The following piece was written by Rachel Korn. Rachel has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is a former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer, as well as the founder of her own admissions consulting firm.  In your applications to college, you will be asked what you did during your high school summers. Why? Your choices of summer activities actually say a lot about your personality, what you love, and your skills. Admissions offices care about your summer activities because they want you to be productive. They do not expect you to work all the time and never play – in fact, admissions officers lam... Read More About How to Choose Summer Activities for Your College Applications

Probably one of the most critical steps of the college search, your campus visits need to be scheduled early on with plenty of time to spare. These visits are pivotal points in your decision-making process, as there is simply no better way to get a real handle on a campus than by spending some time on it. But with so much to do in the period of college application insanity, how can you possibly make sure each of these visits are scheduled appropriately and made use of in the best ways? Moreover, how do you know which campuses you need to visit? All of these questions that might be asked in a panic before quickly-approaching deadlines are more... Read More About How to Plan College Campus Visits

The following piece was written by Shannon Duff. Shannon has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is a former Yale University admissions officer. She is also the founder of Collegiate Compass. As students prepare college applications, they must be focused on telling their story and showcasing what stands out about them! Now is the time when students are CREATING and GROWING in ways that will help them stand out through their academics, extracurricular activities, and summer activities. Let’s say you are an 11th grader who is passionate about drums and science. What are you planning this summer? Why not try a summer progra... Read More About Top 3 Goals for High School Juniors

The following piece was written by Joie Jager-Hyman. Joie has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is a former Assistant Director of Admissions for Dartmouth College. She is the founder of her own admissions consulting service, College Prep 360. As spring break approaches, many families with 10th and 11th graders are gearing up to hit the road for campus visits. Many students and parents are tempted to focus on certain data points like size, location, selectivity, cost, and choice of majors. All of these are important things to consider in your college search—but not at the expense of overlooking how you feel... Read More About Top Questions to Ask at a Campus Information Session

The National Association for College Admission Counseling, in November of 2012, published a press release summarizing recent trends in college admissions. This was the 10th year of the NACAC's State of College Admission, and the current edition can be highlighted by this quote from Joyce Smith, CEO of the NACAC: "While the college admissions process has become less predictable in the past decade, one thing is clear – students, parents, admissions officials, and policymakers all need good information on which to base their decisions." The report states that more students are applying to more schools, leading to increased ... Read More About Trends in College Admissions

The following piece was written by Eddie LaMeire. Eddie has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and has previously worked in admissions at Loyola University and University of California at San Diego. He is also the founder of LaMeire College Consulting.  There are not many people who need to be told that the past 20 years have seen college admissions become alarmingly selective. Even as recently as the early 1990’s, admissions were conducted largely on the basis of grades and test scores. Back then, to provide a reference point, Stanford University had a freshman acceptance rate of over 20 percent.  Stanfo... Read More About How to Choose Your Extracurricular Activities

We all know the feeling; sitting there anxiously awaiting the teacher to come by your row of desks and hand that stack of tests to the person in front. You watch that stack get smaller and smaller as it gets closer to you until finally, you have it. Thoughts are racing through your mind about how well you studied that last set of notes or whether you should have looked into that math tutoring. The second you place that exam in front of you and pass the rest of the pile to the student behind you, a deep breath is taken and you are ready to dive in. Nervous or confident, you just want to get started so you can finish quickly and get the hec... Read More About Test-Taking Tip: How to Review an Exam Before You Take It

We’ve talked about the distractions, we’ve talked about randomly helpful items, but now it’s time to talk about how you can put all of those things together and produce a great study environment. No student is in a good position to study if the surrounding atmosphere isn’t conducive to such productivity. Before you gather your books and attempt to cram that information into your brain, you need to make sure you are placed in a good setting, whether it's somewhere for a solo study session or a meeting with your SAT tutor. The number one rule when it comes to creating study environments? Don’t go by what anyone els... Read More About Study Tip: How to Create a Good Study Environment

What is a search without knowing what you’re searching for? Sure, you are searching for the right college to attend, but how can you really make that selection if you don’t know exactly what it is you want? You've been working with that ACT tutor and perfecting your GPA - but additionally, no college search should commence without a precise understanding of the kind of experience you’re looking for. The details are infinite and require a lot of attention. Applying to a bunch of schools just because you feel like you should is not a fruitful plan, because just knowing that you want to go to college is not enough. It is not eno... Read More About College Search Tip: Narrow Down Your Application Choices

Alright, it’s time to sit down and prepare for that test. Situate yourself at a library table or your plushy futon, whichever locale you prefer, and take out all necessary learning materials. But when you open up that notebook of pages you’ve been scribbling on all semester, why isn’t that information resonating with you? Probably because it’s nearly impossible to logically comprehend several random bits of inner-thoughts and copied-down chalkboard bullet points at a first-read. Unless you happen to be an organizational champion and have been keeping those notes neat and sensible as you created them throughout the year,... Read More About Study Tip: Organize Your Notes

If you are embarking on that challenging college search, there is one major aspect that must constantly be on your mind: deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. Without keeping track of these, you might as well say goodbye to an easy decision-making process now. Regarding your campus visits, early-decision time frames, SAT registration periods, and so much more you probably haven’t even thought of yet, you’re going to be very sorry later on if you didn’t document these down somewhere outside of your mind. First things first, settle on a specific material for this schedule-keeping of yours. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a ... Read More About College Search Tip: Keep and Use a Calendar

