Proud Achievement in the USA: Turkish Brothers at the Top in Mathematics and English

Prof. Dr. Olcay Yavuz, who lives in Connecticut, U.S., has drawn attention with the success of his sons Selim Yavuz and Kerem Yavuz in the state exams. It was indicated that the two siblings have sustained their achievements for the past five years, earning the highest scores at the school, regional, and state levels in Math and English.

Success Stacked Upon Success

The announcement of the exam results from the educational period we spent in Connecticut sparked another wave of pride in the Yavuz family.

According to the information shared by Prof. Dr. Olcay Yavuz, Selim and Kerem Yavuz have achieved the highest scores at the school, regional, and state levels in both Math and English on the state exams they have taken over the past five years.

Behind the siblings' sustained success over the years, regular study, curiosity, determination, and the importance placed on education are at play.

Why Exam Results in the U.S. Are Important?

Selim and Kerem's success has once again highlighted the importance of exams in the American education system, especially for Turkish families newly arriving in the United States.

Although practices vary from state to state in the U.S., students can take statewide standardized tests from certain grade levels onward to measure their academic progress.

These exams are used to track students' academic levels and year‑to‑year progress, especially in core subjects such as mathematics and English.

Exam results can be important not only for assessing a student's current academic standing but also for evaluating advanced academic opportunities offered by certain schools and districts. In programs such as gifted, advanced, or honors, test scores may be one of the factors considered, depending on the criteria applied by the school and the district.

A Call to Parents: 'Track the Results'

Professor Dr. Olcay Yavuz also emphasized the importance of closely monitoring which exams children of newly arrived families take, their results, and the academic programs offered by schools.

Yavuz said that if the school has not shared the results of official exams conducted in previous years with families, parents can learn how to access those results by contacting the school or the school district they belong to.

What Rights Does FERPA Grant Parents?

At this point, the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) regulation in the United States also holds importance for families.

Under FERPA, parents have the right to review their children's educational records and request access to those records under certain conditions. When a student turns 18 or begins attending a postsecondary institution, these FERPA rights generally transfer to the student.

Therefore, it is important for families newly integrated into the U.S. education system to monitor not only their children's report card grades but also their official exam results and the academic opportunities that may be offered to them.

Selim and Kerem Yavuz's five-year-running success has become one of the striking examples of this monitoring and long-term academic effort.