Education Assessment Philosophy

Assessment, in educational settings, can take many forms, such as test scores, teacher observation or informal questioning, but the ultimate meaning, purpose and/or objective of assessment is inevitably up to the instructor. Are we simply looking for numbers to write in a grade book to appease our administrators, or are we seeking a deeper understanding of our students', and our own, capabilities? My loyalty falls behind the latter. Whether for the benefit of our students, ourselves, our school or state, assessment should be directed toward the goal of gauging student learning and comprehension, while at the same time, measuring our own efficacy in obtaining that goal. In simpler terms: We grade students to determine not only what they know, but how successful our instructional strategies/methods are.

Stice & Call (1987) state that "the paramount consideration in evaluation and assessment is to produce numbers by which children can be ranked, labeled and compared". True, each of these declared considerations have their merits; ranking for purposes of scholarship and recognition, labeling to ascertain more appropriate methods for individual instruction (e.g. gifted or exceptional), and comparison to establish an average level of student competence, but such considerations are only part of the story. As I see it, assessment, documentation and evaluation do more than simply attach classifications to students. They are tools employed to enrich our students' knowledge of themselves and their learning style (metacognition) and our own pedagogy.

Assessment, in terms of grade scores, can be both a motivating and disconcerting force. On the one hand, a good grade can greatly boost a student's self-concept and spur him/her on to repeat or surpass such success in the future. On the other, a poor grade can dishearten a student and diminish his/her academic spirit. At either stage, it is our job as teachers to support our students with encouragement, optimism, and above all, assistance. Regardless of the scores received by a pupil, the grades should be used to enlighten the student to both strengths and weaknesses in his/her current understanding of a topic, and therefore clarify which goal(s) or objective(s) of the lesson should garner more attention from the learner as well as the educator. Although test and homework scores are vital to the extended learning of a student, they in themselves are not a means to an end. Documentation of assessment is needed to add perspective to given grades.

Documenting assessment can have a compounded effect on student learning. Single grades tend to have less effect on student erudition than does an aggregated account of the student's work. This means that instead of showing a student what he/she did correctly, or incorrectly, on a particular assessment, which shows only a short-term understanding, demonstrating how the student has performed over time can illuminate broader inadequacies or virtues in their learning. For example, let's say Johnny did not perform well on his most recent math quiz. This doesn't mean Johnny doesn't understand the lesson or that the teacher didn't explain it well enough; there could be a number of external factors responsible (e.g. illness, poor nutrition, trouble at home etc.). A single test score under such circumstances can be misleading, but, when the score is compared to the larger picture of grades obtained throughout a unit or semester, Johnny and the teacher might find that he performs well when it comes to understanding mathematical concepts, but has weak application skills. While assembling and documenting Johnny's scores is useful in terms of highlighting the student's progress, or lack there of, it is not enough to truly gain full perspective of his needs. Without attaching meaning to his records, accumulated grade totals are worth little to him or his teacher.

The process by which we affix said meaning is known as Evaluation. By use of longitudinal comparison, Johnny and his teacher have identified certain areas in need of improvement and can henceforth take appropriate steps or make accommodations to enhance Johnny's educational experience. This is the very essence of evaluation, and is, by this writer's opinion, the most important facet to the larger, more generalized term of Assessment. Only when students understand what their grades indicate can they adequately realign their focus. This is by no means a one way street; teachers also need purpose to their lesson plans and assessments. When there is a clear, well-defined explanation accompanying assessment, teachers and students alike are more likely to maintain a positive attitude toward instruction, as well as a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the subject matter (Lu & Suen, 1995).

As for the use of assessment in my own professional career, my teacher education, as well as my own personal school experience, has led me to prefer the application of multiple assessment types.

As mentioned earlier in this paper, single grades usually do little more than mislead students or teachers into false interpretations. Only when assessment is varied can an adequate picture of student achievement be developed. For many students, myself included, have difficulty on large, standardized tests, but conversely, do quite well on localized, teacher-designed tests. This assertion is echoed by Storey (1970) when he states that "The most valid and reliable data available to the classroom teacher is that resulting from his own well-designed, item-analyzed, multiple choice tests" (. p. xiv). I believe this is true because teachers develop their examinations based on their own expectations, which are cultivated through personal experience and interactions with their students. This is an impossibility with national standardized tests.

On a day-to-day level, I have discovered, through my practicum experiences, students find that pre-tests make it easier to organize important topics during on-going instruction. By informing the students of what I (the teacher) expect them to learn from my lesson, all students show increased retention on post-tests, as opposed to lower scores when no pre-test was given. Unfortunately, giving routine pre-tests before every lesson can actually stifle student learning because students begin to only listen for material covered on the pre-test, and allow all other information to fall to the wayside.

To supplement pre-tests, formative assessments can be used (e.g. informal question-answer period and teacher observations). One type of formative assessment, as discussed by Niebur (1994), was the use of name cards in her music class. She would choose a small sample of students to observe for the day, then silently meander around the room making notations about their performance on the cards. She did this because she noticed that some students would perform below their abilities when they knew they were being observed. This way, she could make assessments without jeopardizing student functioning, and therefore obtain an adequate picture of their abilities. Though I'm not a music teacher, I feel this technique could be useful in determining social and communication skills, as well as assessment of student affect. Though it is important to attend to insuring multiple assessments for students, my most adamant contention concerning assessment isn't so much what kind of assessments I use, but instead, what types of questions are included in assessments.