When you take an exam, all that should matter is that piece of paper in front of you. But what do you end up thinking about in addition to those questions you are reading? The other people in the class; how fast they’re writing, the way they’re sitting, the moment each one stands up all finished and ready to turn in their finished product. It’s human nature to be distracted by these things, but the nervous test-taking environment only accentuates it. A major piece of advice that will help you work through your test with minimal stress is that you must learn to block out those fellow students. You have the rest of the day and... Read More About Test-Taking Tip: Blocking Out Other Test-Takers

Cómo estás? Comment ça va? Wie geht es dir? If you’re taking a foreign language in school, you probably understand at least one of these phrases. Then again, being that these are the most common languages to study and they all mean some version of “How’s it going,” it’s likely that you can recognize them all anyway. With most schools requiring a foreign language study, it’s extremely common for students to begin learning their chosen language in late junior high. Nobody said grasping a foreign language was going to be easy, however. It takes a lot of discipline, thorough review, and dete... Read More About How to Approach Learning a Foreign Language

Happy New Year! You may be already kicking off your lifestyle-related resolutions by hitting the gym, cutting back on Facebook, or improving/eliminating any other frequent habits you want to change. It’s good to get a solid start on these before you are back in school and overwhelmed with a brand new set of academic responsibilities. You should also spend this time, however, reflecting on one question: can you do better in school this year than you did last year? Although you are still in the midst of the same academic year you left off on in December, the new calendar year is reason enough to spark a change. Look at your previous acade... Read More About 5 New Year's Resolutions for School

Day after day, students come home with loads of homework assignments – worksheets to complete, papers to write, tests to study for; it’s no wonder staying up late and sacrificing sleep is such a common occurrence. Although it may feel necessary to follow that pattern, there are ways around it to make sure sleep is a top priority. Crafting your schedule so you can allow yourself time for this rightful amount of rest is a task in and of itself, and it is completely worth it once you understand why getting this sleep is such an important goal. It is easy to assume that we can always catch up on sleep later, that we don’t need i... Read More About The Importance of Sleep

Those last assignments are turned in and the final exams have been taken. Fall semester has come to a close and the freedom of winter break is finally upon you. Now the question is: what do you with it? What do you do with so much free time when are you are free from worries of schoolwork? Most students take the position of relaxing doing absolutely nothing else. There is certainly nothing wrong with that; after all, you deserve it after all the hard work you’ve done. But for those of you who want to accomplish something a little more, how can you best take advantage of this time off? There are plenty of ways to use this break so you ca... Read More About How to Be Productive Over Winter Break

Ever wonder why you’re just not grasping that material in class? We usually blame the subject matter for being too difficult. Sometimes that is correct, but maybe you’re just standing in your own way and don’t even realize it. Having trouble thoroughly understanding the material isn’t always a comprehension issue. As a matter of fact, it is more often an issue of focus. Unfortunately, that tends to be a difficult thing to control when you’re tired, bored, or just not interested in the material. There are many habits, however, that we can consciously stop, and several of these are what hurt a student’s abili... Read More About 5 Habits to Avoid During Class

A lot of weight is put on a high school senior’s shoulders to get into the best college they can. Not only that, but the pressure is on to get into that dream school he or she has been after. Most students have a particular school in mind that they’ve decided would be absolutely perfect for them. It may be the culture, it may be a certain program, or it may be a combination of a lot of factors – but regardless of the specific reasons, it is nice to feel so confident about this next phase of your life. The only problem is, there is no guarantee of attending that school until that large envelope of acceptance arrives in the ma... Read More About What To Do When Rejected From Your Dream School

That period of time between Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break is one of the biggest hurdles of the academic year. You get to indulge in a dose of the holidays for just a bit until you are very quickly pulled away and dropped right back in school for another few weeks. This wouldn’t be so bad if Winter Break wasn’t right around the corner waiting for you at the finish line. So how does one stay focused during this odd portion of the semester? The overlapping buzz of the recent holiday combined with the anxious anticipation of the coming one makes it difficult to think about anything else but food, family, and presents. Although i... Read More About 5 Ways to Stay Motivated During the Holidays

Being well-rounded for college applications is of course one of the top reasons students join school organizations and clubs. However, there are a lot more benefits to be gained from extracurricular activities than extra bullet points on the resumé. With such an extensive selection of groups to choose from, how do you pick? You can find everything from sports to more academically-inclined societies to areas of the fine arts. One area of the fine arts that can be particularly good for students is music. It is difficult to find someone who does not enjoy and appreciate music on at least some level, so joining a music-related organization... Read More About Why Music is a Great Extracurricular Activity

There are many elements to planning a study session. First and foremost, you determine the location where this will be taking place. Next, you’ll probably go to necessary measures to eliminate obvious distractions. At that point, it’s just you, your study material, and your study environment. But is that always enough? It is very common to still find yourself at a stalemate with how to get motivated in the process. Even with all the right surroundings, you may find yourself bored and sluggish, leaving you on a road to nowhere in your study journey. Not knowing what else to do, students often just accept this fate and endure the st... Read More About 5 Random Items to Help You Study

