Academic Approach®

We offer our rich educational materials through a flexible program menu specifically designed for high school educators. Our diversified offerings—free test analyses for entire schools, online SAT and ACT courses, and classroom courses for SAT and ACT—allow educators to address the test preparation needs of students with maximum flexibility and appropriate respect for both their and students’ very demanding schedules and busy lives.

Because Academic Approach's offerings are not one-size-fits-all, the company can devise, in conjunction with a college counseling department and/or learning resource center, a variety of test preparation solutions that address the diverse needs of students.

I. Free Test Analysis Seminars for PSAT, SAT, and ACT

Following the release of the PSAT scores (for sophomores and juniors) in the second week of December or the release of any SAT or ACT test, Academic Approach can evaluate students' score reports, offer a nuanced reading of the data, and furnish a set of specific recommendations uniquely tailored to trends in students' results.

• Academic Approach educators are skilled in interpreting score reports, question type distributions, raw to scaled score conversions, and percentile charts. We can make an often mystifying set of data more transparent to educators and students.

II. Academic Approach's SAT or ACT Classroom Course

What follows is an example of a course we designed for The Taft School in Watertown, CT. We tailor such courses to the specific needs and interests of a school's administrators:

• A 20-hour, 10 week SAT preparation course. Academic Approach's course targets the SAT Critical Reading and Math sections because they are the most statistically significant admissions criteria. Those students interested in supplements for the Writing Skills section of the SAT (which includes both an essay and grammar test) can purchase our online training modules on SAT Essay and SAT Grammar.
• Students taking the class will receive a subscription to the Academic Approach's online SAT/ACT Vocabulary course and online SAT Math course. In addition, all students will receive a subscription to The Economist magazine, the content partner of Academic Approach.
• Classes meet twice weekly for a total of two hrs of classroom time per week. One hour of class per week will be dedicated to critical reading and one hour dedicated to math.
• Diagnostic tests: students will take two full-length practice SATs within the 10-week period of the course. These tests will help map each student's progress.
• Selective focus on the ACT (American College Test): increasingly, students are taking the ACT as an alternative to the SAT as a general admission test. Two of the Academic Approach's 20 course hours will be spent explaining the ACT, its principal differences from the SAT, its scoring and registration protocols, and how Academic Approach services can help students prepare for the ACT.

III. Online SAT/ACT Courses & Distance Tutoring

In addition to or instead of the above offerings, students and educators can at any time purchase Academic Approach's online SAT or ACT courses. These web-based offerings are available 24 hours a day—an enormous benefit for the extraordinarily busy student.

Academic Approach online courses offer 3 primary advantages:

• Students can spot-treat specific areas of interest without wasting time.
• Students can gain familiarity with the ACT should they wish to take that test.
• Students can break up their workload prior to junior year so they do not feel overwhelmed.

Online Courses & Tutoring

For ease and convenience specifically for students, Academic Approach has designed a suite of online courses that can be purchased either bundled or individually, depending on the student's needs. Academic Approach a la carte courses feature:

• SAT Math
• SAT/ACT Vocabulary
• SAT Critical Reading
• SAT Grammar
• SAT Essay
• ACT Vocabulary
• ACT English
• ACT Math
• ACT Reading
• ACT Science

Any of these courses may be purchased through Academic Approach's website. In addition, any one-on-one tutoring that a student would like to pursue—whether it be in person at one of our Academic Approach locations or over the telephone/internet—can be arranged by contacting one of our three locations.

IV. A Four-year Plan: Testing Recommendations

In an effort to disburden junior year of some of the anxiety that typically is associated with the frenetic pace of academics and test prep, we recommend that students consider spacing out some of their preparation work for the standardized tests. If spaced out properly, preparation can become more reasonable and never overwhelming. Also, engaging in certain forms of test prep during certain academic years can have positive derivative effects on a student's educational experience. The following is a year-by-year set of recommendations for students to consider:

• Freshmen may consider using Academic Approach's online SAT/ACT Vocabulary course. Vocabulary is often slowly assimilated and does not submit well to cramming. To complete such a vocabulary course in advance of junior year is wise. The derivative effects on academic performance are also positive.
• Sophomores may consider using Academic Approach's online SAT/ACT Vocabulary course and SAT Grammar course. Learning the rules of sentence fragments and misplaced modifiers can only help a student writer.
• Juniors may consider using a number of a la carte courses based on the diagnostic data furnished from the PSAT and SAT. Any areas that require spot-treating can be addressed with the appropriate Academic Approach online course. Juniors may also gain some familiarity with the ACT by using our ACT Online Courses.
• Juniors/Seniors can complete online courses at their convenience during the summer between junior and senior year in order to maintain continuous progress and improvement. It is wise to avoiding cramming in test preparation during a very busy senior fall.

We hope that this list of diversified offerings adds ease and flexibility to the test preparation solutions that many students and families seek. Above all, we believe that the educational experience students undertake with Academic Approach will be edifying and enriching, an educational experience consistent with the highest standards of a school's academic mission.