"The average test in public schools classes reflects the type of lower-order thinking most students are comfortable with, and measurement is nearly always done by using fill-in-the-blank, true-false, multiple choice or some other 'objective' measure" (Shanker, 1990, p. 32). This is what I hope to avoid. With so much stressed placed on Bloom's original and revised taxonomies, not to mention its formidable insight, I feel the only way to truly challenge one's students is to implement higher-order thinking skills into both instruction and assessment. Being a history teacher, I can certainly appreciate the importance of simple recall of facts (e.g. people, places and dates), but history and the social studies necessitate high levels of analysis as they pertain to the current status of the world. Without incorporating open-ended questions subject to interpretation, my students will never fully grasp the importance of the past, which is usually the most difficult aspect of fostering appreciation for history classes.

This ties into the yearly/semester plan for my students. As the semester progresses, I intend to slowly require deeper understanding of the content by posing more open-ended or opinionated questions on assessments, in whatever form they may appear. This means that at the beginning of the semester, I will focus on more rote memory skills while at the same time gradually building a big picture for important concepts (e.g. social development and structure, imperialism and nation building, civic participation etc). Toward the middle and end of the semester, once these concepts have been adequately presented and discussed, my assessments will tend to lean toward deep understanding, rather than simple. Based on the documentation, I can determine what content has been properly retained as well as that content comprehension which seems to be lacking.

In summation, assessment, documentation and evaluation, when used in concert, create something greater than the sum of their parts. The use of only one or two rarely concludes with the maximizing of student learning. Furthermore, multiple assessments, integrating higher-order thinking skills, is by far the best way to educate and inspire students to reach their full potential, creating a much needed generation of intellectually capable citizens.

Education Assessment Philosophy

Good Sat Score

Education Assessment Philosophy

Education Assessment Philosophy
Education Assessment Philosophy

Good Sat Score

ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships

Raising your score on the ACT test is a critical part of qualifying for scholarships so that you can afford the college of your choice. However, it is not as simple as just studying more or working harder to raise your ACT test score.

The answer to how to raise your ACT test score to get scholarships lies in mastering the test instead of just studying the subjects. The key is not in the English, Math, Reading and Science knowledge. Most students who take the test are proficient enough in these subjects to get a higher score than they are getting.

Since knowledge of the subject matter isn't the key, then what is the way to master the test? There are three specifics areas of test taking skills to master in order to raise your ACT test score to qualify for more scholarships.

1) Time management is the first aspect that must be considered in order to improve your test taking skills. Many students lose a lot of points on the test merely because they run out of time. Time management is more than just watching the clock though.

2) The second aspect of raising your ACT score is learning how to answer questions quickly. For instance, on the Math test, it is not always necessary to know how to solve the problem in order to get the right score. Understanding "rounding" and "process of elimination" to rule out wrong answers helps you get questions right and save time as well.

3) Finally, you need to learn what areas to focus on in your studying in order to raise your ACT test score. Unless you are realistically aiming for a score of 31 or higher, for instance, studying Trigonometry is a waste of time, as there are only 4 Trig questions on the test. Additionally, by learning how to analyze your sub-scores on Math and English, you will save a lot of time studying just the right things.

With the right focus, that of studying smart instead of just working hard, it is possible to raise your ACT score significantly in order to qualify for scholarships. However, it takes focus and a strategy that is borne out of a very good understanding of the ACT test.

Check out a good ACT prep course, preferably one that is video based for better retention, that focuses not on subject matter and test content, but rather on test taking skills.

ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships

Good Sat Score

ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships

ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships
ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships

Good Sat Score

Do SAT Preparation Courses Really Work?

For decades, colleges have relied upon the SAT Reasoning Test as a tool for determining a student's eligibility for enrollment. Not surprisingly, courses of all shapes and sizes have emerged professing the ability to markedly improve student scores. In parallel to the claims of the SAT preparation courses has been the mantra of those who suggest that, not only are SAT courses unable to significantly raise test scores, but that the SAT is a "pristine" exam immune to such efforts. In order to answer the question "Does SAT preparation really work?" it is necessary to carefully consider the positions of both camps.

One might argue that, as a seasoned SAT expert, author, and instructor, I have a particular interest in promoting the virtues of SAT prep courses in general, but this could not be further from the truth. What almost three decades of SAT preparation expertise has instilled in me is an interest in promoting effective SAT courses and steering students away from so many ineffective options. Those courses that routinely fail to produce desired results are detrimental to the test preparation industry as a whole! Any objective discussion of SAT preparation success or failure must begin with a consideration of statistics. Some "experts" have suggested a very simple study involving a few hundred students, some of whom receive coaching and some of whom do not. The results can then be statistically analyzed to determine whether or not SAT preparation really works. Sounds simple, logical, and fair, right? Wrong! In fact, such a simplistic compilation would result in grossly inaccurate, misleading data and erroneous conclusions. While I applaud the idea of an unbiased, statistical evaluation, a truly fair and accurate study would prove to be profoundly complicated and complex.

Here's why. In order to begin such an analysis, one would first have to sift through literally hundreds of SAT courses to find a suitable preparation vehicle. The sad truth is that a great number of SAT courses simply do not work, and some of them are miss the mark entirely. Approximately fifteen years ago, one of the major financial periodicals published an eye opening expose' concerning the plethora of ineffectual and, perhaps, fraudulent SAT coursework on the market at that time. I dare say that, today, those numbers seem to be on the increase. Armed with false promises and fictitious data, such organizations bilk customers out of thousands of dollars, yet are no longer limited to small, local, no-name organizations. Students who unknowingly subscribe to such programs typically assimilate little or no insight into the nature of the SAT test itself and realize little or no score improvement. Whenever I interview students who have come to me after completing any SAT course, I routinely ask a few fundamental questions such as "How many sections comprise a typical SAT?" Amazingly, more than half of those students are completely unaware of the structure of the exam! Would it be fair, then, to include data from such courses in a statistical analysis?