There are many parts to a reading assignment. Although the formal task is to simply read it, it is commonly understood that you’ll have to do a lot more than that if you truly want to dominate the assignment. Clearly, the teacher didn’t grace this upon you just for the entertainment of reading a story – he or she wants you to truly grasp the meaning of it. The purpose is for you to analyze different points, look at it from different angles, deeply understand the characters, etc. This probably sounds like typical English class jargon, but it is in fact what you need to do. It is easy for students to think they can coast throu... Read More About How to Interpret a Reading Assignment

If you think you can get by in a class without actively participating, you may want to think again. More and more often, teachers are making classroom participation an integral part of your final grade, leaving the shyest of students quite nervous. The good news is, anyone can master a class discussion, you just need the right attitude and vision. What you must do first is not let any anxiety get the best of you. Even if you’re not the most talkative person in school, taking part in the class discussion is nothing to feel embarrassed about. Raising your hand and sharing some insights will not be seen as unusual because everybody is requ... Read More About How to Participate in a Class Discussion

The very phrase, “Open Book Test,” evokes immediate relief over students. It automatically de-stresses them due to its implications that studying isn’t necessary and that very little preparation is needed. Unfortunately, these thoughts are a huge trap. Although it is perfectly understandable why one would think an open book test requires no studying, that is simply not the case. Making an exam open-book certainly makes the test-taking process a lot easier, but it does not eliminate the need for studying altogether. The key to mastering these tests is mastering your notes, and there are a few steps to take for you to do that.... Read More About How to Prepare for an Open-Book Test

It can be difficult enough to write an essay, but having to do it within stressful time constraints is another challenge in and of itself. Usually, these time constraints are in reference to due dates that tend to be weeks or months ahead. But when an essay is part of an exam, those weeks and months before your due date become minutes and hours. Facing a timed essay is nevertheless an intimidating situation that requires just the right mindset. There are a few things you should recognize and accept before going into a timed essay. First off, know that you will not have any time to waste – it is as simple as that. The comforting procrast... Read More About How to Write a Timed Essay

This is certainly a broad topic, as distractions are everywhere. Not only that, but everybody gets distracted by different things. That is one of the reasons studying can be so difficult and frustrating – random aspects of the world are always catching our attention. Especially if you are one with a shorter attention span, staying focused through your studies is no easy process. Regardless of where we study, the surrounding environment is going to detract us from our work in one way or another. But there are a few distractions that we can control, and they are obvious ones. Ways of shutting them off are simple and effective – howe... Read More About How to Avoid Study Distractions

Everybody has their own views on the quintessential group projects that are inevitable throughout school. While some students claim it makes the assignments more difficult to complete successfully, others feel the group aspect creates a safety net that will make failing far less likely to happen. One thing that appears to come up frequently, however, is that every group tends to hold a mix of these views – especially when the groups are randomly assigned and students can’t just gravitate toward their friends. Having clashing perspectives on how the work will get done can often be what hurts a group the most, so communication is key... Read More About How to Deal With Group Projects

What do big exams, small quizzes, research papers, math problem sets, and all homework assignments have in common? Deadlines. You have until a specific due date to complete the work or studying necessary for all of those things. It’s perfectly understandable how quickly that can stress a student out and cause major procrastination, forgetfulness, or weakened effort. When all of this work must be done in a shared time period, deadlines can easily get the best of you in a negative way. Organized scheduling and time management are absolutely necessary for meeting these deadlines successfully, and there are several tricks that can ease your ... Read More About How to Deal With Deadlines

Public speaking is different for everyone. Some people are indifferent to an audience, some embrace a crowd, and some absolutely freeze up when faced with so many staring pairs of eyes. Unfortunately, class presentations will come your way no matter how you feel about them, so public speaking is a skill you need to acquire. Firstly, never think that public speaking can only be mastered by extroverted people. If you are particularly introverted, a little shy, or maybe just even lacking strong self-confidence, that doesn’t mean you can’t give a great presentation. Anybody can stand up in front of the class and present their material... Read More About How to Give a School Presentation

Sometimes, when it comes to studying, it’s all about where you are. If you’re having trouble getting through the material or focusing on the task at hand, don’t immediately assume it’s because the work is too difficult and that you can’t handle it. Students are quick to get frustrated and give up when an assignment becomes too strenuous. They may end up blaming the material for being too complicated or the teacher for not explaining it logically enough – or worse, end up blaming themselves for seemingly lacking the comprehension skills. That negative train of thought must be avoided. Students should not be ... Read More About How to Find Your Study Space

It’s the day before your big test.  You’ve vigorously read through all the material, flipped over every flashcard, and memorized every fact.  If you prepared adequately, you’ve been doing this for weeks (or months, depending on the test) and not just in the last 24 hours.  Procrastination is not a method of choice for a task this huge – that task being studying for an important exam.  Assuming you did not leave it all to the last minute, the final day before you actually face the exam can be a little strange.  You’ll have those first-day-of-school butterflies and be unsure of how exactly y... Read More About How to Mentally Prepare for Test Day

Throughout your many years of school, you will never avoid the essay assignment.  This will be thrown at you over and over and over – so many times that you’ll eventually look back and find yourself in disbelief that you’ve actually written that many essays.  Whether you’re analyzing literature for an English class, writing personal statements for college applications, or taking a stance on an issue for an ACT writing task, you are going to need the same set of fierce writing skills to compose a well-structured and logical essay.  Some people have a better knack for writing than others and those natural i... Read More About Tips for Writing an Essay

