Thursday, June 25, 2009
Lessons Learned #7
I have said it before, and I will say it again – the chances of a student receiving a college scholarship for athletics are very low. When parents push students to excel at a sport to the point that it takes time away from the student’s academic career, they are only doing their child a disservice. Parents cannot tell their children that academics are important, and then schedule them for three teams a season, so that the student has little to no time to do homework, and then expect that the student is going to excel in school. Something has to give, and usually it is a student’s grades.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Lessons Learned #6
Sometimes a student is perfectly capable of grasping a concept, but they are in a class that is too big, and they can’t get the attention they need from a teacher. Students may learn better visually, but the teacher uses an auditory teaching style. The student may learn best by doing, but the structure of the class demands that they sit in a seat for 30 or 45 minutes at a time, with no opportunity for experiential learning. Sometimes the pace of the class is too fast, and leaves the student behind. Other times the pace of the class is too slow, and the student tunes out. Despite a teacher’s best efforts to give each of his or her students what they need, it is virtually impossible to do so in a class of 25-30 students. Many teachers are forced to “teach to the middle”, and hope for the best.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Lessons Learned #5
When a student struggles with subjects like math, languages or science (especially when these subjects may have come easily to them before now) they can often descend into a spiral of poor performance that becomes somewhat self-perpetuating. Often what is needed to break this cycle is some “wins”. Having someone show them how to master a previously difficult concept instills confidence, and allows the student to feel that they can solve that difficult equation, learn those tricky tenses, or understand that complicated concept.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Lessons Learned #4
Many students, particularly those at key transition points in their educational careers are stymied when they are required to expend more effort for things that used to take them a lot less time to accomplish in another grade, or another school. Complaints of: “I always spend about 20 minutes on math homework.” are common, and reflect not only a student’s frustration, but also a lack of understanding about what is required for success. Developing new habits is key to success when expectations are changing.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Summer Brain Drain
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Lesson Learned - #3
No matter how bright the student, if they do not have solid study skills, they are bound to run into trouble as elementary school leads into middle school, middle school leads into high school, and high school leads into college. Students at these key transition points in their education are often expected to “step it up”. Without the proper tools: organizational skills, time management, project management, etc., they are often at a loss as to how to meet these increased expectations. We work with students to teach a very comprehensive study skills curriculum that works on organization, time management, project management, and a number of other very important study skills that will enable them to succeed.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Lessons Learned - #2
The problem is usually not going to go away, or solve itself.
Most times if students are struggling with a subject (especially cumulative subjects like math and languages) if they fall behind at the beginning of the school year, it is only going to get worse. Waiting for the 2nd and 3rd report card to see if there is improvement is often a recipe for failure. Address problems early on, and you can expect better results. It is almost impossible to try to teach a student a whole year of math or language in an hour a week, during the last two months of the school year. Seek help for your child as soon as the problem becomes apparent. Again, use the summer to get caught up on subjects where students are behind, so that they start the school year off on solid footing.
Monday, June 15, 2009
BLS Class of 2009 College Matriculation
Boston University 50 13.74%
U Mass Amherst 44 12.09%
Harvard 17 4.67%
Boston College 16 4.40%
Northeastern 12 3.30%
Bridgewater State 9 2.47%
MCPHS 8 2.20%
Tufts 8 2.20%
McGill 6 1.65%
MIT 6 1.65%
U Mass Boston 6 1.65%
U Mass Lowell 6 1.65%
UNH 6 1.65%
Bentley 5 1.37%
Suffolk 5 1.37%
Curry College 4 1.10%
Drexel 4 1.10%
Fitchburg State 4 1.10%
Providence College 4 1.10%
Simmons College 4 1.10%
St. John's University 4 1.10%
Stonehill 4 1.10%
University of Vermont 4 1.10%
Wentworth 4 1.10%
