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Why Students and Parents Need to Know the Latest Buzz About 'Test Optional' Colleges

Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz | Posted 05.15.2013 | College
Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz

An increasing number of colleges and universities now make standardized testing an option, not a requirement. That is, some colleges leave it to individual applicants to determine whether they wish to take the SAT I or ACT or Subject Tests, and then report the scores to schools.

Applying to College? Four Things Juniors Should Do Now

Patrick O'Connor | Posted 05.03.2013 | College
Patrick O'Connor

Given this frenetic level of activity, this probably isn't the time to be talking about fall -- but there are a few autumnal things to put on the smartphone, personal planner, or family fridge.

Google Search Is a Teen's "Best Friend" When Looking for College Admissions Information

Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz | Posted 04.25.2013 | College
Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz

The City of San Diego Public Library system is at the forefront in California, if not the U.S., in providing information and resources about college a...

Stuck Elevator -- Audacious, Compelling and Hugely Imaginative

Leo Stutzin | Posted 04.19.2013 | San Francisco
Leo Stutzin

Even the title feels cramped. Stuck Elevator. Hardly the inspiration for a play, let alone a musical drama or an opera; hardly a title that would excite a potential audience. However, Byron Au Yong and Aaron Jafferis thought differently.

Research Debunks Common Standardized Test Taking Strategies

Alex Mallory | Posted 04.14.2013 | College
Alex Mallory

Students' theories about standardized testing shortcuts are as numerous as they are incorrect, but they are usually easy to debunk with a little scrutiny.

Testing, Testing: Some Ground Rules About the ACT and SAT

Patrick O'Connor | Posted 03.25.2013 | College
Patrick O'Connor

As juniors put together and review their college lists, it makes sense to talk about one of the most misunderstood parts of the college application process -- testing. Follow this advice, and all the details that drive other students crazy will fall into place for you.

800 Schools Don't Care About Your SATs

Posted 12.03.2012 | Home

A growing number of colleges are stepping away from the standardized exams traditionally required of admissions applicants. More than 800 colleges and...

Minnesota Task Force Recommends Dropping Math Graduation Exam

Posted 11.28.2012 | Home

A state education task force is urging the Minnesota Legislature to drop the state’s high-stakes math exit exam after a Minneapolis school district ...

Elektra at ACT: Ancient Yet Timely, but Marred by Dubious Choices

Leo Stutzin | Posted 01.05.2013 | San Francisco
Leo Stutzin

How little the human race has changed in the 2,500 years since Sophocles' Elektra emerged on the Athenian stage. Her drive, her obsession, her fury had a single focus, expressed in one word: justice.

Olympia Dukakis: Role in A.C.T.'s Elektra Is Downright Riveting

Greg Archer | Posted 10.31.2012 | San Francisco
Greg Archer

Olympia Dukakis returns to San Francisco in ACT's ambitious production of Sophocles' Elektra. The show chronicles the seemingly inescapable depths into which its lead character plunges as she grapples with love and revenge.

A Shining Light for America's Returning Veterans: "Get Skills to Work"

Martin Scaglione | Posted 12.31.2012 | Impact
Martin Scaglione

The Get Skills to Work coalition is an ideal adaptation of Right Skills Now geared for veterans -- a segment of our workforce we absolutely must support.

Agreement In Place To Settle Mine Pollution Case

AP | Posted 12.08.2012 | Green

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Government regulators, environmental groups and International Coal Group have reached a proposed agreement to resolve a disput...

Are You Ready?

Jon Whitmore | Posted 12.01.2012 | Home
Jon Whitmore

Are you ready to move on to the next course in school? To advance to the next level of piano, karate, dance or swimming lessons? To succeed in college? To begin your career? To earn a professional license or certification? To pass the bar exam?

Normal Heart Opens ACT Season With Rage, Compassion and Love

Leo Stutzin | Posted 11.25.2012 | San Francisco
Leo Stutzin

Rage. Frustration. Terror. Helplessness. Determination. Persistence. Larry Kramer embodied all those emotions and more when he wrote The Normal Heart, which runs through October 7 at the American Conservator Theater.

5-Year-Olds Put To The Test As Kindergarten Exams Gain Steam

Reuters | Posted 11.26.2012 | Home

(Repeats with text unchanged) * At least 25 states mandate kindergarten assessment * Critics worry testing 5-year-olds i...

SAT Scores Edge Down, ACT Now More Popular Exam

AP | JUSTIN POPE | Posted 11.24.2012 | Home

-- Average national scores on two of the three sections of the SAT college entrance exam edged down for the high school class of 2012, which was the ...

Infographic: The Costs Of Senior Year

Youth Radio -- Youth Media International | Posted 11.10.2012 | Home
Youth Radio -- Youth Media International

It's back to school season. That usually means ice-breakers, homework, and navigating a new class schedule. But for seniors, it also means breaking op...

Will A New Conversation About Funding Pre-K Take Hold In Mississippi?

| Liz Willen | Posted 08.27.2012 | Home

This piece comes to us courtesy of The Hechinger Report's HechingerEd blog. A new conversation about pre-k is emerging in Mississippi as citizens e...

Can Reading Comprehension Be Taught for Standardized Tests?

Alex Mallory | Posted 10.24.2012 | Home
Alex Mallory

When it comes to standardized test preparation, reading comprehension seems to be the most confounding subject for parents and students.

The Stopwatch Doesn't Lie

Jon Whitmore | Posted 10.22.2012 | Home
Jon Whitmore

In academics, Americans are once again being trounced by their peers. As sports fans, we wouldn't put up with three of five basketball players not knowing their plays, but as citizens, we seem to have little outrage over similar performance in our nation's classrooms.

Eating Disorder Therapist Emily Sandoz on Accepting the Reality of Bad Body Image

Jean Fain, L.I.C.S.W., M.S.W. | Posted 10.10.2012 | Healthy Living
Jean Fain, L.I.C.S.W., M.S.W.

When I heard word of a self-help workbook in the works about a promising new kind of CBT for body dissatisfaction called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), I made a mental note.

The Rules Of The Game

Jon Whitmore | Posted 09.25.2012 | Home
Jon Whitmore

Studying still matters. Hard work still matters. Passion still matters. But unless we help our young people develop the world-class skills required by our global economy, there's a good chance it won't work out. And that's a tragedy for everyone involved.

ACT Developing Career Test For Kindergarteners

AP | JOSH LEDERMAN | Posted 07.02.2012 | Home

WASHINGTON -- A new digital tool to test academic and behavioral skills will target students starting in kindergarten. ACT, the organization that dev...

ACT's Exuberant 'Scottsboro Boys' Flaunts Vitality, Humor in a Grim Tale

Leo Stutzin | Posted 09.01.2012 | San Francisco
Leo Stutzin

2012-07-02-pullquote1.jpgWith The Scottsboro Boys, John Kander and Fred Ebb turned their eyes closer to home, at a horrendous travesty of American justice.

Can a Standardized Test Trump the High School Diploma at Predicting Job Readiness?

Youth Radio -- Youth Media International | Posted 08.19.2012 | Business
Youth Radio -- Youth Media International

17 year-old Ana Diaz got her first ever job after taking the WorkKeys Assessment. Photo:Brett Myers/Youth Radio By: Sayre Quevedo According the US ...