High school students have a lot going on already, but when you add on the big college search, it’s hard for a student not to find life extremely overwhelming.  This is one giant process that requires a lot of guidance, so it is critical that a student really understands what they’re getting into before taking on this life-changing project.  It cannot be treated as something they will coast their way through or just occasionally check on.  The college search should be an extremely organized endeavor that you are keeping up with every day and giving very careful attention to. Of course, this takes us back to the overw... Read More About How to Prepare for the College Search

Everyone has their own method of studying, but the classic process of making a study guide is something you see quite often.  But how can you make a truly great study material that will actually increase your chances of successfully retaining this information?  Well, first off, it is vital that you understand the information rather than just memorizing it – this may be something you heard your middle school teachers preach to you, but it really is good advice. Step #1: Identify all necessary information.  Go through your notes, your textbooks, and every powerpoint slide that teacher presented and narrow down what is impor... Read More About A Guide to the Study Guide

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is a series of standardized exams used by Texas public schools students to assess students’ academic abilities.  The STAAR test is based on state standards which provide a framework for the material students should be learning in the classroom each year.  The exam measures the academic achievement and learning – in other words, to evaluate how well students are meeting Texas’ grade-level expectations.  Public school students are not the only ones required to take the STAAR assessment.  Any charter school, private school, or homeschooling that co... Read More About Essentials Of The New STAAR Tests

The ACT Plus Writing includes an optional supplement to the standard exam. The half-hour test assesses your writing skills – especially those writing skills emphasized in your high school English courses and in entry-level college composition classes. We’ll go over if you should register to take the additional Writing Test, what the prompt looks like, how to optimize your exam grade, and exactly what the ACT scorers are looking for when they read your essay.  What does the Writing Test look like? The writing portion of the ACT gives a single prompt that describes an issue and the opposing points of view on the subject. You wil... Read More About What To Know About The Writing Section Of The ACT

The ACT Mathematics section is designed to assess the mathematical proficiency students have typically acquired in courses taken by the end of the 11th grade.  Students receive an hour to finish the 60-question math section – which boils down to roughly a minute per question.  The multiple-choice problems cover content areas such as pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry.  Students must be comfortable using computational skills and basic formulas, but a knowledge of complex formulas or the ability to perform extensive computation... Read More About What To Know About The Math Section Of The ACT

The ACT, (originally an acronym for American College Testing) is a standardized exam that measures what you have learned in your high school courses, and serves as an alternative to the SAT examination for college admissions.  All four-year colleges and universities accept ACT results.   The ACT covers four subject areas; English, Mathematics,Reading, and Science, along with an optional Writing section.  The ACT is not an IQ or aptitude exam; rather, the material directly relates to what you have learned in your high school courses.  In other words, the more you challenge yourself in the classroom, the more prepared y... Read More About What To Know About The ACT

The PSAT, or the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a standardized exam that provides students with a practice version of the SAT.   Most students take the test in their junior year of high school.  Exam results are used to determine qualification and eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC). So exactly why is the PSAT so important?  Besides giving students firsthand exposure to a college entry exam, the PSAT determines entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC), an academic competition for college scholarships and recognition.   Each year, of the 1.5 m... Read More About What To Know About The PSAT

The SSAT along with the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) are used for admissions into private/independent schools. Some schools favor the ISEE, others favor the SSAT and some will look at whichever you scored best on. See more from Varsity Tutors on how to improve ISEE scores. Don’t add pressure: The tests can cause tons of pressure and anxiety for younger students, especially when parents pile it on. That’s why having the right mindset is just as important as the best SSAT prep. Avoid telling your child “you need to do well,” “you must do well,” or “if you don’t do well…” ... Read More About How To Improve SSAT Scores

Over the next two weeks, close to 2 million students will be taking the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams.  Covering subjects ranging from Art History to Macroeconomics to Statistics, AP exams (and their corresponding AP classes) give high school students opportunities to take rigorous classes while earning college credit by successfully passing the exams. Here are some pointers to help you get through the next two weeks of grueling exams: 1.  Read over the official Course Description booklets The College Board has course booklets for each of its AP exams.  Browsing over the course booklet is a great way to ensu... Read More About How To Prep For AP Exams

By now, you’ve probably heard your older brothers’ or sisters’ tales of it – and your teachers talk all about how important or difficult it can be. But, the fact that you’re reading this post and considering working with an ACT tutor already puts you a step above the rest. And guess what, we’re going to give you even more help with the following ACT prep tips. Background: Some colleges prefer the ACT over the SAT and vice versa. But, most will consider whichever you score higher on. Unlike the SAT, you can’t combine sections from previous tests to create an aggregate score. The ACT has five sections:... Read More About How To Improve Your ACT Score

Whether you're in the middle of spring break or will start vacation soon, keep in mind some tips to stay connected with your academic school work and not find yourself "behind" after the holidays. Mix in relaxation with light studying.  Studying during spring break when you're not stressed out because it's the night before a test may allow you to process information in a different light.  Instead of trying to cram 100 biology textbook pages in two hours, you have the leisure of getting to understand concepts at a comfortable pace.  For studying, also check out our previous blog post on the best study habits. Take the time to l... Read More About Best Study Tips For Spring Break

