Students Feel Ready To Face More Testing

The Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy offered a unique class this summer on how to take tests. During the week of July 10, the Academy held an SAT/PSAT/ACT preparation course.

“This kind of class had never been offered in this area,” said Charles Clock, who instructed the course. “It was a new experience.” Clock has a doctorate in educational evaluation, measurement and statistics from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Currently, he professionally manages and consults on educational matters. His focus is on instructional program evaluation and effective use of testing and measurement data.

The week-long Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) preparation course was offered in the mornings and evenings to accommodate summer schedules.

Clock said most of the students who attended were in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade, but some ninth-graders also attended. There were about 35 students all together, said Clock.

Academy students are expected to take the PSAT in ninth and 10th grade and SAT in 11th and 12th. The class, however, was open to all students and was attended by students from various area schools. Students paid a $99 fee, which covered instruction and materials. Each class session lasted two hours.

“The SAT test is not a measure of intelligence or knowledge,” Clock said. “It is just a measure of how well you can do on the SAT test.” He added, “The SATs are not a high predictor of college success, but they are a high predictor of freshman college test scores.” SAT scores also are used in determining college entrance qualifications.

Clock said the goal of the class was to teach students test-taking strategies. “The class is designed to give students an idea of what’s on the test, and how to deal with it.”

Tyler Wilson, a junior at Coeur d’Alene High School, said the class was very beneficial. “It taught me how to prepare for the SATs,” he said. “And I now know how to make my way around a question if I do not know the answer.”

Travis Potter, who will be a freshman at the Academy next fall, agreed. “I learned how to take tests well, and I believe I will score higher on the SAT test than if I had not taken this class.”

Students had the opportunity to see examples of questions that might occur on the tests, and Clock discussed the materials they would need to know for the assessments. “I walked them through all of the different tests.”

Academy student Stewart Henry, who will be a junior next fall, said the class helped him because, “now I know what to expect.”

“This class will help me when it comes time to take the SATs, because I know how to avoid making careless mistakes,” said freshman Lincoln Cullum, also an Academy student.

Clock also taught students the basic math skills needed to do well on the SAT tests, and how to avoid falling for “trap answers.” For instance, students learned how to avoid choosing the answer that is too obvious. Clock said the trap answers included partial answers, and common mistakes students make. “The test writers wanted to include answers they thought people would pick by mistake,” he said.

In addition, students learned how to eliminate possible answers in order to increase the chance of getting a question right. “Just think of it this way,” Clock told his Wednesday evening class. “There are five possible answers, and one of them has to be the right one. You’ve already got a 20 percent chance of getting it correct. If you eliminate three possible answers, suddenly your chances of getting it right are much greater.”

Clock also gave “guessing hints.” For example, he taught students to “trust your hunches on easy questions; double check your hunches on medium questions; and eliminate answers on difficult questions.”

One of the main things students learned in the class was how to pace themselves. “Time is money when it comes to the SATs,” Clock told the class. According to him, a common mistake is that students rush through the test to finish it.

“The tests are arranged so that the easy questions come first, the harder questions come second, and the most difficult questions come last. Therefore, it is best to take your time and get the easy ones correct, since all questions are worth the same number of points.”

Students got the point. “One of the most important things I learned from the class was how to answer what you know, and then go through and do the harder problems,” Cullum said.

Academy student Donna Howard, who will be a sophomore next year, said the most important thing she learned from the class was this: “The SAT test is not as hard as it’s made out to be. For the math section of the test, all you really need to know is basic arithmetic.” Howard said scoring well on the SAT test is important to her. “It ensures I will get in to a good college.”

Cullum agreed. “SATs mean a lot when it comes to college entrance,” he said.

Howard said she thinks the little tricks about eliminating answers will be helpful on the tests. “I feel like I have a better grasp of what is on the test, and how I will deal with it,” she said. “When it’s SAT time, I don’t think I’ll panic now.”

Bill Proser, academic dean at the Academy, agreed with Howard and Cullum. “This class will be excellent preparation for the tests,” he said.