Talent Identification Program

The Talent Identification Program (TIP) is a gifted education program based at Duke University. It was founded by Dr. William Bevan in 1980.

The purpose of TIP is to identify gifted children and help them to fully reach their potential. Children are identified in 4th/5th grade and/or in 7th grade. In the 7th grade search, students take the SAT or ACT. TIP operates in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

TIP also runs several summer and weekend residential programs for the students.

TIP's Summer Studies Program consists of the Academy and Center for Summer Studies. These programs are offered for rising 8th through 11th graders, known as 1st to 4th years, respectively. College campuses currently hosting Summer Studies Programs include Davidson College, University of Kansas, Appalachian State University, Texas A&M University, Duke Marine Lab, and Duke University East and West campuses. The Summer Studies program has two terms at each campus, except Duke Marine Lab. Participants can choose from a variety of courses and focus on one area for 3 weeks of intense study.

The three-week Summer Studies program is an intensely social environment for most students. Often seen as more of a vacation or escape than a solely educational opportunity, the experience is usually likened to college life. The TiP schedule includes weekend dances and scheduled nightly recreation jokingly known among students as "mandatory fun"; thus, even outside of class, students are constantly occupied and social. The program has its own entire systems of lore and tradition, such as "Wear-A-Skirt-Wednesday" (Cross-Dress Day) and "Toga Tuesday". Because of the program's socially immersive qualities, end-of-term goodbyes are extremely emotional, especially for departing fourth years. "There's nothing like TiP," said one participant, "but you don't realize it until you leave and realize how fantastic TiP people are."

Duke also hosts the Precollege Program at Duke West campus. TiP Leadership programs are held at East. Field studies are held around the world throughout the summer as well. In select cities, scholar weekends are held throughout the year.

Rules

At Duke TiP, there are many rules and regulations a "TiPster" must follow:

One rule that tends to aggravate most TiPsters is the cell phone policy. This policy states that any TiPster may not have a phone on him or her at any time except for in their room from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM, 4:00 to 5:00 PM, or from 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM. At any other time this phone must be in the "off" position. (Note that this precludes their use as an alarm clock, for example, since this would require the phones to be on during the night.)

There is a strict policy on internet usage: a student may only access the internet between 4 and 5 PM in the library. Laptops are also a very big no-no unless you are using it strictly for word processing in class, which most teachers don't let you use anyway.

TiPsters must also follow a very strict visitation rule which states that no student may enter the room of a student of the opposite sex at any time.

Another rule enforced at TiP is the strict curfew policy. This policy states that all students must be on their hall by 10:15 PM and in their rooms by 10:45 PM.

The last major rule is the off campus rule. This rule states that one must be within a 100 yard vicinity of the dorm at all times, and if you leave you must be with an RC at all times. There is one exception to this rule, and that is if you are going into 11th grade, you are allowed to go down the street to a couple coffee shops from four to five PM on the weekdays in a group of three or more. In addition, you must sign in and out when you do this.

Violation of these rules can lead to severe punishments for even minor infractions, including confiscation of an offending cell phone or even expulsion at your own expense.

External links

Duke University | Gifted education

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Talent Identification Program

Rules

See also

External links