Supporting and Recognizing Exceptional Talent
Students at last year's NUMATS awards ceremony.
Every year, CTD organizes and facilitates Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS). The research behind the talent search model is simple: students who score above the 90th percentile on an in-grade achievement test in school only discover that they are doing well in relation to their peers. Because they have reached the ceiling of the test, they never find out what they are really capable of. Their needs may not be met in school because their teachers may not understand the level of work that is appropriate for them. Taking an above-grade-level test, that is, raising the ceiling, allows teachers and parents to identify accurately what students are capable of in order to engage and challenge them with appropriate content. NUMATS uses the EXPLORE, ACT and SAT, typically used for high school or college admissions respectively, to provide a more accurate picture of the mathematical and verbal reasoning abilities of gifted students in grades 3 through 9. After students test, parents and teachers receive comprehensive information about how their student measures up to other gifted students and Course Recommendations based on test scores in the different subject areas. A dynamic online network helps teachers and parents meet the changing needs of students, with ever-expanding resources including articles on teaching and parenting gifted students. Soon, a virtual lecture series and array of content developed for and by gifted students will also be available. One of the most fulfilling experiences for us at CTD is our annual NUMATS award ceremony. On June 4, we will recognize high-scoring students in an invitation-only event for them and their families that includes conversations with outstanding NU student role models, an award ceremony featuring a guest speaker, a fine reception and campus tours. This year our fantastic speaker line-up includes: Kate McGroarty, the NU theater alum who shot to superstardom this year when she lived for a month at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago; Rebecca Tonietto, the Plant Biology and Conservation PhD student whose research investigates the effects of tallgrass prairie restoration on native bee communities and, Divya Narendra, the JD-MBA candidate whose background in social networking was portrayed in the Academy award-winning film The Social Network, in which he was played by actor Max Minghelli. Our keynote for the day, Matt McCrory, will talk about how his experience at Argonne Laboratories and at Dreamworks, where he worked on Shark Tale, Flushed Away and Kung Fu Panda, contributed to his current work as lead visualization engineer at the Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging. Over 25,000 students took an above-grade-level test through NUMATS this year. Our young winners represent the top 2% of all those who took the EXPLORE with us, and the top 1% of those who took ACT and SAT with us. It is always a privilege and an honor to meet our future leaders and to spend time with them. Congratulations all! Rhoda Rosen is the Associate Director of the Center for Talent Development. She oversees the NUMATS program, CTD’s efforts to build awareness of Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s prestigious Young Scholars Program, and Project EXCITE. She is eager to bring an arts background to the role of “identifying future leaders and, partnering with colleagues at CTD as well as organizations nation-wide, ensuring that gifted students from all walks of life are nurtured, supported and prepared with the intellectual, social and emotional tools they will need to serve society as creative, inspired thinkers."