PSSA Scores Absent From Schools' Report Cards

Aligned with with the Common Core for the first time, this year's PSSAs were so tough that the results won't be used in assessing the performance of Pennsylvania's elementary and middle schools. 

Students in grades 3 to 8 scored an average of 35 percent lower in math and 9 percent lower in English this year. As a result, the U.S. Department of Education granted a one-year waiver in September.

High schools continue to receive their state report card scores. Instead of PSSAs, those students now take the Keystone Exams when they complete Algebra I, Literature and Biology. Beginning with the class of 2017, students will be required to pass those exams in order to graduate.

College Application Essay Success

It's almost October. For seniors who haven't started working on their college application essays, it's time to get moving!

 

Students often need help in crafting a compelling essay that will catch the attention of an admissions committee. To write an essay that truly stands out requires a unique, interesting concept that says something special about the student's intellect and interests. 

If you or someone you know would like an experienced college essay writing coach's assistance in brainstorming, drafting and revising this important part of the application process, please call 610-940-1625 or contact us online at www.keyacademics.com.

Register Now For Small-Group SAT & ACT Classes

Some seats are still available for Key Academics' SAT and ACT classes for small groups of students. The "Best Of Montco" tutoring service's classes are being offered through Whitemarsh Township's Parks & Recreation.

The class for the current SAT, in effect until March 2016, features six three-hour classes on Sunday afternoons starting Sept. 20. 

The ACT course for the revised test that debuts in September includes sine two-hour, Monday evening classes from Oct. 12 to Dec. 7. 

Along with 18 hours of instruction, each student receives two professionally developed, 200-page workbooks and a take-home, graded practice test. Both classes will be held in the Parks And Recreation Building next to Miles Park on Joshua Road in Lafayette Hill. 

The cost is just $479 for Whitemarsh residents and $499 for non-residents. To register, call Whitemarsh Parks and Recreation at (610) 828-7276, go to whitemarshparks.org, or call Key Academics at (610) 940-1625.

Newspaper App Teaches SAT Vocab In 5 Minutes A Day

Studying for the SAT/ACT or just looking to improve your vocabulary? From July 1 to Aug. 31, philly.com features fun articles about movies, sports, entertainment, and more, all using lots of great vocabulary words. If you don't know a word, just click on it to see its definition.

Powered by ProfessorWord, a Philly-based startup, the technology is featured in a free philly.com Reading Challenge that sends one article a day to students.

Learning new words in context is the most effective way to improve vocabulary. This new technology can define any word and can even be set to automatically highlight all the pertinent SAT/ACT vocabulary words used on any website. 

 Learn more and sign up at philly.com/vocabulary.

Key Academics Is Voted Best Of Montco Tutoring

It’s official! Montgomery County residents have selected Key Academics as 2015’s Best Tutoring Service.

            The annual Readers Choice Awards are conducted by Montgomery Newspapers, publishers of the Norristown Times Herald, Lansdale Reporter, Amber Gazette, Colonial News, Glenside News and several other media.

            Key Academics provides one-to-one, in-home and online tutoring in academic subjects, study skills and reading for students from kindergarten through college. We also provide preparation for admissions tests such as SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, GRE, GMAT and LSAT.                                   

To celebrate this prestigious award, Key Academics is pleased to extend a 15 percent discount to new test prep clients who mention the “Best Of Montco” award. (this discount applies to new students, and cannot be combined with other offers.)

Call 610-940-1625 today and learn what makes Key Academics the best  one-to-one academic tutoring and test prep service in the Delaware Valley.

Key Academics Wins Best of Plymouth Meeting Tutoring Award

Key Academics recently received the 2015 Best of Plymouth Meeting Award in the category of Tutoring Instructors.

            The annual award honors local businesses that use best practices to generate long-term value. The program works with local business owners, professional associations, and other business groups to gather the information and data used to choose the winners in each category.

College Board Loses Points With SAT Mistake

After a misprint in test booklets regarding the time allotted for taking part of the SAT on June 6, the College Board said that it would not score two sections of the exam, and would waive its fees for students who wanted to take the test again in October. 

The June 6 test booklets said students would have 25 minutes to complete the last of three reading sections. Proctors, however, were given instructions that students would have only 20 minutes for that section. While some proctors noticed the error and informed students in advance, others did not discover it until alerted by test takers. The confusion distracted some students during the exam.

Although the misprint appeared only in the final reading section, some students may have been taking their final math section in the same room as other students completing the reading section and been affected by any confusion, so the board said it would not score either section.

The board apologized for the error and it would still be able to provide reliable scores for all students because the SAT is designed to collect enough information to provide valid and reliable scores even with an unscored section.

If only that were true! Timing confusion during the test surely had a negative impact on some students' performance. And what if a student found an eliminated reading passage or math section easier than the ones preceding it? It’s a well-known fact in test theory and analysis that fewer items lead to less reliable scores. It’s easy to see how a 660 reading or math score, for example, could turn into a 630.

Also, scheduling a free test for October conflicts with Subject Tests at college application crunch time. The College Board should score the June 6 test both with the affected sections and without them, letting students and their parents decide which score to report. If neither one is satisfactory, students should have the option of taking a free retest in September.