Let us not forget to include many high school-generated prep courses among the ineffective. Those make-shift (albeit well-intentioned) programs, which the schools once offered free of charge but can now cost hundreds of dollars, lure thousands of students each year! The problem with these courses is that, by and large, high school mathematics and English teachers (not SAT experts) present the coursework. While these teachers may be highly-skilled educators with considerable knowledge and expertise in specific subjects (algebra, geometry, writing, grammar, etc.) they are generally untrained in the explicit reasoning skills necessary to master the SAT. Practically every student whom I have interviewed who has attended such a course has felt that the preparation was at best a waste of time. Indeed, some have emerged discouraged, disgruntled, and opposed to any further preparation! Are we also to include those data in an objective analysis?

And what about the group-oriented programs that routinely hire SAT instructors of limited insight and experience? A few years ago, a woman boasting of a whopping six-months' SAT instructional experience, called me requesting employment. Although I certainly did not hire her, I would bet that a number of companies would be perfectly willing to do so in spite of her extremely limited experience (expertise is so very important that I never permitted any of my tutorial staff to teach SAT prep). Are those companies to be ranked equally with the one-to-one preparation of seasoned SAT experts? To understand this, let's consider dining as an analogy. No one would believe a fast-food chain to be comparable in quality to a five-star restaurant, but the fast food joint does have several major advantages. A large fast-food chain can serve far more customers than can a single dining establishment, and can do so at a considerably lower price. A customer willing to sacrifice quality for price and availability would be far better served at such an establishment.

Does the analogy extend to SAT preparation, however? In some cases it does. A number of SAT experts are simply too high-priced (0-0 per hour) for the average customer, and have chosen to offer their services to those willing and able and afford them. When it comes to SAT coaching, however, price is not at all a definitive indicator of quality. Some of the most highly skilled experts offer their services at relatively moderate prices (comparable to those of the "fast-food" courses), while certain neophytes are happy to charge exorbitant prices! Clearly, no rational person can justify lumping such diverse data into the same statistical bundle while, at the same time, professing to objectively analyze the general effectiveness of SAT preparation coursework.

In addition to discussing the disparity in quality among SAT programs, we must also consider that of the students themselves. Even the best of SAT courses will inevitably entertain a certain number of unmotivated clients, and compliance has always been a primary component of SAT preparation. Although a number of SAT "programs" promise success with little or no study or homework (indeed, some profess to prepare a student in a weekend or two) no legitimate SAT course can offer something for nothing. A student unwilling to complete his or her assigned work is unlikely to show a major improvement in score. There are also certain numbers of students with inherent learning difficulties. Those students may to show less improvement than students of average ability. Is it fair, therefore, to include all students in an overall analysis?

This brings me to another important factor in determining the success or failure of an SAT preparation course. Just how does one evaluate improvement? Unaware that I am an SAT instructor, a representative from another SAT prep company contacted me recently peddling his company's services on the promise that a student will improve his or her score by at least 100 points. So I asked him, "If a student came to you with a prior score of 2300, do you promise a perfect score of 2400 upon the completion of your coursework?" Not surprisingly, his answer was "Well...er...no." I then asked him whether a student can expect a 2300 if he or she started with a 2200. Although I did not set out to put this fellow on the spot, I did intend to point out the sheer ludicrousness of his company's promises. As SAT scores increase, incremental improvements are, naturally, much smaller. Indeed, a fifty point increase from 2100 to 2150 may be just as significant and may require just as much diligent study and effort as does a 200 point increase from 1700 to 1900! So where exactly does one begin to evaluate the significance of score improvement? In the absence of complicated statistical adjustments, gifted students with high initial SAT or PSAT scores would actually diminish numerical averages even though those students may have experienced satisfying increases in total score!

Unaware of such statistical complexities, well-intentioned parents routinely inquire as to a particular instructor's rate of success. Understandably, potential clients would like to know the average increase in score that they can expect after taking a particular course. I am sure that, to some of these folks, my answer must sound somewhat convoluted. On one hand, I can certainly say that the majority of my students show a marked improvement in score, but I cannot present any hard numbers without meticulously filtering the data. In the absence of my deleting unmotivated and learning disabled student performances and adjusting for high initial scores, the numbers would be misleading, and I am sure that this dilemma extends to other SAT courses as well. Therefore, when a parents make such a request (as all prospective clients should), I give them a reasonable estimate of expectation based upon students who are similar in scholastic performance, motivation, etc. to their students.

Hopefully, one can now begin to appreciate the fallacies and limitations associated with simple statistical analyses. Depending on the variables selected and controlled, a simplistic compilation and analysis could produce dramatically varying results which would, in turn, lead to erroneous conclusions. If one were somehow able, however, to eliminate from the equation all of the factors that would unfairly diminish the averages, it is my contention that one would notice a remarkable average increase in performance after completing a legitimate, high-quality SAT program taught by a seasoned SAT expert, but the experimental conditions would, by definition, remain extraordinarily complex.

That said, let us turn our attention to those who, even to this day, insist that it is virtually impossible to significantly improve an SAT score. In 1995, the same year that the College Board changed the test title from SAT to SAT 1 and altered the test format, I began to hear rumors that the new design was supposed to be preparation-proof. Those rumors turned out to be utter nonsense (the newer format actually proved somewhat easier to prep than was its predecessor), but it is interesting that someone, somewhere, had felt compelled to circulate them. Thankfully, one hears such nonsense less frequently today than a decade ago, but some folks still believe in the "pristine" nature of the SAT and continue to disseminate the rumors. Although, we may never know the source of that myth, we are well aware of its impact... every year, the misassumption that the SAT is not teachable prevents some sadly misled students from actively working to improve their scores!