After you've received acceptance letters, or even confirmed your enrollment at a particular college, senior year of high school is no time to "slack off". Many students mistakenly believe that they can "coast" in the last few months of  their senior year.  However, the ultimate thing to remember is that colleges can retract their acceptance offers.         Here are three key reasons to stay focused during senior year: Colleges will want to see your final grades Students think that the transcript they submitted with their applications will be the last high school academic record th... Read More About Why Senior Year Of High School Is Important

Students who participated in after-school activities for two or more years during high school were almost twice as likely to complete college than those who did not.  This finding comes from professors at Columbia University, who also found correlations between participation in extracurriculars and increased high school GPAs. The key is not simply joining a club, but being involved for an extended period of time.  The determining factor is persistence, or "grit".  If you can develop persistence and passion for an activity, that mindset is likely to carry over to your academic pursuits.  In contrast to the extrinsic motiv... Read More About Why Extracurriculars Boost College Success

Are you one to take notes meticulously during lectures?  Or study one section of a textbook for a whole hour?  Or always go to the same room to study? Contemporary research on brain psychology and memory retrieval suggests that those may not be the best methods when it comes to learning.  Instead, researchers recommend the following tips: Interleaving learning: rather than drilling 50 algebra questions, you should solve a few algebra questions, a few graphing questions, and word problems.  The key is to identify related skills sets to alternate.  In the sports world, using basketball as an example, rather tha... Read More About Learning About Learning

Stanford is putting its name behind an online high school, the Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY).  EPGY has been in existence for many years now, but Stanford will now lend its name to the high school diplomas its students recieve. More than 275,000 students across the country are currently enrolled in online high schools.  Some of them soley take online classes, while others use online classes to supplement the education they receive at their local school.  Many take online classes to fit their busy schedules as aspiring actors or world-class athletes.  For some, an online high school is a much better alternative ... Read More About Why Students Are Choosing Online High Schools

The best way to prepare for college-level classes is to take the hardest classes you possibly can…every student, every teacher and every professor knows that. But, how to make classes more rigorous for all students has been the challenge, according to an article in the District Administration. Some schools just grade stricter and give students more homework. But, others actually restructure much of their curriculum. President Obama has vowed to increase the overall quality of education to help American students catch up with foreign students, who have recently outpaced them. In Obama’s education reform initiative, “Race to... Read More About How To Prepare For College Classes

If you’re not proficient in algebra, then you’ll stand just about no chance with Calculus, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics or any other high school math class. Students must learn algebra first, and that’s why many educators believe it is the most important math class. For years, algebra was a high school freshman level class, and very few students took it before their freshman year. But, administrators eventually began pushing heavily for students to start algebra classes in the 8th grade or sooner, according to an article in the District Administration. And now administrators are pushing even harder for students to tak... Read More About Why Algebra Skills Are Important

Computers, tablets, smartphones, social media, smart boards have been all the rage in education the past few years. Some schools are adopting these practices seemingly because everyone else is doing it. But one school, the Waldorf School of the Peninsula in Silicon Valley, is refusing to join the trend, according to an article in the New York Times. The school just uses the traditional pens and paper without computes. In fact, the school does not allow any screens at all, and it even frowns upon students using them at home. The Silicon Valley school is one of about 160 Waldorf schools in the country that have all adopted a teaching philosoph... Read More About Why One School Is Rejecting Technology

Gone are the days of having to carry around eight textbooks in your backpack, or to rush to your locker to grab that American History textbook for your next class.  One school district in Indiana has completely ditched textbooks in favor of online curricula that students access via laptops.   According to an article in the New York Times, all math and science textbooks in the Munster, Indiana, school district have been replaced with digital editions.  The change impacts all students in grades 5-12, and cost over $1 million to implement.  Some of the biggest differences are obvious.  With a laptop, the digital cu... Read More About Why School Districts Are Abandoning Textbooks

Do well on an Advanced Placement exam, and receive $100. That’s exactly what South High Community School in New York does for its students, according to an article in the New York Times. Teachers whose students do well also receive bonuses. The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) funds the incentives at South High Community School and all the other schools that participate in this program. It pays each student who scores a 3 or above (high enough to earn college credit) on the math or science A.P. exam $100. Teachers’ incentives are not as straightforward and are based on the percentage of their students that pass the exa... Read More About Why Students Are Being Rewarded For AP Tests

What would it take to get a flawless attendance record from your kid? Baseball tickets? Gift cards? A necklace? How about an automated wake-up call from former NBA-great Magic Johnson? A handful of schools in New York City are actually doing all of those to help increase school attendance through politicians and administrators collaboration, according to an article in the New York Times. And it’s working. On any given day one out 15 elementary students is absent in NYC public schools, compared to one out of 13 in 2007 and one out of nine in 1995. Other NYC schools have taken larger strides to increase attendance. The Center for New Y... Read More About Why Students Are Being Rewarded To Attend School

The average SAT scores for the high school class of 2011 fell across the nation, according to the College Board (the creator of the SAT) and an article in the New York Times. The average, national reading score fell to a record low of 497, a three-point decrease from 2010. The average writing score dropped two points to 489, and the average math score fell one point to 514. The College Board believes that a more diverse group of students caused this decrease, mainly students whose first language is not English. Nearly 27 percent of the roughly 1.65 million students who took the test came from a home where English is not the only/primary lang... Read More About Why SAT Scores Might Be Decreasing

