Will the New SAT Test Predict Success For Your Child?

The College Board has promised that the new SAT will test skills that are more predictive of success in college and beyond.  Only time will tell if they’ve succeeded in that regard. Our goal right now is to gain a better understanding of changes you’ll see on the new test. 

In today’s blog, you’ll find details about some of the key changes in each of the new SAT components: Scoring, Vocabulary, Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and the Essay.

SCORING

In terms of format and scoring:

·      The maximum score for the new SAT is 1600 points.

      - The Reading and Writing sections have been combined into one section on the new SAT, 

         with a maximum score of 800. Writing is now known as “Writing and Language”.

      -  The Math section still has a maximum score of 800.

·      The Essay is now optional, with a maximum score of 24.

·      There will be only four answer choices in multiple-choice questions – not five.

·      Students will no longer be penalized for incorrect answers.

VOCABULARY

·       Sentence completion questions like the one below are gone!

·      The new SAT questions will focus on vocabulary in the context of text passages.

·      The subject matter of passages are pre-determined: 1 passage will be related to US and 

     World Literature, 2 related to History and Social Studies, and 2 to Science.

READING

·       All questions are now based on passages of text between 1-3 paragraphs long. The questions will build on each other, and will ask the student to cite evidence for the answer in the previous question. See this example:

·       Some passages will now contain graphics and figures that illustrate data, requiring the student to interpret the data in the context of the overall passage, as in the example below.

·       This type of data analysis and graph reading has never before been tested on the Reading section of the SAT. Especially tricky questions will likely be inference questions - for example, "the author is least likely to support which interpretation of the data in this figure?"

·       It’s important to note that the science passages will not be heavily focused on the subject of science. You will need to know how to read graphs and understand their relevance to the passage.

WRITING and LANGUAGE

·       The Writing and Language section of the new SAT will no longer have questions that test isolated grammatical rules, like the following example which tests Number Agreement. In this question, the error is B - "rodeo" is a singular noun, so "they predate" should be replaced by "it predates." The SAT complicates this question by inserting a confusing phrase in between ("includes games...century").

·       Questions in the Writing and Language section are also entirely passage-based, and test grammar and writing logic. Each question will refer to a sentence within the associated passage.

-  Most grammatical questions will still deal with just a single sentence.  In the following passage citing author Don Kingman, questions 1-3 can be answered in isolation without reading the rest of the passage. 

-  Other questions will require the student to read the entire passage and understand its organization. Question 4 requires that you know the context of the sentence to choose the right word. Question 5 requires that you understand the point of the paragraph to determine the most logical flow.

MATH

·       The Math section has changed the least.  There are some problems that ask the student to take multiple mathematical steps, and one section bans the use of calculators.

·       Here again, you’ll see greater emphasis on the interpretation and analysis of data in graphs.  Prompts for questions will be based on more current, realistic scenarios.

·       Geometry questions, which make up to 30% of the math questions, will be reduced to 10%.

·       Trigonometry will appear on the new SAT, but will make up fewer than 5% of questions.

ESSAY

·       The essay is now 50 minutes long instead of 25 minutes.  

·       The student is presented with a passage written by an author who takes a specific position on an issue. The student's job is to write an analysis that describes how the author uses data and facts, reasoning, and rhetorical devices that strengthen their argument.

·       The essay is scored on a scale of 2-8 each on Reading, Analysis, and Writing. The maximum score of 24 is not combined with the Reading or Writing and Language sections.

CONCLUSION

·       The new SAT heavily resembles the ACT. The new SAT Writing and Language section resembles the ACT English section in its format and the skills tested. The allocation of SAT Reading passages mirrors what the ACT has been doing for years, and the Math sections on both the SAT and ACT are now closer than ever before.

·       While the scope and detail of the SAT test prep program will change, students will still benefit from test prep. The College Board acknowledges that test prep helps improve SAT scores. We will now have to teach logic, reasoning and higher-level analysis. This broadens the scope of test prep from simply preparing for the test to teaching meaningful skills that are important to college and other aspects of life.

Data Source: the College Board, at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/

Is Your Child Behind Before the School Year Begins?

As we approach the end of summer, parents should consider their child’s readiness for the challenges they’ll face in the upcoming school year. The sooner you can identify skill gaps, the better your chances to correct any shortfalls before they become overwhelming for your child. 

Begin by discussing these questions with your child to help determine where potential problems may exist.

• Does your child manage their time wisely to complete assignments and prepare for tests?

• Does your child understand how to prioritize tasks?  Do they correctly identify and work on the most important tasks first?

• What are your child’s favorite subjects in school? How can you build on them as opportunities for higher learning? 

• Does your child have difficulty in completing work in one or more subjects? Which ones does your child enjoy the least?  Are there skill and knowledge gaps that contribute to those feelings?