In the early 1990s, rumors began to circulate suggesting that the College Board (the company that designs and administers the SAT), in an effort to promote the purity of the SAT test design, might have been one of the original proponents of this myth. These rumors may have been the result of the notion that, if the College Board were to have admitted that SAT preparation courses were valuable assets in improving scores, such an admission would be tantamount to an acknowledgement that the test was not even close to being the "pristine" evaluation tool that, ideally, many people thought that it should have been. Such an admission would, in turn, open wider the Pandora's Box of cultural and economic bias claims... "The rich can afford the prep courses that will ultimately get a student into a prestigious college or university." Nonetheless, whether or not College Board originally promoted the notion of a pristine test, it clearly has not done so for many years. As a matter of fact, the College Board currently markets its own SAT preparation coursework, an indirect suggestion, that one can, indeed, improve one's scores through study and practice!

Yet, in spite of overwhelming evidence substantiating the value of good, solid, SAT-specific preparation, there are still those who diminish or even deny it. Although relatively few in number today, those who would oppose SAT preparation coursework tend to fall into one of two categories: parents who, after subscribing to such a course, have witnessed poor results, and high school counselors and teachers who, years ago, had fallen for the rumors but who have never taken a hard look at the facts.

And those facts are becoming more and more evident each year...the SAT would seem to be a test that yields readily to proper study protocols. Pragmatically speaking, is it not reasonable to suggest that, if SAT preparation truly cannot significantly improve a score, then no one would improve as a result of such preparation? The fact that so many students do improve, however, attests to the value of SAT prep. Although statistics suggest that a score may increase by as much as forty points (about four correct answers) by simply retaking the test, those statistics do not account for the 100-400 point increases that seasoned, professional SAT experts routinely produce. Moreover, merely retaking the test without concerted study is no more than a toss of the dice; a student may or may not improve (and may do even worse). I recall a seventeen year-old high school student who had come to me after taking the test five times and getting roughly the same score at each sitting. That is not an isolated incident, either. Rarely have I seen a student improve his or her score by merely retaking the test!

Clearly, therefore, there are important factors to consider before subscribing to an SAT preparation course. An inappropriate or hasty decision is likely to result in a dismal, discouraging outcome. The following is a list of criteria that I recommend any student interested in preparing for the SAT Reasoning Test take into consideration:

1. Accept the fact that not all SAT prep courses (including some of the more popular ones) are likely to produce substantial results. Avoid the temptation to subscribe to a particular course simply because "everyone else is" or because "the company has made an elaborate presentation at your high school or because you have seen or heard advertisements promising results.

2. Seek a one-to-one or small group environment with a specific, seasoned SAT expert (not merely "someone on staff"), and be sure to inquire as to the number of years that the instructor has coached SAT.

3. Plan on several months' training (typically one or two sessions per week). Most students simply cannot assimilate SAT skills in a few short sessions or in an accelerated program of daily coaching.

4. Be committed to a concerted practice regimen... Input increases the probability of a desired outcome.

5. Beware of programs that "guarantee" results. Some courses may promise a small increase in score that may sound substantial to an unsuspecting client. Does the guarantee really mean, however, that a client will get a full refund if the student does not achieve a certain score, or does it simply mean that the student can sit through additional classes free of charge? The important point here is that there is no way that any SAT program can be certain that a student will show marked improvement.

6. Be suspicious of courses eager to accommodate a student's every whim. While such "feel-good" programs may appear to be client-oriented, they are probably not results-oriented. Remember that students will typically do as little work as they are permitted to do, so it is up to the instructor to maintain a reasonable amount of control and to expect a specific level of compliance.

Although I certainly allow for a limited amount of flexibility, as a general policy I will not work with students unwilling to accept all of the terms listed above. Experience has taught me that any student who does not commit to a strict protocol will simply waste time and money and will occupy an appointment slot that a serious student could use. For students eager and willing to put their shoulders to the wheel, however, SAT prep can be a remarkably rewarding venture. The key is to shop carefully, be selective, and work hard.

Do SAT Preparation Courses Really Work?

Good Sat Score

Do SAT Preparation Courses Really Work?

Do SAT Preparation Courses Really Work?
Do SAT Preparation Courses Really Work?

Good Sat Score

How to Ace the SAT For Free, Without Any Classes

How to Ace the SAT

I scored well on the SAT (not a 2400, but around there), so I thought I'd write some spicy tips for you all to do the same.

First of all

**Note: If you're already signed up for SAT classes, just skip this section and make the most of your classes. There's still a lot of (hopefully) useful stuff in here, though!**

SAT group classes are worthless. You would improve just as much by taking practice tests on your own. Sure, classes might "force" you to study, but it actually may be wasting your time because instead of reading a book and thinking things through (active learning) you are able to just sit there for an hour and tune out while the teacher drones on and on (passive learning). For the most part, 00 franchise SAT classes à la Princeton Review or Kaplan are simply reiterating what is widely available in their books. The difference between their group classes and their books? Let's see...

00.00

- 30.00

0.00

Not 200 more points on the SAT. Not 50. 0.00.

...

THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU COULD DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY!! This is a good way to inspire yourself. Do you really need to pay 00+ for motivation? No. Avoid this organized torture!! And f you must take an SAT class, choose a smaller, private company with references, or even better, a private tutor.

Required Supplies

Note: Only use the CB materials for the tests. The rest of it is full of mostly generic and vapid advice that you don't need to spend time reading.

The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board, .97 The Official SAT Online Course by The College Board, .95 [Use this only if you need more tests.] Maximum SAT: Second Edition by Pete Edwards, .99 [The first edition is fine if you want to save money]
Optional Materials

There are a few other Real SAT books, but they're not as widely available. These books all go for less than including shipping, so they're a great investment if you need extra practice. Why use fake questions by companies like Princeton Review when you can get the real thing? Obviously, drop the Quant Comp questions and analogies, but the rest is still great for practice.