How cool would it be if you could start your college application essay with: “I’m a nationally published writer”? That is possible, and it would definitely wake up whoever is reading your application essay. The Huffington Post and the Patch (a network of over 800 hyper-local news sites), both owned by AOL, are currently recruiting bloggers (age minimum is 13). Right now, you can easily become a blogger and actually publish articles on the Patch’s website, which is read primarily by local audiences. The content provider has about 800 full-time writers, and it has asked all of them to recruit at least 10 writers each f... Read More About How Students Can Become National Bloggers

Budget cuts are getting so strict that some school districts are shaving days off the school year and making school weeks only four days (instead of five), according to an article in the New York Times. It’s a child’s dream, and an educator’s nightmare. The American education system is torn between desperately trying to improve its quality and harsh budget cuts. It’s nearly impossible to find a middle ground. One side will have to cave. Just about everyone in education agrees that taking kids out of the classroom could not possibly improve education. But, strict budget cuts are forcing administrators to d... Read More About Why Schools May Shorten Their School Years

As summer is winding down, ponder the possibility that some schools are considering no summer breaks at all. The idea of year-round schooling, meaning no break is longer than eight weeks, has been tossed around for years, and an article in the District Administration just revisited the debate. Proponents of year-round schooling argue that students don’t do anything over the summer. They don’t read, they don’t look at math problems or history facts. They do nothing and essentially forget all the information they learned the previous year. They argue that the last month or so of school is a waste because students cannot focu... Read More About Why Schools Are Considering Year Round Classes

It’s really not that hard. Step one: Lead off the essay with the most interesting/impactful thing you have ever done or will do. Example: “Years from now I will save people’s lives every week, every day, every hour – perhaps even your life.” Step two: Make sense of your lead sentence. Example: “At ___________ I plan to study engineering and ultimately launch a career, specializing in automobile safety." Step three: Tell the reader why this was/is important to your growth as a person and student. Write about how this has/will affect you, the people around you or even the world. You’re probably askin... Read More About How Summer Experiences Craft College Essays

There has been a lot of talk and buzz about how bad the American education system is, why it’s so bad and whose fault it is. And on the fault side, nearly everyone who is connected to education has been blamed for the lackluster system. But, what happens when we stop talking about why it stinks, and start trying to make it better? The District Administration tried to answer that question. The 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) compared the achievement gains between American and foreign students. It found that American students were not achieving as quickly or as strongly as many other foreign countries, thus start... Read More About How To Fix American Schools

Who was North Korea’s ally in the Korean War against American troops? No googling please. See, history isn’t that easy after all. If you said China, without googling, pat yourself on the back and grumble about how uninformed your fellow Americans are. But the fact of the matter is very few high school seniors were able to correctly answer that question, and most fourth graders cannot identify why Abraham Lincoln is an important historical figure. American students are simply less proficient in their nation’s history than any other subject, according to an article in the New York Times. Nationally, 12 percent of high schoo... Read More About Why Students Struggle With History Classes

You’re a teacher. Your performance is evaluated by teachers, judged and rated by teachers. Your mentor is a teacher, and your boss is a teacher. Imagine that. Would you love it or hate it? What if you’re a student or parent – how do you feel then? The Montgomery County Public Schools system in Rockville, Maryland has a unique process of teachers evaluating other teachers, according to an article in the New York Times. Stronger teachers provide support to weaker ones, and teachers there also have the power to fire weaker teachers if they do not improve.  The program, Peer Assistance and Review (PAR), allows more senior... Read More About How Teachers Can Support And Evaluate Other Teachers

Save the arts – that’s the mantra of many educators. But, after all, it could be the arts that save us. Funding for arts education is consistently cut and decreased when budgets become tighter. Some administrators and educators don’t believe it’s as important as other subjects, and it’s incredibly more difficult to measure the effects of an arts program. But, a presidentially-appointed committee on arts education is trying to change the perception of arts education, according to an article in the Washington Post. The committee is arguing that arts education can help students at all levels find their voice and h... Read More About Why The Arts Are Crucial To Education

Researchers at the Numerical Cognition Lab and the University of Chicago have been analyzing the causes of "math anxiety".  This is a situation familiar to many K-12 students, who seem to freeze when they see a math problem.  Their research shows that the anxiety of math teachers and parents can rub off on their students, ultimately affecting their learning. Fortunately, proven classroom methods have also been tested to reduce students' anxiety of doing mathematics.  These tips include: Focus on learning the process behind math concepts, rather than merely trying to get a right answer. Similarly, don't refer to the t... Read More About Analyzing Math Anxiety

Dave Eggers and Ninive Clements Calegari of the New York Times say teachers are underpaid and blamed entirely way too much for the underachieving American education system. In their argument, Eggers and Clements Calegari compared teachers to military professionals. “We don’t say, ‘It’s these lazy soldiers and their bloated benefits plans! That’s why we haven’t done better in Afghanistan!’ No, if the results aren’t there, we blame the planners. We blame the generals, the secretary of defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” writes Eggers and Clements Calegari. So why shouldn’t we treat ... Read More About Increase Teacher Pay To Improve Academics

