GEAR UP Initiative

SAT Prep Package

• Practice Test
  Cambridge provides a College Board-written SAT practice test to ensure that your student has as authentic a testing experience as possible and receives an accurate score baseline and summary of skill gaps.  Upon completion of the practice test, your student will immediately have access to online reports. These reports allow your student to evaluate success on each section of the test while providing a comprehensive breakdown of each test item: its category, the correct answer, how the student answered each item, and any items that were left blank. Students can use these reports and their test booklet to revisit problems and determine how to answer similar questions correctly on the real test.

• SAT AccelePrep

  AccelePrep for the SAT® Test is a concise and focused approach to test prep.  It’s designed for students who want to hit the high points before test day. With up to 15 hours of material, each subject includes an introduction to the test and a review of the most commonly tested topics, with short practice exercises throughout. The book also includes a full-length practice test as a final application opportunity.

• SAT Score Booster

  The Score Booster for the SAT® Test is an interactive database developed to build skills, improve test-taking techniques, and boost test scores. The Score Booster (up to 12 hours) provides students with two comprehensive tests for a testing experience that reflects the actual test. Included explanations help students identify wrong answer choice patterns and review troublesome question types. Additional skill-building questions in Writing and Language and Math are sorted by difficulty, allowing students to answer easier questions before moving on to those that are more difficult.

SAT PrepCast Package

• Practice Test
  Cambridge provides a College Board-written SAT practice test to ensure that your student has as authentic a testing experience as possible and receives an accurate score baseline and summary of skill gaps.  Upon completion of the practice test, your student will immediately have access to online reports. These reports allow your student to evaluate success on each section of the test while providing a comprehensive breakdown of each test item: its category, the correct answer, how the student answered each item, and any items that were left blank. Students can use these reports and their test booklet to revisit problems and determine how to answer similar questions correctly on the real test.

• PrepCast for the SAT® Test

  ·         PrepCast for the SAT® Test is a comprehensive video course that brings some of the world’s best teachers directly to your students. The course, which has over 60 hours of prep, includes:

  ·         18 hours of video instruction
  ·         12 quizzes
  ·         4 full-length practice tests
  ·         Essential Skills supplemental e-material for bonus skills review

  Students receive a course workbook (Cambridge’s Victory for the SAT® Test) to follow along with the videos and can complete the quizzes and tests either in their workbooks or in an interactive online environment. Teachers are also able to view see students’ online activity including time spent completing online activities and grades for quizzes and tests completed online.

ACT® & SAT® Data Reports

The Student Summary report breaks down the total test score into section and individual test scores. The student can also observe strengths and weaknesses within specific categories for each subject test.

The Student Item Analysis provides a comprehensive breakdown of each item: its category (corresponding to the categories listed on the Student Summary), the correct answer, how the student answered each item, and any items that were left blank. Students can use this Item Analysis and consult the test booklet and re-consider problems they answered incorrectly or guessed on.

The Instructor Summary gives an overview of student subject and total scores as well as a summary of the group’s performance, allowing teachers to see how students performed in comparison with each other. Minimum and maximum scores show range and spotlight the highest and lowest performers.

The Error Analysis shows the number and percent of students selecting each option for each test item. The report breaks down each item into specific subcategories up to four levels deep. The ultra-refined reporting allows teachers to be more effective by addressing highly specific skill gaps. This report also allows teachers to see which answer choices posed the greatest challenge in terms of common distractors for the students.  The Error Analysis is specifically useful to department chairs when determining why large percentages of students have not mastered specific skills.

The Content Distribution Report report is like the Error Analysis report but goes a step further. By grouping items that test the same skill, this report allows teachers to more efficiently evaluate students’ performance within those specific skills areas.The Error Analysis and Content Distribution reports will illustrate those college and career readiness skills which require additional attention for mastery. Teachers will specifically benefit from knowing what categories of questions their students got wrong and where to focus their instruction.

The Formative Connection Report contains all of the Content Distribution report information in addition to data on how many students within each of the three score ranges selected each answer choice and what percentage of students in each score range selected the correct answer for each item. This in-depth analysis allows you to more effectively target skill gaps and differentiate instruction.

