Technology: The New Way to Study?

The ongoing transformation from books to electronics is becoming viral, something more and more SAT prep companies are discovering. In the words of the director of pre-college programs at Kaplan Test Prep, "The reality is that for a lot of students, the way they study has changed." Kaplan has already begun its evolving stage into a bigger SAT prep company through its usage of technology inside and outside of the classroom.

From iTunes songs to comic books containing SAT vocabulary words, Kaplan is seeing more returns from its innovations than ever before. Their latest invention? SAT prep on the Nintendo DS. Yes, it sounds bizarre and even a bit eccentric, but Kaplan has a game in the works for kids who would rather play through their SAT prep than work in a book.

But what does this really mean for test prep services, specifically SAT prep services, that are now going to have to compete with Kaplan's rise in the e-world? Prep services will need to get creative - more user friendly ways to get kids to WANT to prepare for the SAT. Many of the SAT prep companies have migrated to the internet (or even started there, like INAP) in hopes to capture the tech-friendly youth that has become the ideal SAT demographic.

Yet now, with the rise of computers and technology and the demise of the classic, paper-filled books, SAT prep services may begin to see a rise in profits. As prep companies' physical materials slowly fade away and the ability to add small "cash-per-click" advertisements in corners of the webpages prove to be beneficial, outputs go down and inputs go up. No more printing pages or four inch thick books, just a simple URL for a student to enter to begin studying for the SAT. But with all of these changes occurring in the market of SAT prep, what are the real setbacks?

Articles referenced:

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2008/04/14/scoop-kaplan-and-aspyr-media-to-make-sat-test-prep-game-for-ds.aspx

Evan Kendall

INeedAPencil Summer Associate

Sharon High School 2010 (Sharon, MA)

National Standards and Local Control - The Paradox of American Education

An interesting article in The Christian Science Monitor questioned federal standards set by lawmakers for students in light of the debate over the effectiveness of the SAT. The article posits that there is an issue in imposing a "one size fits all" testing standard when our school systems is rooted in local control. In fact, there is no set national curriculum for our schools. Is it fair, then, to impose national testing standards (a la No Child Left Behind) or a nationwide aptitude test for college admissions?

Looking at No Child Left Behind, the law calls for a national standard of 100% proficiency for all students by 2014; however, proficiency is measured differently by each state. A student who may fail to make proficiency in Massachusetts may otherwise be considered proficient in Indiana. The disparity in these standards reflects, though, the basic premise of our school system - local and state control. 

It is universally recognized that there need be a benchmark by which to compare students from different school systems; however, the SAT is often lambasted for its ability to measure students' aptitude on a national scale. Even large blocs of students in the midwest have turned to the ACT as their preferred test of choice. Much of the flak the SAT receives, though, stems from the apparent paradox of our educational system - national standards for locally-controlled schools. 

This left us wondering at INAP - what would our educational system look like if school districts set their own standards, much like states do for student proficiency already?

Article referenced:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0611/p08s01-comv.html

Kevin Prior

INeedAPencil Summer Associate

Harvard College 2011

College Affordability - A Zero Sum Game

The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that a survey conducted by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities found that tuition will rise an average of 4.3% next year, the smallest increase in 37 years. This shows marked fiscal constraint on behalf of universities who have lost millions of dollars in endowment investments and have fewer liquid assets with which to pay normal operating costs.

Harvard, with the largest endowment of any university in the world, used about a third of endowment funding towards its operating costs in 2008. In March 2009, however, the university announced that it would diminish its dependence on the endowment by reducing the amount allocated to the operating budget to only 8%. This comes after a 22% loss in the endowment's nearly $37 billion value. Harvard has begun cutting jobs and budgets to make up for this loss as well as past reliance on the endowment for operating costs.

Harvard, however, is one of the more fortunate universities. President Faust has stood by her commitment to continue to offer financial aid as a priority despite the economic downturn, with one of the best programs in the country - even offering a full-ride for students whose families make under $60,000 in annual salary. More important, Harvard will continue its need-blind policy in evaluating applicants for admissions - that is, one's ability to pay tuition will not be taken into account when one's application is reviewed.

A recent New York Times article noted that many universities are now looking more favorably on applicants of wealthier means - even Morton Owen Schapiro, President of Williams College, remarked, "There’s going to be a cascading of talented lower-income kids down the social hierarchy of American higher education, and some cascading up of affluent kids." Colleges are even accepting transfer students or wait-listed students who they need not adhere to their usual policy of need-blind evaluation when reviewing. This creates a worrisome trend, one that universities such as Harvard may be isolated from in having large endowments as security nets, but others without such funding may continue to turn to.

The smaller-than-average tuition hike is certainly a good sign, but the economic downturn has left universities searching for ways to continue to fund themselves, especially after large endowment losses. Universities evaluating wealth as a factor of admissions is a new strategy which they will use to meet budgets while ostentatiously and publicly flaunting financial aid as a top priority. Universities cannot seek to solve their financial problems at the expense of those most financially burdened. Low-income students should not "cascade down the social hierarchy" solely because of the genetic lottery or socioeconomic situation which they were born into. We cannot defeat the age-old socioeconomic income gap alone - universities have to come together to attract the best talent and diversity regardless of financial need so that income does not determine educational opportunity.


