Bringing experience in line with vocubulary

City children, both in Miami and beyond, often have tests that use common language referring to experiences outside the scope of their day to day activities. This article in the Times looks at a program in NY that takes some of these kids beyond the city to help them put farm terminology in context, later improving their test scores.

A Moo-Moo Here, and Better Test Scores Later

ETS Shaves a Week Off the PraxisTM Score Reporting Time

PRINCETON, NJ--(Marketwire - October 8, 2009) - Test takers and universities waiting for Praxis™ test results from the July 13 administration were pleased to receive their scores for Praxis paper-based, multiple-choice tests much faster than they might have expected. The Praxis program has reduced the time taken to report Praxis scores from 22 business days to 17 business days. (read full release here)

Valley school leaders strive to up AP test scores

JLP also offers test prep for AP exams in South Florida, which includes Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Read this article about one area's push to raise AP scores.

Level the playing field

Test prep is essential; it can also be economical. JLP provides students in Miami-Dade and Broward affordable test-prep in order to better compete with those who can afford pricey services.

Here is one student's take on this issue.

Seniority? Test Scores? Student Outcomes? The Argument for Rethinking Teacher Compensation

Many occupations and careers are incentivized, in other words based on performance. If a contractor finishes a job ahead of schedule and under budget, she might receive a bonus. If a chemist discovers a new and useful compound that generates profit for her business, she may find a healthy monetary bump in her paycheck. The teaching profession, in Miami, South Florida and beyond, has long resisted basing bonuses on students' performance on standardized tests, etc.

Karen Gallagher explores the issue in a new HuffPo blog post.