Have Your 7th-9th Graders Registered to Take the ACT?

Your 7^th-9^th graders have a unique opportunity to take the ACT through the Belin-Blank Center; this test is usually given to 11^th and 12^th graders during the college admissions process. Bright younger students can take it as a way of demonstrating their academic abilities, becoming eligible for academic recognition such as the Belin-Blank Recognition Ceremony, and becoming eligible for educational opportunities (such as summer and weekend programs) and scholarships.

Eligible 7^th-9^th graders will have earned a score at the 95^th percentile or above on a core subject of a grade-level test (such as the Iowa Assessments).  Those students have already demonstrated high achievement on grade-level tests and are ready to show what they have learned or are ready to learn by taking an “above-level” test, or one that is designed for older students. A disadvantage of grade-level tests is that they do not accurately measure highly-able students’ abilities; think of it like a yardstick that is too short to measure the extent of their talents. The above-level test essentially lengthens the yardstick and helps us to know more about the students’ abilities and to make sound educational recommendations for them.

We encourage educators to let their students know about this unique opportunity.  For more information, visit www.belinblank.org/talent-search.