Mar
04
2009
ISEE Test Preparation
Posted by admin in Middle School Article, tags: Academic Achievement, Isee, Mathematics, School Entrance Exam, Schools In New YorkThe ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) is a test used by the admissions offices of almost all independent schools in New York City. There are three levels of ISEE given, which correspond to students applying to lower schools, middle schools, and high schools. All versions of the ISEE have multiple choice math, reading comprehension, and vocabulary questions. In addition, there is an essay which is ungraded but sent to schools. The ISEE is given many times throughout the year, but a student can only sit for it once in any six month period.
As with other standardized admissions tests, doing well on the ISEE requires a combination of real academic achievement and test-taking savvy. In the long run, the best preparation for the ISEE is being a good student and an avid reader. In the medium term, focused test preparation can also be a great help. In the short term, just get a good night’s rest. Cramming is not useful.
Many, perhaps most, students who take the ISEE will encounter at least some material that they are unfamiliar with. Sometimes, they haven’t learned the material in school and other times they have studied the concepts, but the ISEE presents them in a way that they don’t recognize. In either case, as a tutor, my first goal is to teach students whatever curriculum that they may encounter on the test but which is new or unrecognized by them. For many students, this is where they will make the majority of their gains, at least on the mathematics portion of the test.
There are two primary test-taking techniques that are very useful on the math sections of the ISEE. One of these techniques is called “plugging in”, as in “plug the answer choices into the question, and see which one works”. The other is called “picking numbers” as in, “pick a number, plug it into the question and then plug it into the answer choices, Continue Reading
Dec
25
2008
Best Schools in Houston for Quality Education
Posted by admin in Middle School Article, tags: Academic Achievement, Private Schools, Quality Education, Student Teacher, Teacher AreaWith a metropolitan area population of more than five million people, there are many factors to consider when determining precisely where in Houston you want to live. One element that often helps to make the decision is the availability and quality of education. Parents want to place their children in the best schools in Houston in order to give them the highest education possible, giving them a solid base that will enable them to support themselves well as adults. Not only within the wealthier neighborhoods, but also throughout the city, there is a great deal of emphasis on finding elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools that will give young people a great start in life.
Determining which are the best schools in Houston can take into consideration several different factors. For example, the number of students per teacher area wide in Houston is 15:1 (15 to one), whereas the overall student/teacher ratio statewide is 14:1 (14 to one). There are more than half a million students in the Houston area spread over nearly 800 schools, both public and private. Private schools, of which there are 349, have a student/teacher ratio of 7:1 (seven to one). These ratios help parents see at a glance how much individual help their child is likely to receive in the classroom. However, this ratio is not the only factor that goes to determining the best schools in Houston for your family.
Due consideration must also be given to the interests of the child and what the emphasis of the curriculum is for any particular school. For example, a child who is interested in sports should probably be enrolled in a school that features a solid physical education curriculum, but that also stresses the academic achievement that will allow him or her to succeed in life skills or prepare to attend institutions of higher learning.
Officially, various ranking lists are prepared each year to assist in Continue Reading