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No official test prep booklet is needed for these strategies. The ACT English section assesses test-takers in three areas of standard English conventions: punctuation, sentence structure and formation, and usage. For many high school students, these aspects of the English language are far from natural, and the necessary effort to improve your skill set can seem daunting. […]

Scholars weigh decline in reading habits and other theories Before the pandemic, eighth graders’ reading comprehension declined substantially. Since then, scholars have been trying to figure out why their scores dropped so much between 2017 and 2019 on a highly regarded national test known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP.  Researchers at the

ANN ARBOR, MI – Ann Arbor mom Kristen Bodley said she feels like her 10-year-old son, Jackson – who is bright and normally top of his class in reading, writing and math – hasn’t learned a single thing all year. After spending over a year of fully remote learning at Ann Arbor Public Schools, the

The University System of Georgia will reinstate its ACT and SAT requirement after a one-year suspension, the system announced on Wednesday. Students applying for admission for the spring of 2022 and beyond will be required to submit standardized-test scores. Last summer, amid uncertainty about applicants’ ability to take the ACT and SAT during the pandemic, the Georgia

Every year, students across the United States take standardized tests such as the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) exam. Schools, like the one where I teach in Wisconsin, rely on these assessments to evaluate student achievement and to judge teacher performance. Some educators applaud tests like the MAP, a computer-adaptive assessment that adjusts the questions in real-time

Online learning works best when students, families, and school communities have chosen it to meet their specific needs. A year ago, as the country was thrust into remote schooling, I found myself thrown unwittingly — and uncomfortably — into the role of “expert.” For the past decade, I’ve been a champion of online learning as

Baltimore City said it’s starting to see results from its districtwide virtual tutoring program. It was put into place to help students recover from learning loss. Now, some religious leaders are hoping it’ll continue over the summer and they’re willing to help out. It was billed as a sort of prescription for academic progress for

The class of ninth-graders that in September will enter the city’s eight “specialized high schools” — entry to which is determined solely by doing well on a standardized test — will be substantially less black and Latino than before. Per Department of Education data, black and Latino kids, who make up almost 70 percent of

Teachers unions aren’t happy, but this time, they’re mad at President Joe Biden. In February, the Biden administration released guidelines to keep standardized tests in schools. Needless to say, a lot of school administrators weren’t pleased. After all, school board officials across the country are trying to delegitimize test scores. But the administration did the right thing

In recent weeks, a growing number of students across the country have set foot in their schools, some for the first time since last March. Here’s what they said it was like to return. Maisie Robinson was so excited for her first day of kindergarten that she woke up at 2:30 a.m. to make her