Brandeis 3 0.82%
Bucknell 3 0.82%
George Washington 3 0.82%
U Mass Dartmouth 3 0.82%
Westfield State 3 0.82%
American International 2 0.55%
Amherst College 2 0.55%
Arizona State 2 0.55%
Brigham Young 2 0.55%
Centre College 2 0.55%
Clark University 2 0.55%
Fairfield University 2 0.55%
Framingham State 2 0.55%
Goucher 2 0.55%
Lasell College 2 0.55%
Mass Maritime Academy 2 0.55%
MCLA 2 0.55%
Salem State 2 0.55%
St. Michael's College 2 0.55%
University of Hartford 2 0.55%
University of Maine 2 0.55%
Ursinus College 2 0.55%
Warren Wilson 2 0.55%
American University 1 0.27%
American U of Beirut 1 0.27%
Anna Maria 1 0.27%
Babson 1 0.27%
Bard College 1 0.27%
Barnard 1 0.27%
Bates 1 0.27%
Bryn Mawr 1 0.27%
Carnegie Mellon 1 0.27%
Catholic University 1 0.27%
Chapman 1 0.27%
Coastal Carolina 1 0.27%
Colgate University 1 0.27%
Columbia University 1 0.27%
Concordia 1 0.27%
Cornell 1 0.27%
Denison University 1 0.27%
Emerson 1 0.27%
Georgetown 1 0.27%
Hampshire College 1 0.27%
Hampton University 1 0.27%
Hartwick College 1 0.27%
Hawaii Pacific U 1 0.27%
Hofstra 1 0.27%
Holy Cross 1 0.27%
Iona College 1 0.27%
Johnson & Wales 1 0.27%
Kalamazoo College 1 0.27%
Macalester 1 0.27%
Manhattanville College 1 0.27%
Marines 1 0.27%
Middlebury 1 0.27%
Montserrat 1 0.27%
Nazareth College 1 0.27%
Norwich 1 0.27%
NYU 1 0.27%
Pace University 1 0.27%
Pratt Institute 1 0.27%
Princeton 1 0.27%
Reed College 1 0.27%
Rensselaer Polytechnic 1 0.27%
RISD 1 0.27%
Rochester Institute 1 0.27%
Roger Williams 1 0.27%
Santa Clara University 1 0.27%
School of Art Inst. 1 0.27%
Siena College 1 0.27%
Skidmore College 1 0.27%
Spelman 1 0.27%
St. Anselm College 1 0.27%
St. Olaf College 1 0.27%
St. Xavier University 1 0.27%
Stanford University 1 0.27%
Syracuse 1 0.27%
Trinity College 1 0.27%
Trinity University 1 0.27%
Tulane 1 0.27%
U San Diego 1 0.27%
Union College 1 0.27%
U Conn 1 0.27%
University of Edinburgh 1 0.27%
University of Hawaii 1 0.27%
University of Maryland 1 0.27%
U of Southern Cal 1 0.27%
U of St. Andrews 1 0.27%
University of Tampa 1 0.27%
University of Toronto 1 0.27%
Vassar 1 0.27%
Washington College 1 0.27%
Wellesley 1 0.27%
Wheaton 1 0.27%
Wheelock College 1 0.27%
Yale 1 0.27%
Total 364 100.00%
Saturday, June 13, 2009
BPS Students Offered 70 hours of free ISEE Prep
This year they will be offering 70 hours of free ISEE test prep at Boston Latin School starting in July and ending just before the test in November.
Of the 1,000 students invited, they will have seats for approximately 350 students. These are some of Boston Public Schools best and brightest students, many from the highly regarded Advanced Work Program.
These 350 students will have a huge advantage over other ISEE test takers this year.
If Latin School feels that the best and brightest students from BPS need almost 70 hours of ISEE prep in order to get into the exam schools, then clearly we have been onto something for a while!
We have found that hands down the BPS Advanced Work students are the best prepared students we see coming for ISEE prep. The curriculum these students are taught is more advanced than any other program we have seen in the area (public, private or parochial).
Boston Latin School invited 463 students in 2009.
We expect that next spring there will be a big change in the composition of who is admitted to the exam schools.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Lessons Learned - #1
Lesson #1
Time is on your side, but only up to a certain point. When students are preparing for a high stakes test such as SATs or the ISEE, the more preparation they have in advance the better. Waiting until a few weeks before the test is nothing more than cramming, and usually does not produce good results. Waiting until the last minute only leads to stress and anxiety, and it does not have to be this way. Summer is a great time to prepare for tests given in the fall and early winter.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
ISEE vs. SSAT
There is a school of thought that suggests that students preparing for the ISEE (Independent Schools Entrance Exam) or the Latin School test take the SSAT in the spring, prior to taking the ISEE in the fall. It is helpful to understand some basic information about the two tests before you compare the differences in the tests, and determine whether or not it makes sense to take the SSAT as practice for the ISEE.
Students are only allowed to take the ISEE once every six months. The ISEE is typically administered in the fall. The ISEE also has three different levels: Lower, Middle and Upper. Lower Level test takers are in grades 4 and 5 at the time they take the test, and are applying for admission to grades 5 and 6. Middle Level test takers are in grades 6 and 7 at the time they take the test, and are applying for admission to grades 7 and 8. Upper Level test takers are in grades 8 and above at the time they take the test, and are applying for admission to grades 9 and above.