10 Real SATs, Third Edition by The College Board (Paperback - May 1, 2003) [red cover] 8 Real SATs by College Entrance Examination Board (Paperback - Sep 1996) [white cover] 10 Real SATs by Cathy Claman (Paperback - Aug 1997) [white cover]
One Last Thing

Find people who took the October or January SATs, because these people might have copies of their tests you can borrow and take. These tests are as real as they get. :) Oh, and give the generous souls that lent you tests a nice present or two. (Thank you Justin & Peter) You could also use old PSAT tests for practice. Note: The pretest on the CB online course is the October 2005 test.

Steps to a Pretty SAT Score

The material on the SAT isn't high-level at all, so for the most part all of you will just be brushing up on stuff you're hazy on. Thus, you don't really need to read SAT books from cover to cover. Use them more as references, like how you would use a dictionary.

If you haven't already, do some type of diagnostic with no prep. This isn't absolutely necessary, but it's nice to see where you are. The free practice tests given by Kaplan or Princeton Review are great for this step. I improved about 300 points from my PR practice test in January, so (maybe) that's what you can expect as well. I suppose you could use a PSAT score for this as well; however, by the time you are getting ready to take the SAT, you have probably improved naturally from your sophomore PSAT. Personally, I thought taking the PSAT in sophomore year was a waste of money so I didn't bother taking it, but do what you want. :) Take 1-2 tests without time limits and with open books/answers. Take your time: basically, you're just getting to know how the test is built and becoming familiar with random topics you've forgotten. Take tests with closed books. You're allowed to go overtime at first, but be within the time limit by the third or fourth test. Review any incorrect answers and also any 'weird' questions that you barely got right or that you took a lot of time on.

Note: You don't need to take the entire test at once. In fact, it's better to take it one section at a time so you can review the section you just took before you forget it. It's not necessary at all to take a full-length test more than two or three times to build up your stamina. You'll have adrenaline on test day anyway. Lots of it. :) If you are really worried about your concentration, look up some concentration exercises on the net.

Critical Reading

Read, read, read. It's hard to make up for a lifetime of not reading, but you can at least make a significant dent. If you think it won't contribute enough to be worth your time, think of it as preparation for the GRE or LSAT (grad school standardized tests). Reading will improve your vocabulary and critical reading skills. Try to read "critically;" think about tone, voice, style, where the author is leading, themes, and so on. Then, practice on SAT questions, also paying attention to the rhetoric as much as you can. Do a section a day (or week; whatever), and you'll start to see patterns and the way CB thinks.

Also, don't think too much into a question. The obvious answer is usually the right one; if you have to twist an answer so it'll fit, it's not right. This is one of the things you'll 'get' after you see a lot of questions.

Vocabulary: Maximum SAT has an awesome vocabulary list in the back about 400 words long: memorize it first, then go on to other lists. Also, when you take practice tests (by CB!), take note of which words you weren't completely sure about and learn those as well. Depending on how much you read and how much vocab you already know, you can spend more or less time on this section. I stuck with the Maximum SAT list and random words on practice tests and that was all I needed. You might need more. Or less! :)

If you want to improve your CR scores, spend most of your energy understanding the techniques to recognize the patterns of Sentence Completion, and especially Critical Reading. This is more important than mindlessly memorizing thousands of random vocab words. Seriously, that 3500 Barron's Vocab List hecka scares me. Does anyone actually attempt to memorize the entire thing??

Math

Maximum SAT's math section is very concise. If you are pretty good at math, you don't really need to read through all of it, but use it when you encounter a question you don't know how to do or find something you need to brush up on. Others will have to read all of it; it really depends where you are in regards to math. If you see a weird question that you have no idea what to do with, the solution is simply to ask a friend. :D

Once you're scoring around 700 in the math section, concentrate on gaining speed and accuracy on level 1-4 questions. Brush up on Algebra 2 if needed, as many hard questions lie in that area. After a while you can simply skip all the easier math questions and go directly to the level 5 questions.

Writing

Again, Maximum SAT has a great writing section. Use it just like you use the math section, but read through at least Writing Lesson 2 and the first half of Writing Lesson 3, because these parts cover the errors that appear the most.

The essay really isn't that important. If you get perfect on the multiple choice, for example, you can get a 9/10 (depending on the curve) on the essay and still receive an 800. Concentrate on improving the MC before you work on the essay. Also, after a few practice tests, make a list of the grammar stuff (or any stuff actually) that you tend to mess up on. For me, that meant random error ID questions where I read too fast and assumed there was no error instead of seeing the subject-verb error.

The Essay [12 Steps to a 12]

Note: I will update/adjust this section once I get to read my actual essay.