The Pre-Post Instructor Summary allows teachers a side-by-side comparison of scores while evaluating growth from the pre-test to the post-test.

Data Decoder – Teacher Professional Development

Teachers will take a dive into their own students’ data to understand how to effectively use the Cambridge data reports (reports may include Student Summary and Item Analysis, Instructor Summary, Error Analysis, Content Distribution, Formative Connection, Lesson Plans, and others) to more effectively address skill gaps and target instruction. Topics include the pre-assessment process and the importance of timely and accurate feedback, linking assessment items to instructional objectives and differentiating among learners to drive score increases across the spectrum of achievement. Teachers will also learn powerful test-taking strategies to incorporate in the classroom.

Implementation – Teacher Professional Development

Cambridge’s Implementation Professional Development provides teachers with a thorough understanding of how to effectively prepare students using any one of Cambridge’s test preparation materials such as Victory for the PSAT®, SAT® or ACT® Test, Essential Skills, AccelePrep for the ACT® or SAT® Test, Texas Success Initiative (TSI®) Assessment, Non-Negotiable Skills texts, and others.

Led by a Cambridge Master teacher and customized for your implementation model, your teachers will analyze the Cambridge Course Concept Outline, understand the instructional layout and progression of the Cambridge materials, consider different course structures and timings, learn how to target instruction based on ability levels while incorporating building basic skills into your program, review applicable Item Indexes and Crosswalks to Standards, explore the mechanics of the applicable test in terms of test structure, timing, content, frequency and skills for each section of the test (e.g. Writing, Language, Reading, Math, and Science), learn best practices for implementing and differentiating instruction, and gain insight into question types, concepts tested, common distractors, and assigning homework.  This professional development assumes use of Cambridge materials for a skill building or test preparation program.

Student Motivation Workshop

This workshop encourages students to set high expectations for educational and personal goals, and to start planning for the future now. Emphasizing the importance of attaining a high school diploma and conscientious preparation for a postsecondary plan, students receive career and college guidance all in the context of mastering skills and strategies for success on test day and beyond.  The workshop will focus on these sample topics and more:

• Setting educational and personal goals with high expectations and planning for career and college achievement,

• Understanding the importance of attaining a high school diploma,

• Mastering skills and strategies necessary for high school graduation, a career or college,

• Making the case for college,

• Shedding light on the variety of college scholarships and college funding options,

• Preparing and succeeding on the PSAT® and SAT®, and

• Staying motivated and inspired to take charge of their future.

ACT® Test DeMystifier – Teacher Professional Development

Cambridge’s Test DeMystifier Professional Development gives teachers a thorough understanding of the ACT® test. Teachers learn about test mechanics including the test structure and format; timing of each subject test – English, Math, Reading, and Science; tested content and skills within each subject and in what proportion; and analysis of the Essay, including the passage, prompt, and expectations. With practice problems in English, Math, Reading, and Science, teachers learn high-value test-taking strategies for items most frequently encountered on the test and about evidence-based questions. Teachers also gain insight into the scoring of the tests and the aligned scale scores for any suite of exams.

PSAT®/SAT® Test DeMystifier – Teacher Professional Development

Cambridge’s Test DeMystifier Professional Development gives teachers a thorough understanding of the PSAT®/SAT® tests. Teachers learn about test mechanics including the test structure and format; timing of each subject test – Reading, Writing and Language, and Math; tested content and skills within each subject and in what proportion; and analysis of the Essay, including the passage, prompt, and expectations. With practice problems in Reading, Writing and Language, and Math, teachers learn high-value test-taking strategies for items most frequently encountered on the test; how different forms of “data” are integrated throughout the tests; how to address student-produced response questions, and about evidence-based questions. Teachers also gain insight into the scoring of the tests and the aligned scale scores for any suite of exams.

Cambridge Educational Services, Inc. offers and scores tests from ACT, Inc., The College Board, and other testing companies.  These are retired tests, intended for practice purposes only and not for official administration, and are based on high school curriculum as of the copyright dates of the tests.  Cambridge’s products and services, including its score reports, are not approved or endorsed by ACT, Inc., The College Board, or the other companies that develop the tests, and Cambridge has no affiliation with any of those entities.