| Revision as of 20:48, 31 May 2022 editHamsterie8 (talk | contribs)17 edits →Curriculum: Removed irrelevant information about "typical" processes at TS, e.g., "typically, students took Astro 101" and "typically, students do not get 1's on the PRs". Also removed irrelevant historical references.Tag: Visual edit← Previous edit | Revision as of 20:48, 31 May 2022 edit undoHamsterie8 (talk | contribs)17 edits →Assessment: Detailed information about workings of the transition school is not relevant to[REDACTED] users.Tag: Visual editNext edit → | ||
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| === Assessment === | === Assessment === | ||
| Students are given progress reports with feedback from teachers on their performance in individual subjects along with a 1-4 scale to measure "college readiness." It is important to note that the 1-4 scale ''do not'' correspond to the UW's 1-4 GPA system. |
Students are given progress reports with feedback from teachers on their performance in individual subjects along with a 1-4 scale to measure "college readiness." It is important to note that the 1-4 scale ''do not'' correspond to the UW's 1-4 GPA system. | ||
| # extreme concern about a student not reaching college readiness | |||
| # some concern about a student not reaching college readiness | |||
| # very little concern about a student not reaching college readiness; the student is performing at expectations | |||
| # no concern about a student not reaching college readiness; the student is performing above expectations | |||
| At the end of the year, students' advancement into EEP is determined by their last progress reports and assessments by teachers and the principal. The director reviews each student's application along with the assessments to determine whether the student advances. | At the end of the year, students' advancement into EEP is determined by their last progress reports and assessments by teachers and the principal. The director reviews each student's application along with the assessments to determine whether the student advances. | ||
Revision as of 20:48, 31 May 2022
The Transition School and Early Entrance Program (TS/EEP) is an early college entrance program located on the University of Washington campus at the Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars, Guggenheim Annex.
The Transition School gives a small group of talented middle school age students the chance to enter the University of Washington after one rigorous year at the program. During the TS year, students develop the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to succeed in college.
The Transition School, along with the UW Academy for Young Scholars, is a non-residential program open to residents of Seattle, Washington and the surrounding area. Prospective students from other areas are welcome to apply if they are willing to move to the Seattle area upon acceptance. Arrangements for this have varied among students over the years, depending on the parents' mobility, connections in Seattle, and prospective students' sibling(s).
The Early Entrance Program consists of TS graduates' subsequent four years at the UW. EEP students, or "EEPers," have access to resources, counseling, activities, and spaces organized by the Robinson Center to help facilitate their transition to a university-style education as high school-aged students. Many have achieved great success at the UW and in their following careers and are generally well-liked by faculty for their dedication and maturity.
History
Founding
The Early Entrance Program (EEP) was created in 1977 by the late Dr. Halbert Robinson, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Washington. The goal of the EEP from its inception was to enable a small and carefully selected group of academically advanced middle school students to accelerate into post-secondary education at a pace equal to their intellectual development. Dr. Nancy Robinson, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington, assumed directorship of the Center following Dr. Hal Robinson’s death in 1981, stewarding the Center until her retirement in 2000. In was originally located at the Guthrie Annex, but relocated to the Guggenheim Annex in 2020.
The Washington Search for Young Scholars was created in 2003 to identify and work with Washington’s most capable students, their families, and schools to develop more opportunities for academically gifted young people.
Organization and Administration
The Robinson Center is under the direction of the interim director, Janice DeCosmo. The principal is Lisa T. Scott.
In Transition School, history is currently taught by Nathan E. Roberts, Ph.D. Precalculus is taught by Reese W. Johnston, Ph.D. English is taught by Amanda Zink, Ph.D. Biology is taught by Cristina Valensisi, Ph.D. Health and Wellness/Community is taught by Michal Waldfogel, N.D. Typically, teachers hold a Ph.D. in their respective subjects.
Each class is supported by a teacher's assistant. Assistants are usually TS graduates.
TS students are also counseled by Kathryn Grubbs, Errold Nabong, Sara Lovett, and Kayesee Schermerhorn in their time at U-Ready and EEP. These advisors act as a resource for information on processes regarding matriculation at the UW. Grubbs is also the director of the EEP and Academy programs.
Academics
Admission Process
The Transition School accepts 15-20 students every year. Applicants are required to submit three teacher recommendations, middle school transcripts, an essay based on a given prompt, and an ACT score. The program receives 75-90 applicants per year, which are narrowed down by a series of one-on-one interviews with each prospective student. Each family can choose to receive early or regular admittance decision notices depending on their needs to know whether the student is accepted or not. The Transition School is not equivalent to Running Start, and students do not receive a high school diploma. Grades received at the Transition School are not translated to a high school transcript under normal circumstances.
Curriculum
The Early Entrance program starts with the one-year Transition School program. Enrolled students are generally called "TSers." Students, typically incoming 9th graders of ages 13-15, are enrolled each year. Following the Transition School, the students become full-time freshmen at the University, and many also enter the University's Honors Program.
In Fall and Winter Quarter, Transition School students attend five classes: English, history, precalculus, biology, and health and wellness/Community; each of these classes meets for around 5 hours a week. This provides a taste of what University classes before the class becomes matriculated. The Transition School curriculum is designed to cover the most important aspects of high school and prepare students for entrance into University. One of the major skills that it focuses on teaching is writing sophisticated arguments and claims. It also emphasizes developing scholarly skills, such as time management, study skills, motivation, and grit.