Articles for Reference:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2009/06/college-tuition-costs-for-the-new-school-year-will-rise-an-average-of-43-the-smallest-increase-in-at-least-37-years-the-n.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122832139322576023.html

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/03/20/harvard_to_reduce_dependence_on_drawing_from_endowment/

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE55M66320090623

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/9664

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/education/31college.html


Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011

FAFSA Simplification

Last Wednesday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by reducing 20% of the questions, mostly in redundancies. The Obama administration will also seek legislation to further winnow down the form to a simpler version. The streamlining of the FAFSA is a step in the right direction - it will incentivize disadvantaged students who had been intimidated by the red tape to apply for federal funding in the form of Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Perkins Grants, and even work-study or state aid.

This is a significant stride towards equitable education, at a time when it is most needed. Scholarships, grants, and state aid are being cut back or eliminated in light of the economic downturn. The Davis United World College Scholars Program has cut its scholarship offering of $20,000 per winner in half, The Fulfillment Fund - offering scholarships to Los Angeles students - has cut its offerings in half over the past three years, and The New York Times Company has cut its offered scholarships to 12 from 20. Even state aid has been significantly effected - in Pennsylvania state grants have been reduced, and California is considering cutting its state scholarship program completely in formulating its budget.

The long-awaited simplification of the FAFSA is a watershed in the push for equitable access to education. However, the economic downturn, as well as other barriers - including the income-moderated SAT score gap - are apparent indicators that there is room for improvement. INeedAPencil seeks to offer SAT prep for free such that educational opportunity is not determined by one's socioeconomic status.

Articles for reference:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/education/24fafsa.html?_r=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/education/27scholarship.html?ref=us


Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011

SAT Scores

The June 6 score results were posted online today for student test-takers. With the relatively new option of Score Choice (implemented last year), students can choose to send their better score from one date they took the test, rather than send worse scores from earlier tests. This allows students to not let a bad test day hurt their chances of admission to colleges. We highly recommend using the Score Choice option and taking the SAT multiple times until you get an optimal score.

Looking to raise your score for another test administration? INeedAPencil.com offers FREE SAT prep that includes 60 lessons, practice questions, two full-length tests, as well as progress tracking and mentor communication options. Why spend thousands of dollars on other SAT prep programs that offer "only four months access" or deceitfully guarantee score increases, when you have all the resources available for you FREE with unlimited access at INeedAPencil.com?

Please try our services, and let us know what you think!

SATs and State Exams

"Let's Add SATs Into the Mix When Holding High Schools Accountable" by Mike Piscal
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-piscal/lets-add-sat-scores-into_b_217989.html

Mike Piscal, founder of the Inner City Education Foundation, raises some interesting points in his blog on The Huffington Post's website. Piscal argues that public schools tailor their teaching to state exams (in this case, California's) and thus leave students, especially low-income ones, unprepared for the SAT. He also notes a disparity between public schools and private or charter schools, which devote more resources to preparing students for the SATs and dismiss the California state exam as having no bearing on future educational opportunity.

The state exams, though, do offer a means for measuring the standards of accountability set by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). SAT results are currently available only to individual test takers, so the government cannot use these to track NCLB metrics. Further, state exams are often administered to vocational school students, many of whom do not wish to attend college. Piscal is correct in emphasizing that schools should teach to state exams and SATs, as a large number of students do pursue higher education, yet his argument tends to overlook that not every student wishes to go to college. Piscal would likely argue, though, that focusing public school curricula on the SATs may actually encourage more low-income students to take the test and matriculate at institutions of higher education - an option that they may never have considered before.

Assuming we accept Piscal's argument, what would happen if public schools did focus more on SAT preparation? American high schools have one of the shortest academic years amongst all industrialized nations. The United States' 180 days, compared to Japan's 243, The Netherlands' 200, England's 192, or even France's 185, leaves comparatively little time for teaching a comprehensive high school curriculum (see: http://www.eduinreview.com/blog/2009/03/obama-proposes-longer-school-days-extended-school-year/). Add state exam preparation and a renewed focus on SAT preparation to the mix, and students in public schools may end up underprepared in all of these areas. The gap between public and private schools would then grow larger since private schools would remain exempt from state exam preparation completely.

Piscal does make a strong argument for SAT preparation in public schools, where most low-income students are concentrated, yet he fails to offer a feasible solution for adding one more thing to an already frenzied academic year. Teaching to two tests may actually leave students more confused and less prepared. Moreover, he does not address the simple fact that many students in public schools do not wish to attend college, but do wish to graduate, and thus it makes more sense for them to prepare for a single exam.

Should SAT preparation be a part of public school curriculum, and is this even feasible? What are your thoughts?

Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011