CB is looking for an essay that makes an exceptional argument, not a masterpiece. Do not waste time trying to think of good vocab during the first run. It is the form, argument, support, and details that gain you points. Read wikipedia! Seriously, it'll teach you lots of stuff that you can put in your essay. Choose a few topics and learn all about them. Here are some examples to get you started. There are lots of examples outside of history/lit that you can use, though. Read sparknotes if you haven't read a certain book in a while and need to refresh your memory. History: French/American/Any Revolution; Activists; Civil Rights movement; George Washington/King Louis 16th & his wife; Gilded Age/Progressive era; WWI, WWII, Germany after WWI Literature: 1984; Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Brave New World; Catcher in the Rye; Fahrenheit 451; Frankenstein; The Crucible; The Grapes of Wrath; The Great Gatsby; To Kill a Mockingbird; Les Miserables; Lord of the Flies; Macbeth; The Merchant of Venice; Spoon River Anthology; The Scarlet Letter Philosophy (courtesy of JueYan Zhang): John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism; John Locke/Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract; Immanuel Kant's Principle of Truth and Choice; Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Read the Quote and the Question. The quote sets the tone for the question, so don't skip it! I must note however that some people think it's a good idea to skip the quote entirely. Write a few essays and decide which way works better for you. I find the quote helps me think of examples, but some may think that it actually tends to confuse them. Subsequently, make sure to actually directly answer the question, and not go off on a tangent about the quote. Immediately after comprehending the question, begin your first sentence! Jot a few LETTERS down to refresh your memory, but that's it! The ideal situation is to spend just a minute or two on the quote and question, dive into writing, and have a minute to spare at the end to search for grammatical errors or to upgrade your word choice in a few areas. You need to keep thinking of examples as you write. Solid examples that carry at least partial academic weight (well-known person, historical/current event, movie, philosophical concept, etc.) are better than personal anecdotes, but if you can't think of solid examples immediately, just write a really nice essay on a good personal example. Time is not on your side, so do not hesitate to make up, errr use, personal examples.You could also use a paragraph to refute an argument against your essay. Another way to approach the essay is to use one example and explore different aspects of it. Here is an example of an essay from the collegeboard online course that did this and received a perfect score: Often, people are judged by their accomplishments. Different groups look at what an individual has done, & judge that person from only what they see whether this person is fit for this job, or that specialty track. This is the ever-basic competition. It is all around us. Jobs, schools, & wars depend on it. The strong survive for one reason. They are able to adapt & overcome. They will run headfirst into a problem, then back up and look at it from a different angle. The weak will run into the problem the same way, but after backing up, will run into the problem again & again until they get too frustrated to continue or ask a stronger individual for help. The stronger, however, will be long past that problem and onto a more challenging one. This point was displayed during World War II & the development of the jet engine. The US & Great Britan were having great problems getting all the bugs worked out from uncontrollable thrust amounts & out of control speeds, to complete & total engine detonation. However, the German Luftwaffe had already perfected the engine & had put it to work in the Me 262. The allies were being destroyed by an enemy that they had nothing to match with. Allied planes were being shot down in massive numbers, & there was nothing anybody could do, because the US jet engine was far from finished. In response, new tactics were developed. Instead of just hoping to get a lucky shot & running into that wall, the Allies found a way around the wall. The idea was that during takeoff & landing, the 262 was extremely vulnerable, because it had to slow down dramatically to be able to land. Because of this, the Allied planes could now not only catch, but destroy many 262s that would have otherwise been impossible to destroy. This new tactic won the air war over the skies of Europe. Ever since man has been around, they have been making tools. From the most primitive spear, little more than a sharp stick, to the most technologically advanced military fighter, the F-22 Raptor, man has been making devices to help them for millions of years. It is the strong who in the first place develop these tools. The weak will be quickly killed off in attacks, while the strong & agile will quickly improvise something, then revise it later to make it better. Stay Focused. In each paragraph, re-read the question to tie it all together. You don't want to write two whole pages only to realize that you digressed and went off on a tangent. You can easily lengthen your essay by continuing to mention how your examples fit with the topic. Content is King; length helps, but it isn't everything. Two pages of mindless BS will do nothing for your score. The people that do fill up the entire two pages and receive 12s have a lot to write about, not random stuff. Myself, I wrote 1.5 pages and received an 11, sigh. I edited the essay instead of writing more because I couldn't really think of a way to write more and have the essay still flow. Also, I suck at writing fast soo that's also a reason I couldn't get to a whole 2 pages haha. Maybe you don't have that problem. Do have at least 1.5 pages.. There are no rules, so let it Flow. If your ideas require one continuous paragraph for the whole essay, so be it. This probably isn't a great idea, but the point is don't stress out about having three main examples fit perfectly into three main body paragraphs. You are allowed to make a new paragraph just for one or two sentences if you so desire. It doesn't even matter if your thesis is the most prominent line - so don't spend time crafting a perfect thesis. Have a point of view. If possible, go for a nonconformist view. Go for the point of view that somehow embraces the beauty of life, succeeding, and progress (it sounds corny, but it works). Don't depress the reader...impress him or her with a new and innovative direction on the prompt. BUT ONLY if you can think of good examples for this, fast. Otherwise, just go for the point of view/argument you can support better. This is just something to keep in mind when you first read the question. Write legibly. Also, hand exercises might be a good daily addition to your SAT studies. :) OK, it'll probably help more for preventing "computer related injury," but if you're reading this on a computer right now, you probably need it. Regarding the Intro & Conclusion: Summarize and grab attention. They don't have to be long; the body counts for the most points. You don't need to focus too much on the conclusion; it's OK if your introduction and/or body are very long and your conclusion is short. Think of the SAT essay as more of an inverted triangle structure (like a news article). Tie the thesis to an adequate conclusion and you'll do fine. Having two pages is much more important than having a conclusion. If you can think of one, try ending with a thoughtful statement, either your own or a proverb/quote. Just something to keep in mind IF you can think one up for the prompt.

Lastly

Visualize, whatever your goal may be. :)

Retaking the SAT

Hopefully you won't even have to think about this, but if you do, there are a lot of factors to consider. What are your SAT Subject Test scores? What would you have to sacrifice, time wise, in order to retake? (Are you supposed to be preparing for other exams? Are you really busy with extracurriculars that you would have to give up or cut back on? Or are you finished with everything and basically relaxing?) Did you prepare a lot for your earlier SAT or not? Have you already retaken the SAT? A lot of people say taking the SAT more than 3 times looks bad. I don't agree or disagree with the statement that it looks bad to retake a fourth time, but do remember the law of diminishing returns. In the end, this is your own decision: whatever you decide, follow through with it and don't do it half-assedly. :D

A Note on the SAT

The SAT isn't everything in admissions: it matters, but not THAT much. A 2400 doesn't guarantee you admissions anywhere, and a 2000 doesn't keep you out of everywhere (a 600 might, though). Instead of obsessing over that perfect score, it's better to just live and enjoy your life. You are not a hook for Harvard. You're a person. There's a reason why universities look for vibrant, happy people who do interesting things for themselves and others. Scores can only get you so far in life.

