Almost two years ago I wrote a blog post about 850 reasons to NOT stress about the SAT and ACT. Now there are more than 1,000 reasons.  Check out this list produced by FairTest of over 1,000 colleges that “do not use SAT and ACT scores to admit substantial numbers of students into bachelor-degree programs.” Cue the sound of a valve turning and pressure releasing. #ACT #FairTest #SAT #stress

The validity and efficacy of standardized testing remains a highly debatable topic. On one hand, highly competitive universities continue to use standardized test scores to sift through thousands of applications received annually. For these schools, an objective and standardized assessment can prove to be an efficient way to determine whether or not a student has the potential to succeed in college. On the other hand, many schools realize that standardized tests create unnec

My students know my mantra, “stress is the enemy of test performance.” In a given class, I might repeat this phrase five or ten times. Science proves that an unstressed brain learns more efficiently than a stressed brain. Science also proves that stress fosters anxiety which leads to poor test performance.  While a little stress can keep students focused and on task, too much stress will push test scores down. The SAT and the ACT are not content-driven tests that reward cra

My students know my mantra, “stress is the enemy of test performance.” In a given class, I might repeat this phrase five or ten times. Science proves that an unstressed brain learns more efficiently than a stressed brain. Science also proves that stress fosters anxiety which leads to poor test performance.  While a little stress can keep students focused and on task, too much stress will push test scores down. The SAT and the ACT are not content-driven tests that reward cra