During Winter Quarter, Transition School students (TSers) take a course called U-Ready to learn about registration and other logistics necessary for their spring quarter University class. During Spring Quarter, the students enroll in an entry-level (roughly 100-300 level) class of their choice. Biology time, as well as history time due to special circumstances in the 2021-2022 academic year, is reduced and utilized to give space for students' UW classes.
Students also take part in "Tutorial" meetings. They meet one-on-one with instructors mainly to focus on their progress in developing study skills, sometimes discussing personal problems that affect it. Students also take part in a mentorship program, in which they are assigned to a mentor in the Early Entrance Program (EEP) who guides them through their year at TS.
Assessment
Students are given progress reports with feedback from teachers on their performance in individual subjects along with a 1-4 scale to measure "college readiness." It is important to note that the 1-4 scale do not correspond to the UW's 1-4 GPA system.
At the end of the year, students' advancement into EEP is determined by their last progress reports and assessments by teachers and the principal. The director reviews each student's application along with the assessments to determine whether the student advances.
Research
TS students have been studied extensively since 1980 to learn more about gifted students. They have been analyzed through the lens of gender, parental approval, and more. See also: Robinson Center Publications.
Controversies
The TS program has been accused of causing anxiety, depression, and burnout in students. This is due to the program's intense workload, or sometimes issues with other students.
In 2019, the UW published an official statement on the investigation into sexual assault accusations towards John Sahr. Sahr reportedly engaged in direct sexual behavior with a 17-year-old Robinson Center student between 2008 and 2010. He also partook in a relationship with an undergraduate years earlier. This conduct, reported to the university in February 2019 after a student contacted SafeCampus and the UW Police Department, violated the UW’s sexual misconduct harassment policy, Executive Order 31, and conflict of interest rules. His tenure was revoked and he was prohibited from visiting the UW campus indefinitely.
In 2019, several TS students reported one TA mimicking masturbation next to a female student’s head while leading a class session. This information comes from a 2019 article that has been criticized by many people affiliated with the RC for misrepresenting the issues at hand and their prevalence, as well as taking advantage of female students' frustrations. The writers were fired from their positions with the The Daily over controversies surrounding the article.
Testimonies from students in recent years show consistently that the 2019 article's claims are largely real but overstated. Students mostly express gratitude for their rigorous education at TS and consider it a crucial part of their academic development. Reports of sexual harassment (by other students), misogyny, racism, religious prejudice, and homophobia by the article are based on incidents from many years ago that do not characterize today's environment at the RC.
Despite the many supports for TS students from teachers and programs like Tutorial, most feel a great amount of pressure, which can be exacerbated by immigrant families' high expectations (over the last 10-20 years, at least half of TS students have had parents from Europe or Asia) and internalized forms of these. Transition school students may also be surprised by the realization that they are not at the top of their class anymore, a position many were able to previously reach with little effort. Most years, 1-3 students out of the total 15-20 drop out of the program, often because of a personal lack of motivation or reluctance to rush their education. Teachers and staff emphasize that students should take paths that lead them to personal fulfillment and success and encourage students to make the decisions for themselves.
After Nancy Hertzog resigned in 2020, Lisa T. Scott "revamped the health and wellness curriculum to be more about wellness than physical health". The Health and Wellness program focuses on "...understanding how you handle stress and how your body reacts to stress, and there’s some of it that’s sort of natural". This was meant as a remedy for the allegedly toxic environment present at the Robinson Center and has been one of the many changes to come after the sexual assault scandal and other issues reported by the article "Six students accuse Robinson Center of misogynistic. toxic environment."
Notable Alumni and Achievements
- Physicist Ernest M. Henley, former TS physics instructor.
- Elizabeth Angell, former TS student, Rhodes Scholar.
- Emmett Shear, former TS student, CEO of Twitch.
- In 2003, the Robinson Center for Young Scholars received the Brotman Award for Instructional Excellence from the University of Washington.
- There have been 3 Rhodes Scholars and 1 Rhodes Finalist from the Early Entrance Program.
See also
References
- "Guggenheim Annex (GUA) · Seattle, WA 98105, United States". Guggenheim Annex (GUA) · Seattle, WA 98105, United States. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- "About". UW Robinson Center for Young Scholars. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- "RC Staff". UW Robinson Center for Young Scholars. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- "Transition School". UW Robinson Center for Young Scholars. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- "Curriculum". UW Robinson Center for Young Scholars. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- Robinson, Manisha Jha | Photo by Lydia Ely, edited by Hailey. "Six students accuse Robinson Center of misogynistic, toxic environment". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Daily, Jake Goldstein-Street The. "UW professor terminated after university investigation into sexual misconduct". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- Robinson, Manisha Jha | Photo by Lydia Ely, edited by Hailey. "Six students accuse Robinson Center of misogynistic, toxic environment". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Daily, Samantha Ahlhorn The. "Supporting UW's youngest students: Revisiting the Robinson Center". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
External links
- Robinson Center for Young Scholars. This website is commonly cited for general information regarding the Robinson Center; however, some information presented on it is outdated and/or inaccurate. The most reliable sources for information on TS/EEP are current staff, teachers, and alumni.
- "Very Young, Smart and Restless," New York Times Magazine, 9 January 2000
- "Super Smart Teens Prepare for Early College Admission," ABC News, 14 April 2009
- Publicly published notes by a TS student on classes in the 2020-2021 school year