You can help your child prepare for the new school year by creating a dedicated quiet area at home where school supplies can be stored and work can be done; establishing specific timeframes for homework and studying; and making schoolwork a priority, over and above extra-curricular activities.  

If you want to identify skill and knowledge gaps in specific subject areas, the Tutoring Club of Jacksonville can help.  We conduct assessments for all academic levels in Reading, Writing and Math. When you enroll your child, we create a personalized plan specifically for your student to address their individual needs, to fill existing gaps and build on their strengths.  

Parents who engage professional help to support their children’s learning send a message to their child that learning is important.  “With the help of our tutors, students overcome their learning gaps and regain their confidence – and that’s the key,” says Dana Edmonds, Director of the Tutoring Club of Jacksonville.  “When I get these kids to believe in themselves, that’s when they succeed.”  

At the Tutoring Club of Jacksonville, we focus on your whole child by Improving Academics, Instilling Confidence, and Building Character.  Call us at 268-8556 to discuss how we can help your child be ready for the new school year.   * Tell us you read our blog and receive 50% off diagnostic testing.

It's a New Horizon on Tuesday July 14!

Today we’re not going to talk about parenting, or testing, or school. Today we're going to talk about PLUTO! You know, the tiny non-planet that travels the outer edge of our solar system? I Can Barely Contain My Excitement!  Today is a milestone in America’s aerospace history as NASA completes the last step in the quest to explore each of the planets in our solar system, starting with Venus in 1962. 

The New Horizons spacecraft, about the size of a baby grand piano, has traveled three billion – that's THREE BILLION - miles over the past 9½ years.  Traveling at an astounding pace of 36,000 miles per hour, it’s the fastest spacecraft ever launched, and it carries the most powerful suite of science instruments ever sent on a scouting and reconnaissance mission of a new, unfamiliar world.

New Horizons’ scientific instruments will be going full force as it arrives at its closest point to Pluto, just over 7,700 miles away, at 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday.  Just fourteen minutes later it will pass Pluto’s jumbo moon, Charon. Because the spacecraft will be busy collecting data most of the day, scientists won’t be assured of the mission’s success until Tuesday night when New Horizons “phones home”.  

This is a once-in-a-lifetime exploratory opportunity for NASA scientists, who expect to see craters and possible volcanic remnants on a very active and dynamic world.  Pluto has a jumbo moon named Charon, and four known ‘baby’ moons called Styx, Nix, Hydra and Kerberos.  New Horizons will be on the lookout for others, and will collect extensive data about Pluto and each moon.  Scientists believe a liquid ocean and a rocky core may lie beneath the icy shell that covers Pluto.

NASA’s New Horizons team is hoping its mission will be extended indefinitely as the spacecraft moves toward the edge of the solar system, behind NASA’s Voyagers 1 and 2, and Pioneers 10 and 11.  They look hopefully at Voyager 1 as its example. Originally launched in 1977, the same year "Star Wars" was released, it was originally designed for a four-year mission to Saturn.  Now, 36 years later, the spacecraft is nearly 12 billion miles from Earth, still hurtling away from Earth and deeper into interstellar space. After months of analysis, scientists determined that the spacecraft exited the Milky Way solar system on August 25, 2012.  Data collection continues to this day.

It will likely be Wednesday before New Horizon's close-up photos of Pluto will be released, and late in 2016 before all the data is transmitted to Earth.  It all promises to be very exciting. 

You can click on the link to NASA's web site, below, to learn more. 

NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto

 Be patient, my fellow Earthlings. 

Observe, learn, and be amazed.

Is Your Child Overstimulated?

Not likely. The biggest problem most of our children have during the summer break is a lack of stimulation.  Here are some ways you can help your children stay at the top of their game through the summer. 

Read   Reading is one of the best ways for students to expand their vocabulary and stretch their imagination. The most important thing is to make sure they’re reading something.  So whether it’s a book, a magazine, the newspaper, or a comic book – reading is worthwhile!

Community Service   Spending time helping others is a great way to feel more connected and meet new friends. 

Build a Portfolio   Have your student create a portfolio of projects they have worked on and include a narrative that provides context and explains what they are.  When presented to colleges and potential employers, it creates a compelling case for acceptance. Portfolios should be updated each year.

Learn A Useful Life Skill   If your student will be heading to college, make sure they know the key self-sufficiency skills.  Cooking – doing the laundry – cleaning the bathroom – balancing the checkbook . . . so much to know!

Learn A New, Fun Skill  Have your child learn something like a new sport, drawing, or cooking - and get really good at it.  This builds self-confidence that will carry over to the other many new experiences coming their way.  

Internship   If your child believes they know their desired career path, this is a perfect time for an internship with a local business in that industry. This valuable experience can help them confirm their interest in that field or decide to look elsewhere. 

Test Preparation  If college is in the future, SAT/ACT test preparation may be worthwhile.  Strong test scores can result in recurring annual scholarships worth tens of thousands of dollars.  And remember - we can help!