If a student takes the ISEE in the fall or spring of 5th grade, they are taking the Lower Level test. If that same student takes the test in the fall of 6th grade, they are taking the Middle level test. The Middle level test is more challenging than the Lower Level test. Test takers taking the Middle Level test can expect less time per section, more challenging questions, and a math section that contains much more Algebra and Geometry, as well as a Quantitative Comparison section (an analytical and reasoning section of math that is very different than they type of math most students have encountered in school). Many students struggle with Quantitative Comparisons in particular, because they are not used to solving math problems in this way. The Upper Level ISEE has a more challenging reading comprehension section, more advanced vocabulary than the Middle Level test, and more advanced math problems (particularly in Algebra).
Given the way the ISEE is structured, with Lower, Middle and Upper Level editions, and the six month testing restriction, there really is no way to take the test for practice. The Educational Records Bureau (ERB), the company that administers the ISEE, does not allow students to take the test for practice, and states in their registration material that students must be taking the test in concert with applying to a member school (a private school or an exam school). In fact, the ERB strongly recommends against “cramming” for the test – preparing for the test a few weeks before it is administered. For most students this type of last minute preparation does not work, and it is a waste of time. All that is accomplished is that the student is now very stressed about taking the test.
The ISEE is primarily used by private schools admitting students in grades 5-8. The ISEE is also used by the Boston Exam schools for admission to grades 7, 9 and 10 (O’Bryant School in the only exam school that admits students for grade 10). Most private schools require a different test for admission to the 9th grade and above. Catholic schools generally require the Catholic Schools Entrance Exam for admission to 9th grade and above. Private schools typically require the SSAT for high school admission (even if they require the ISEE for middle school admission). Some schools have their own test that they administer. It is wise to check with the school(s) to which you are planning to apply, to see what their specific requirements are for the grade level you will be applying for admission.
Now that we have learned a bit about the ISEE, let’s look at the SSAT. The SSAT is the Secondary School Admission Test. The SSAT has an Upper Level and a Lower Level section, no Middle Level. The Lower Level test is taken by students in the 5th, 6th and 7th grade at the time they take the test. The Upper Level test is taken by students in grades 8 and above. The SSAT is considered a harder test than the ISEE in many ways. Let’s look at some of the key differences.
- The SSAT has a writing section that is timed for 25 minutes. The ISEE has a writing section that is timed for 30 minutes. There is no writing section on the Latin School Exam.
- The SSAT has 5 multiple-choice answers for each questions, the ISEE has only 4 answers. So it is easier to guess on the ISEE.
- The SSAT has a guessing penalty. For every wrong answer on the SSAT students lose one quarter of a point. There is no guessing penalty on the ISEE.
- The SSAT has a section of Analogies. The ISEE has no Analogies.
- The ISEE has a large Sentence Completion section; the SSAT has no Sentence Completions.
- There are no Quantitative Comparison questions in the math section of the SSAT. The ISEE has a large Quantitative Comparison section, and it is very challenging for the majority of students (even for those who are normally strong in math). Quantitative comparisons are not math concepts that are generally taught in school.
- The ISEE is also a longer test than the SSAT. The ISEE typically takes about 3 hours to complete. The SSAT is administered in about 2.5 hours. Many students suffer from “test fatigue” during longer tests.
There is no real value for students in taking the SSAT in the spring of the year they are going to take the ISEE, or the Latin School Test.
The two tests are vastly different: they test different material, the timing and the pace of the tests is different, the SSAT is harder than the ISEE in many ways, grading is different for the two test (guessing penalty vs. no guessing penalty) and the length of the tests is different (the ISEE is about 15% longer than the SSAT).
You are not comparing apples to apples when you use the SSAT as a proxy for how students might do on the ISEE. It is more like you are comparing apples to kumquats! Why test a student on analogies when they are not going to be on the ISEE? Why test on an essay that is not on the Exam School version of the ISEE? Why test on math that excludes one of the hardest sections of the ISEE (Quantitative Comparisons)? Why test on a verbal section on the SSAT that omits Sentence Completions (a key part of the ISEE verbal section)?
Most importantly, why put a student through the stress of taking a test that has no real value in determining how they will do on another test (the ISEE or Exam Schools test) that will be administered almost 6 months later?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Inspiring Stories
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Adding a 6th grade to the Boston Exam Schools?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Welcome
We will share insights and observations with our readers on topics related to education, test prep, private school admission, Boston's Exam Schools, and the work we do with families at the Boston Tutoring Center. All client information will be kept strictly confidential.
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