Earlier this year, the Obama administration discussed plans to change the No Child Left Behind act with the media. Journalists and education administrators alike thought Obama was bluffing, trying to create action in policy makers.  It was no bluff. The Obama administration asked Congress to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law on Monday, March 14, in an effort to accelerate its public education overhaul, one of Obama’s major goals, according to an article in the Washington Post. The Obama administration has been aggressively pursuing education reform and plans to have the new version of No Child Left Behind law implemented by the... Read More About Changes Likely For NCLB

Using computers to test students - administrators thought about it, they considered it, they made preemptive what-ifs about it, they argued for it and they argued against it. Now, administrators are actually doing it. The American Council on Education and Pearson, two major education companies, have recently announced their plans to create a computer-based General Education Development (G.E.D.) test, according to an article in the New York Times. The G.E.D. has always been a traditional, paper-and-pencil test, typically administered in high schools. But, the new, computerized test will replace the old version in 2014. The new version will be... Read More About GED Test To Be Computerized

College is coming. It’s coming sooner for some and later for others. But, it’s still coming for most, and it’s never too soon to prepare. Winter time is always a stressful time for high school seniors, lobbying for certain colleges, awaiting acceptance or rejection letters. Some of them may even look back to their freshmen years of high school or even earlier, thinking I should have taken a harder curriculum, more extra-curricular activities or even gotten an A in that Algebra class. Once you’re a high school senior – or when you’re the parent of high school senior – it’s too late to change wha... Read More About How To Prepare For College Now

Despite President Obama's recent declaration of a "Sputnik Moment" for the nation, K-12 level science fairs across the U.S. are facing hard times. Lack of funding and resources has left many fairs on their last legs.  And yet as we go on celebrating the accomplishments of football teams and athletes in middle schools and high schools, the academics are seemingly being neglected. A recent article in the New York Times reports on the state of science fairs, from the more well known Siemens Competition and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, to more local ones such as the Greater St. Louis Science Fair.... Read More About Why Science Fairs Are Important

For years politicians and administrators have tried to create educational equality, providing tutors and additional help for struggling students and raising awareness about under-performing schools. But, what about the gifted students? They are the most ignored group of students in America. They are more talented and naturally-intelligent than normal students, and therefore do not need any additional help, at least that’s what most believe. Some believe that the American education system should give gifted students more resources, rather than ignoring them. They believe that they should receive additional help and funding to help the f... Read More About Funding To Support Gifted Students

Young people interested in writing have a new home, and it’s Figment.com. The site launched in early December, calling itself an online community for young writers to share work samples, receive feedback from other young writers, read and explore new, young fiction writers.  Jacob Lewis, a former managing editor at the New Yorker, and Dana Goodyear, a staff writer at the New Yorker, created the site, originally envisioning it to be a similar to a social network site, like the young adults’ literary Facebook. However, the two noticed that young adults didn’t want another Facebook. What they wanted, “was to read a... Read More About Online Community For Young Writers

Students who like their teachers learn more, according to a new report cited in the New York Times. This study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is seeking to distinguish the good teachers from the bad. Students who described their teachers as skillful at maintaining classroom order, at focusing their instruction and at helping their students learn from their mistakes learned more than their fellow classmates, as measured by their outperforming them on standardized test scores, according to the report. This report is part of a larger, two-year project that the Gates Foundation is funding to enhance education. This two-year p... Read More About How To Assess Teachers

12th grade students’ reading/math scores increased slightly, since their record lows in 2005, according to federal results released November 18th, cited by an article in The New York Times.             These reading and math tests comprise the National Assessment of Education Progress test. The Department of Education administered this test to what it determined to be a representative sample of about 50,000 12th grade students nationwide in the spring of 2009.                The Department of Education stated tha... Read More About Nationwide Reading And Math Abilities

High school students – mostly juniors and seniors – annually take AP (Advance Placement Tests) or IB (International Baccalaureate tests), but which is better?             Jay Mathews from The Washington Post argues in an article that the IB tests are slightly better because they force students to write more. Therefore, students must think deeper and provide more-detailed answers. He believes that this is the type of thinking that students will be exposed to in college.              The AP exams are mostly multiple ch... Read More About Advanced Placement Or International Baccalaureate

Higher spending on public schools does not always translate to success, according to an article in The District Administration.             Politicians and education administrators typically place a high emphasis on spending for schools. When schools lag behind and students are not achieving, the quick fix is always more spending.             In June 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau released education funding per-state and per- student for the 2007-2008 school year. The study discovered that the average spending for an American public st... Read More About Education Funding And Success

     Schools across the country are giving authority back to the teachers by throwing out the administrative grips. At these schools, teachers are solely making all the administrative decisions and teaching.             Palmer Park Predatory Academy (P3A) will open in Detroit in the fall of 2010 with no principal or other administrators. This school will replace the Barbara Jordan Elementary school, which was recently labeled as a low-performing school, according to an article in The District Administration. The Detroit public school system realized that a dramatic tu... Read More About Teacher Led Schools

The days of greasy, unhealthy hamburgers, deep fried chicken nuggets and Sloppy Joe’s – made famous by Saturday Night Live – are numbered. School lunches will soon be healthier, according to an article from The Associated Press.             These items will not be completely removed from school cafeterias; however, they will be made healthier. Also, high-calorie, sugary sodas will not be as readily available.             First lady Michelle Obama’s vision of healthier school lunches has gained the support of m... Read More About Healthier School Lunches

