Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Making The Grade in Standardized Testing


“Put down your pencils and please turn in your test booklets.”
These are the words thousands of high-school students hear each year when taking the SAT or ACT tests that could determine college admission and/or college scholarships. Such standardized tests have been the source of frustration, excitement and success for young students.

There’s only one problem. Scores are dropping nationwide. The College Board organization that writes and manages the SAT reported the lowest scores in 40 years and a 20-point decline since 2006, according to The Washington Post.

Focused Preparation
ElDeiry
Preparation for such a daunting test requires a deeper understanding of the test itself and a focus on a student’s learning and test-taking style, according to Mike ElDeiry, owner and instructor with Weston-based Broward Tutorial Services, also known as BTS. 
Broward Tutorial Services provides small-group preparation with eight or fewer students and private tutoring for SAT and ACT preparation as well as ACT/SAT Diagnostic testing to give students a baseline for what they might score on the test and areas for improvement.
“The key to success is not volume, but quality,” ElDeiry says. “Taking small-group classes gives our students a personalized approach while relating to the struggles of fellow students. Students have to start early in taking practice tests, putting the time in studying and practicing—and practicing some more.”  
Broward Tutorial Services boasts an impressive track record of success, with many students raising scores by over 300 points on the SAT. After studying at Tufts and Harvard Universities and earning an MBA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, ElDeiry used his experience as an algebra, math and business professor, to prepare students for these and other areas of college testing. ElDeiry teaches these small-group classes with language arts expert Adam Moss, a reading and English professor who specializes in coaching students at every skill level in preparation for grammar and reading examinations.
While ElDeiry and the BTS team try to pinpoint each student’s potential for improving testing scores, additional portions emphasized include time management, recognizing “trap” questions and process of elimination.

Expect Success
Florida’s lottery-funded “Bright Futures” program sets a minimum GPA and ACT/SAT scores for automatic scholarships to any Florida public college/university. These requirements create a more competitive landscape for college admissions and scholarships. The ability to help a student achieve the desired score and beyond is one of the reasons ElDeiry continues to provide test preparation services.
“I always knew that teaching was my calling, and my fellow instructor Adam and I both have a special skill for seeing where students get stuck and what they get stuck on,” he says. “Helping students be able to afford college is life-changing.”
For more information about Broward Tutorial Services, please visit BrowardTutorial.com or call (954) 667-6500. To view a listing of upcoming small-group classes, click here. Online registration is available.