Floyd County Schools has entered into a unique partnership with Cambridge Education Systems to provide preparatory classes for students planning to take the SAT. The SAT prep program from Cambridge Educational Services is an exciting new offering for Floyd County high school students. The president of Cambridge Educational Services has trained Floyd County teachers to use the Cambridge method of instruction in the SAT prep elective class offered in each high school. Also, during Floyd County intersessions, students have the opportunity to receive training from Cambridge Educational Services teachers at no cost to the students. The cooperative agreement with Cambridge Educational Services is a major addition to the college preparatory program for the school system. Cambridge uses a six-step approach to prepare students for the SAT exam.
Step 1- Diagnostic Testing and Assessment Service
Students take a pretest to help identify their strengths and weaknesses. Cambridge provides a diagnostic assessment service in which all students and instructors receive detailed reports on individual and classroom performance, including student and instructor summaries and analyses. Each course is tailored to fit every student's needs based on these reports.
Step 2 - Basic Skills Review
For students needing extra help, Cambridge textbooks include extensive math, verbal, science, and reading basic skills review. Computer-adaptive CD-ROMs are used in instruction to constantly adjust to each student's ability. The use of computer aided instruction guarantees that instruction is individualized to each student and that problems are set at the appropriate difficulty level.
Step 3 - In-Class Problem-Solving, Concepts, and Strategies
Students learn powerful test-taking strategies, frequently tested concepts, test structure, levels of difficulty, and master tactics to find the correct answers.
Step 4 - Practice Test Reinforcement
Students strengthen their test-taking skills through homework and on-line practice quizzes.
Step 5 - Final Exam, Assessment Report, and Review
Most schools assess their students' improvement and choose to end their course with a final diagnostic exam and review of problem areas. Individual student report summaries provide analysis of a student's performance on individual questions. Many schools use this analysis to align their curriculum with testing points.
Step 6- Personal Study Plan
Using comparison data from both diagnostic tests, students follow a personalized study plan focusing on their weakest areas for final test preparation.
