Solutions - Score Increase Calculations

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SAT & ACT SCORE INCREASES - MYTH vs REALITY

Having taught hundreds of students from high schools from ALL OVER THE U.S. ( & even foreign countries ) which includes students of all GPA's, motivation levels, income levels, ages, languages, and special learning needs, we know what lies in the realm of reality with even the best possible tutoring & teaching, and what amounts to myth and fantasy.

Should you believe these claims?

Sure. Can you guarantee admissions to Stanford too?

Example: 500 points - Are you kidding?

These companies, headed by non-teachers, can't even correctly calculate an SAT score increase. How can they possibly provide good SAT / ACT courses?

In fact, this is deception is so widespread that the Wall Street Journal did some INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING to uncover the lies: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124278685697537839.html#CX

5/20/2009 - Wall Street Journal - John Hechinger

More facts: Page 24

What is a REAL SAT / ACT score increase?

1) Student takes the SAT for real AND TRIES TO DO WELL and scores 1500.

2) Student takes SAT course.

3) Student takes another SAT for real AND TRIES TO DO WELL after the SAT course and scores 1600.

Actual SAT Score Increase = 100 points.

False & Deceptive Score Improvement Statistics

Harder baseline "SAT" test and an easier end-result "SAT" test.

Most companies give a fake, harder "initial" SAT and an easier "end-result" SAT.

Kids who don't try / sick / don't care on the first baseline "SAT"

Kids who take an initial "assessment" harder fake exam USUALLY DON'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. FEW KIDS actually try their very best, or can even do their very best, on these initial diagnostic exams ( which last 4 grueling hours), thus further creating artificially low scores.

Yes, we get kids who "improve" 500 - 600 points all the time using a SAT score when the kid just took the test to see what it was like, but WE DON'T COUNT THOSE.

Deceptive score charts and deceptive essay grading.

Companies use their "trained readers" to arbitrarily give lower initial essay scores. Moreover, their score charts give the wrong scores. For example, on the REAL SAT you get 35 questions right and score a 650. On their fake SAT, you get 35 questions right and your score is 570 ( It's actually MUCH more complex than this, but you get the idea )

Using the PSAT / PLAN as a baseline test.

The PSAT is MUCH EASIER than the real SAT. It's much shorter and lacks an essay.

Only reporting SAT / ACT score increases that are the highest.

Sure- if you are cranking out 200 to 300 students a month, at least a few are bound to have large increases. But what is the AVERAGE that includes the students who DIDN'T improve?

Making up scores.

Many companies will make-up score increases. How can you verify them?

We can sit here and tell you we have students with 500 point increases all the time. How would you know?

PRINCETON REVIEW BACKS OFF ON SCORE INCREASE CLAIMS:

The Difficulty in Calculating AVERAGE SAT / ACT Score Increases

There is actually no point looking at the high scores or high score improvements of other students, because it's not reliable because there are too many variables.

EVEN IF EVERY COMPANY USED THE EXACT SAME METHOD OF CALCULATING SCORE INCREASES ( using a real score before, and real score after ) IT'S STILL PROBLEMATIC:

Sickness / Injury

Company A had students who mostly got sick the day before the SAT.
Company B had students who mostly were well-rested and in good health.

Previous Studying

Company A gets students who never studied or took an SAT course.
Company B gets students whose parents already made them sit through one or two other SAT courses.

Achievement & Motivation

Company A has motivated, high-achieving 4.1GPA students who work hard.

Company B has low-motivation 2.7GPA students who don't go to classes or finish homework.

First Language

Company A gets mostly American born & raised students, increasing score increases

Company B gets mostly minority students who don't speak English as a first language, reducing score increases

ADD / Learning Disorders

Company A gets lots of ADD / dyslexic students, thus reducing score increases

Company B gets "normal" students, thus increasing score increases

You get the picture.

Only ONE WAY To Accurately Determine Score Increases:

In order to ELIMINATE AS MANY VARIABLES AS POSSIBLE, the ONLY way to find out is to have the SAME STUDENT ( same motivation & same potential) go through TWO courses, and that way you can figure out which Teacher + Course works better.

There is, in fact, only ONE indisputable, definitive way to tell how good a course is compared to another: TAKE THEM BOTH. Or, there is a faster, cheaper method.

See the research: ( Begins on page 23 )

Third Party RESEARCH
( probably some of the most comprehensive and accurate SAT Score Improvement Research done thus far )

Researchers from UC Berkeley surveyed more than 3000 SF Bay Area students, which which spanned more than 22 Bay Area tutoring / test prep companies, to compare score increases. The carefully acquired and statistically analyzed results found that Solutions had some of the highest score increases averaging 210 - 240 points.

* SAT is a registered trademark of College Board which is not affiliated with nor endorses Solutions
** ACT is a registered trademark of ACT Inc, which is not affiliated with nor endorses Solutions