Information for Parents
Baylor TIP’s mission is to identify exceptional talent in STEM and the humanities and provide world-class learning opportunities commensurate with students’ exceptional potential. Baylor TIP focuses on both the identification of talent through our assessments and the opportunity to develop talents and interests through customized educational recommendations and out-of-school programs.
The Baylor TIP Information Letter for Parents 2022 is available for download. Please feel free to share it with other parents whose child may qualify for our talent search.
Qualifications Needed to Take the Baylor TIP Assessments
Students qualify to take our above-level assessments through any one of three avenues:
- score in the top 25% on one or more subtest of a state or national standardized exam (local norms are recommended but not required),
- be formally identified as gifted or talented by a district, or
- be recommended by a teacher, administrator, and/or parent.
Identifying Student Talent
The first step of the talent search is to identify student talent. Baylor TIP offers four above-level assessments. Students who are qualified to take the assessments will select one of the following to complete:
- College Readiness Assessment (CRA) for Grades 7–8,
- College Readiness Assessment 8/9 (CRA 8/9) for Grades 4–5,
- Indicator of Academic Readiness (IAR) for Grades 7–8, or
- Indicator of Academic Readiness 8/9 (IAR 8/9) for Grades 4–5.
Registering for a Baylor TIP Assessment
Parents can register their students individually at any time on our website without going through their school district. The testing window to be considered for our May Recognition Ceremony is October 1–February 28 of each year. Students who are registered individually by parents take the assessment online at own home.
Update (2/26/2023): Please note that registration is closing at 11:59 p.m. tonight, February 26, to ensure students test by February 28. Students who registered this weekend will receive their login information on Monday, February 27.
We will reopen registration on March 1 at 12 p.m., as the testing window is from October 1–June 30. Students can still register for and take the assessment after March 1; they just won't be able to participate in the Recognition Ceremony. They will, however, still be able to take the assessment and will receive information on their eligibility for the Baylor TIP program and enrichments programs.
If your child attends a district that is participating in the Baylor TIP program, please contact the district directly for registration due dates and testing dates. Districts are in charge of making these arrangements, and we are not part of that process. We work with districts across the state of Texas and beyond, and decisions regarding registration and test dates are made at the local level. If your district does not participate in the Baylor TIP program at this time, or if you would prefer to have your child register individually and take the assessment at home, please feel free to register him or her at the link above.
Next Steps
After testing, students will receive a detailed score report with their results, as well as educational recommendations. Once students are admitted to Baylor TIP, they are eligible to participate in our educational programs through Grade 12. To have a full perspective of students' strengths, we ask that students test once during Grades 4–5 and once again during Grades 7–8.
The testing window to be considered for the Recognition Ceremony in May closes on February 28, so we will be contacting students and districts in March with scholar levels and information about programs. Please note that Baylor's Spring Break is March 6–10, so e-mails will be sent after that time.