You are what matters. The real question remains: Are you a number?

How to Ace the SAT For Free, Without Any Classes

Good Sat Score

How to Ace the SAT For Free, Without Any Classes

How to Ace the SAT For Free, Without Any Classes
How to Ace the SAT For Free, Without Any Classes

Good Sat Score

Scholarships For "C" Students - Believe it Or Not, It's True!

Scholarships For "C" Students - Believe it Or Not, It's True!

In my three decades of advising students about scholarships and warning them about scholarship scams, one of my slogans was "There aren't a bunch of people sitting around wanting to write checks for "C" students." My latest research proves that statement to be wrong! Indeed, there are colleges that offer scholarships to "C" students and scholarships to students with low College Board scores. Doesn't make sense, but it's true.

For more than three decades I have been emphasizing good grades, high class rank, and high SAT and ACT scores as the foundation to finding scholarships. Although I will continue to chant that litany, I will also share that there are colleges that actually offer scholarships to people who have a good, solid "C" average and very strong "average" SAT and ACT scores.

In a public forum such as this, I am reluctant to simply blurt out the names of these colleges, but I will give you links to the websites if you contact me. I'm in the college prep business and I don't want to make any colleges angry with me if I publicize this kind of information, so I'll present the particulars and keep the names to protect the innocent.

College A - a state college located in a southern state:

Graduated from (name of the state) public high school and achieved a 2.50 high school GPA or 19+ ACT composite or equivalent, or graduated from a private, homeschool, or out-of-state high school or earned a GED and earned a 19+ ACT or equivalent.

Award Amounts: ,000 for 4-year University; ,500 for 2-year institution.

Let's understand this in perspective. A 2.50 is a middle "C" average which could mean the student made enough A's and B's to balance out some D's and F's. Or it could mean the student was a consistent "C" student who made a few B's to move halfway in the 2.0 - 3.0 scale.

Any way you interpret this, we are not looking at a scholar. But I am not going to judge because there are a lot of students who goofed off in high school, grew up, and did great in college. Indeed, I work with a lot of adults who dropped out of high school who returned to college and did very well. In fact, I helped one get a Harvard scholarship.

The ACT score is one point above 18, considered to be the "average" ACT score. So we have a 2.50 (slightly above average) GPA and a 19 (slightly above average) ACT score combined that will get the student a potential 00 scholarship.

This is strange for me because I often work with students who have fair to mid-line GPAs, who are otherwise intelligent, just bored in school and didn't put a lot of effort in. I can usually help them jump their SAT or ACT scores and mitigate less than spectacular GPAs. This scholarship throws a pretty heavy wrench into my paradigm.

The kicker here is that to maintain the scholarship, the student must maintain a 2.50 average in college, take at least 15 hours each semester, and be continuously enrolled. Not a significant challenge. The scholarship continues until the student graduates, completes 130 hours, or 8 semesters.

This goes to prove that there are many secret, hidden scholarship opportunities out there. It just takes some digging. However, I also want to caution you that there are also many scholarship scammers out there, too, who will take your money and promise you your mailbox will be filled with checks. I've never seen that played out in my three decades of doing this work.

As always, in dealing with college funding, always deal with a professional. Make sure they have letters (either degrees or professional designations) behind their name and can give you actual names of people who received funding due to their efforts. If at any time you feel pressured into writing a check or giving them a credit card number, or if they say the offer is only good right then, run away!

Scholarships For "C" Students - Believe it Or Not, It's True!

Meteorite crash in Russia: Video of meteorite explosion that stirred panic in Urals region

Tube. Duration : 1.40 Mins.

Meteorite crash in Russia: Video of meteorite explosion that stirred panic in Urals region

Meteorite explosions in the skies of Russia's Urals region has sparked panic in three major cities. Witnesses said that houses shuddered, windows were blown out and cellphones stopped working. FULL STORY AND PICTURES on.rt.com RT LIVE rt.com Subscribe to RT! www.youtube.com Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter twitter.com Follow us on Google+ plus.google.com RT (Russia Today) is a global news network broadcasting from Moscow and Washington studios. RT is the first news channel to break the 500 million YouTube views benchmark.

Meteorite crash in Russia: Video of meteorite explosion that stirred panic in Urals region

Meteorite crash in Russia: Video of meteorite explosion that stirred panic in Urals region

Meteorite crash in Russia: Video of meteorite explosion that stirred panic in Urals region

Meteorite crash in Russia: Video of meteorite explosion that stirred panic in Urals region

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ISO Quality Management System Objectives

What kind of quality objectives should you have in an ISO9001:2000 quality management system?

When first setting up an ISO9001:2000 quality management system, one of the most common questions is "What should my objectives be?"

One of the requirements of the ISO9001:2000 quality standard is that the organization establish and monitor quality objectives. There is no specific requirement about how many quality objectives you must have, or what those objectives might be. As with much of the ISO9001:2000 quality standard, this is left up to you and your auditor.

Having only one quality objective is probably too few. Having twenty is probably too many. In this writer's experience as a quality manager and ISO consultant for several ISO registered companies, its good to have somewhere between 3 to 8 quality objectives. It's always a good idea to keep your quality objectives, as well as your entire quality system, as simple as possible while still meeting the standard's requirements.

Some people may feel that a good quality objective should relate to the company's profitability. A good case can be made for this, as most profit oriented companies hold the bottom line above all else. However I believe that merely looking at the company's profit is not going deep enough when deciding what your objectives should be. Profit is a good indication that your company is doing something right, of course, but there are other, better objectives for a quality system that will lead you more profits, as well as increased customer satisfaction, fewer returns and reduced overhead.