            A recent study indicated that schools with strong leadership and ubiquitous role-model figures demonstrate higher success among students, according to an article in Sify News.             The study entitled “Learning from Leadership: Investigating the Links to Improved Student Learning” claimed that students’ achievements and test scores were higher in schools that extended and diversified leadership positions. Success rose if principals and other traditional leadership figures shared authority and leader... Read More About School Leadership

The U.S. Senate recently passed a $10 billion bill to preserve teachers’ jobs throughout the nation, according to an article in District Administration.             The bill will also send $16 billion for Medicaid purposes.             Naturally, the $10 billion will not eliminate all teacher layoffs. However, it is expected to save 140,000 American teachers’ jobs.             This bill is being passed in response to consistent reports that tens of thousands of teach... Read More About Senate Approves Teacher Bill

For years, the valedictorian title has been for a school’s best academic performer. There was only one student who received this top honor. However, many high schools are beginning to honor multiple valedictorians, according to an article in The New York Times.             The prestige and honor that has always come with the valedictorian title is fading quickly as more schools pick up on this trend. Teachers and administrators are now giving the title to every straight-A student, instead of picking the best individual out of the class.        &nb... Read More About Valedictorian Title Losing Its Prestige

 President Barack Obama’s proposal for education reform has been receiving strict opposition from many education administrators, according to an article in The New York Times.       Recently, teachers unions and educators are leading the debate against lawmakers over Obama’s “Race to the Top” education reform plan. Some state officials in California privately told The New York Times that Obama’s proposed plan has a 50-50 chance (at best) of gaining the necessary approval to pass. The plan also needs $700 million from Washington.       Obama’s Race to the... Read More About Education Reform Debate

            The U.S. Department of Education released its New Education Technology Plan May 5th, 2010, noting its strong intentions to implement more technological advances in k-12 classrooms, according to an article in District Administration.             The suggested plan includes heavy use of mobile devices, increasing digital usage and content, and social networking for more communication. It is still unsure exactly how schools will use these measures to foster education. The uses will vary from school-to-school.   &nb... Read More About The Future Of Technology In Education

The ripple effects of the economic recession are continuing to surge through education as many public high schools are preparing to layoff tens of thousands of teachers nationwide, according to a recent article from The Washington Post.             These layoffs will result in larger class sizes and some schools will be forced to cut certain programs and classes. California, Illinois, Michigan, New York and New Jersey are likely to be hit the hardest with the most faculty layoffs.             Congress is currently considering impleme... Read More About Massive Teacher Layoffs Imminent

Some high school students will now be able to view how well their school’s graduates are doing in college, according to The Washington Post.             The National Student Clearing House has created a database with information from over 93 million college students and over 3,300 colleges across the nation. This information allows The National Student Clearing House to present some high schools statistics on their graduates’ college success.             The Washington Post published the statistics of one of the schools i... Read More About Measuring A High School With Graduates Successes

            Experts are saying that foreign students are surpassing American students by scoring much higher on many achievement tests, according to The New York Times.             Many foreign students are at least a year ahead of their American peers academically. Currently, about 70% of American students graduate from high school, which is lower than most other developed foreign countries. Only Spain, Mexico, New Zealand and Turkey lag behind the United States in K-12 educational achievement. The New York Times reported that Americ... Read More About American Education Lacking

A New York Times article has reported that SRI International for the Department of Education discovered that students performed better in online learning scenarios than in classroom scenarios. The study was performed from 1996 through 2008, and it used mostly college students and adults. However, some K-12 students were used. Students who did some or all of their work in online settings ranked nine percent higher on test scores than students who used strictly classroom, face-to-face instructions. On average, students who used online instructions ranked in the 59th percentile on test scores, while students who used only classroom instructions... Read More About Online Education

You might be thinking this post is superfluous.  What's so hard about reading a textbook?  Turns out it's more difficult than it looks.  Flip open any math, history, science textbook these days, and you might feel like you've opened up a circus tent.  Tons of colors.  Every other word is bolded, underlined, or italicized.  Almost every page has a callout box.  Pictures are strewn all over the place, sometimes they are even placed in page corners to supposedly "guide" you through the the chapters.  On top of all that, there are special "sections" in each chapter to distract you.  "Come read this real... Read More About How To Read A Textbook

Hollywood takes its cues from reality, but in this case, the opposite could be happening.  With the rise in popularity of TV shows such as CSI, Numb3rs, and Bones, interest in forensic sciences has increased, especially among the teen age set.  In this case TV influencing real life is a good thing, and some schools and programs have cropped up to cultivate these interests.  Robotics Schools such as Montvue Elementary in Pomona, CA are offering robotics classes that combine many disciplines.  Think about it, in real life problems don’t present themselves in the form of “please graph y = x^2 + 3x + 2”, so ... Read More About It Does Not Have To Be Boring

Starved for ideas?  Watch a Tedtalk!  Tedtalks happen at TED Conferences.  It’s marketed as a gathering of the world’s leading thinkers and innovators.  The best part?  Many of the talks are posted online, entirely free, for anyone to view!  You don’t have to pay a fortune (tickets start around $6,000) to attend a conference, all you need is an Internet connection. With topics ranging from Entertainment to Science to the Arts, you’re bound to find something that interests you.  You may even find new interests within a matter of minutes.  Here’s a small sampling of the insp... Read More About Watch a TED Talk