athletics or the performing arts," said CTY executive director, Lea Ybarra. "Their performance places them in the top tier of students taking these tests, and they certainly deserve acclaim." Who gets the credit for success? "The students," said Dr. Ybarra. "They possess an academic fearlessness and intellectual ability that will benefit their entire generation."

Leading them to their success, she said, are parents and educators. "Parents who support and encourage their children, and teachers who inspire through their knowledge and passion for a subject, create engaged young people who are well prepared to lead and shape tomorrow's world."

New York�s 2010 Awards Ceremonies were scheduled at SUNY New Paltz on Saturday, September 25; University of Rochester � River Campus on Sunday, September 26; Siena College on Saturday, October 9; Long Island University � C.W. Post Campus on Sunday, October 17; and The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College on Saturday, October 30.

About The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY)

CTY conducts the nation's oldest and most extensive academic talent search and offers educational programming for students with exceptionally high academic ability. CTY parallels, and complements, a gifted child�s regular school experience. CTY�s programs and students have been profiled in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and other premier American publications. Other information:

CTY is a nonprofit center at The Johns Hopkins University. CTY draws students from 50 states and DC, as well as students from almost 120 countries. 2009-10 saw over 57,000 second- through eighth graders worldwide participate in CTY�s Talent Searches.

CTY provided over $5 million in financial aid to over 9,000 students in 2009-10. In the 2009-10 CTY Talent Search, over 15% of students were identified as underrepresented. � Gifted students qualifying for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program may join the Talent Search virtually for free.