One of the common quality objectives, and a good one, is to measure customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is subjective, to be sure. And it is difficult to measure using a ruler, micrometer, or calipers. Some companies include a survey with their products, using a stamped, addressed card with various questions, in the hopes that the customer will complete the survey and return it to the company. While few customers take the time to complete such surveys, if only one percent of your customer respond, you'll probably have a pretty good sampling of customers' attitudes towards your company.

Measuring customer satisfaction is usually a very worthwhile objective, as customer satisfaction covers a large part of your company's activities, including sales, R&D, manufacturing, purchasing, etc.

Be sure to write your survey questions in such a manner that they can be easily scored using a numerical system. It is much easier to measure an increase (or decrease) in customer satisfaction if each response can be assigned a number. For example, one of your quality objectives could be "To have a customer satisfaction score of 98 percent". If you ever reach your objective, you should increase the goal so you are constantly trying to improve your quality system.

Another quality objective might be "Number of returned products per month to be 10 or less". This is an easily tracked objective that also relates to numerous areas of your company. For example, returns might be due to faulty information given by the salesperson. Returns might be due to defective product. A return can come back due to a shipping mistake. Keeping track of the reasons for returns, and how many returns are attributed to each reason, is a good way to know where your company needs to improve its procedures.

For those of you thinking about implementing your own ISO9001:2000 quality management system, these tips and many more can be found in the quality manual template bundle available at http://www.ISO-Quality-Manual.com.

ISO Quality Management System Objectives

Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?

Tube. Duration : 3.52 Mins.

Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?

TWEET IT - clicktotweet.com It has perplexed humanity from as early as the Ancient Greeks. So which came first, the chicken or the egg? We take a crack at this curious conundrum. Written and created by Mitchell Moffit (twitter @mitchellmoffit) and Gregory Brown (twitter @whalewatchmeplz). TWITTER: www.twitter.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Mitchell Moffit www.mitchellmoffit.com http www.facebook.com Gregory Brown www.gregorybrownart.tumblr.com http Further Reading -- Eggshell Protein 1) bit.ly Debate 2) www.guardian.co.uk

Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?

Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?

Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?

Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?

No URL Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?

ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships

Raising your score on the ACT test is a critical part of qualifying for scholarships so that you can afford the college of your choice. However, it is not as simple as just studying more or working harder to raise your ACT test score.

The answer to how to raise your ACT test score to get scholarships lies in mastering the test instead of just studying the subjects. The key is not in the English, Math, Reading and Science knowledge. Most students who take the test are proficient enough in these subjects to get a higher score than they are getting.

Since knowledge of the subject matter isn't the key, then what is the way to master the test? There are three specifics areas of test taking skills to master in order to raise your ACT test score to qualify for more scholarships.

1) Time management is the first aspect that must be considered in order to improve your test taking skills. Many students lose a lot of points on the test merely because they run out of time. Time management is more than just watching the clock though.

2) The second aspect of raising your ACT score is learning how to answer questions quickly. For instance, on the Math test, it is not always necessary to know how to solve the problem in order to get the right score. Understanding "rounding" and "process of elimination" to rule out wrong answers helps you get questions right and save time as well.

3) Finally, you need to learn what areas to focus on in your studying in order to raise your ACT test score. Unless you are realistically aiming for a score of 31 or higher, for instance, studying Trigonometry is a waste of time, as there are only 4 Trig questions on the test. Additionally, by learning how to analyze your sub-scores on Math and English, you will save a lot of time studying just the right things.

With the right focus, that of studying smart instead of just working hard, it is possible to raise your ACT score significantly in order to qualify for scholarships. However, it takes focus and a strategy that is borne out of a very good understanding of the ACT test.

Check out a good ACT prep course, preferably one that is video based for better retention, that focuses not on subject matter and test content, but rather on test taking skills.

ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships

The Ferrari Enzo WRC

Tube. Duration : 1.98 Mins.

The Ferrari Enzo WRC

The Ferrari Enzo, nothing can replace this!

The Ferrari Enzo WRC

The Ferrari Enzo WRC

The Ferrari Enzo WRC

The Ferrari Enzo WRC

No URL The Ferrari Enzo WRC




The Ferrari Enzo, nothing can replace this!

Tags:



Good Sat Score

ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships

ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships
ACT Test: How to Raise Your Score to Get Scholarships

Good Sat Score


TWEET IT - clicktotweet.com It has perplexed humanity from as early as the Ancient Greeks. So which came first, the chicken or the egg? We take a crack at this curious conundrum. Written and created by Mitchell Moffit (twitter @mitchellmoffit) and Gregory Brown (twitter @whalewatchmeplz). TWITTER: www.twitter.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Mitchell Moffit www.mitchellmoffit.com http www.facebook.com Gregory Brown www.gregorybrownart.tumblr.com http Further Reading -- Eggshell Protein 1) bit.ly Debate 2) www.guardian.co.uk

Keywords:



Good Sat Score

ISO Quality Management System Objectives

ISO Quality Management System Objectives
ISO Quality Management System Objectives

Good Sat Score


Meteorite explosions in the skies of Russia's Urals region has sparked panic in three major cities. Witnesses said that houses shuddered, windows were blown out and cellphones stopped working. FULL STORY AND PICTURES on.rt.com RT LIVE rt.com Subscribe to RT! www.youtube.com Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter twitter.com Follow us on Google+ plus.google.com RT (Russia Today) is a global news network broadcasting from Moscow and Washington studios. RT is the first news channel to break the 500 million YouTube views benchmark.

Keywords:



Good Sat Score

Scholarships For "C" Students - Believe it Or Not, It's True!

Scholarships For "C" Students - Believe it Or Not, It's True!
Scholarships For "C" Students - Believe it Or Not, It's True!

Good Sat Score