DERRY TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT



Dear Parents and Sophomore Students,

As you may have heard, the College Board is changing the design of the PSAT and SAT tests for the 2015-2016 school year. The new PSAT will be administered in the fall of 2015 while the new SAT will be administered beginning with the March 2016 test. These changes will affect current sophomores in the class of 2018. As someone who has been involved with test prep for over 25 years, I recommend that sophomores spend the time this year and much of next year mastering the format of the SAT. Any time changes in test format have occurred, each of the major test prep companies has recommended as I do, that students heed the changes and begin prep early. There may not be adequate time or materials for all students to master the new test format if they wait until spring of junior year. Beginning in the fall of 2015, we will introduce the new test format along with the current test so that students will have the opportunity to not only learn similarities between the versions but also begin to study new test format. This will also be the only opportunity this school year to familiarize sophomores with the new PSAT 2015 which they will be encouraged to take on October 14, 2015.

After analyzing the new PSAT and administering it to several students this summer, we have learned that while there are many similarities in critical reading passages on the new test, there are significant differences in the math (including a no calculator use section and algebra 2 )and critical writing components. The new 50 minute essay of rhetorical analysis has been added only to the new SAT beginning in March 2016.

As a result, we have made the decision to offer interested sophomores an opportunity to begin their SAT preparation by enrolling in our fall 2015 and/or spring 2016 SAT prep programs. Admittedly, I am not recommending that all sophomores undertake this opportunity; however, sophomore year is an excellent time to begin preparing for the SAT. Preparation during sophomore year enables students a full calendar year to improve scores for the critical tests they will take during junior year. Research indicates that those students who take advantage of SAT test preparation in their sophomore year have the potential to score higher than those students who wait until junior year. While we typically do not advocate that sophomores register and take the SAT this year, students will be able to begin to acquire the strategies in critical reading, critical writing, math as well as time management strategies to best enhance their scoring potential. Sophomores who do not enroll in this course this fall or spring will not have another opportunity until fall of junior year. Most juniors will register to take the SAT in fall, winter or spring depending on individual readiness.

In an effort to continuously improving our course offerings, we recently undertook a study of the best private and public schools in Pennsylvania as measured by college entrance exam scores. We learned that most of those schools begin test prep as early as 9th grade. Because of Derry Township’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of excellence in both academics and test scoring, we are offering sophomores an opportunity to begin to assess and strengthen critical skills in vocabulary, reading, writing and math which are essentials for success on this significant test. Since expanding our prep courses three years ago, our mean SAT score has risen over 75 points to a current average score of 1683.

Cost of the classes is $100. Students will receive test materials to use beyond the course and be enrolled in our PSAT/SAT/ and ACT prep software.

To gain maximum test score potential, we are also strongly recommending our testing program component. Research supports the notion that taking real SAT’s under simulated testing conditions is essential to raising test scores, by as much as 50 points each time. All of the commercial prep programs are aware of this research. In our testing program, students will take both current and new versions of the SAT on 4 concurrent Saturday mornings during the course of workshop. Scores remain in house to be used by students as learning tools. While students can attend classes without taking testing, we do not recommend it as the testing program allows students to work on strategies in time management, critical reading and writing, math and essay writing and scoring for both test versions. A key component of the testing program in fall and especially spring will be composing the 50 minute analytical/rhetorical essay on the new SAT. Testing services include 16 hours of test taking and essay preparation and scoring for an additional $100 payment.

If your student is interested in these programs, please return the enclosed registration form to me in the high school office as soon as possible as space is limited. If there are any questions, please feel free to call me at 717-979-1586 or e-mail me at sseaver@hershey.k12.pa.us or critical.sat.solutions@.

Sincerely,

Suzen Seaver, M.S.

Hershey High School

SAT/PSAT/ACT Workshop Program Director

Critical SAT Solutions Director

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