Equipping Students for…College
Submitted by Alyssa Kiefer in RCS Highlights on October 11, 2017
On Wednesday, October 11, students at RCS in 8th through 11th grade took the PSAT during regular school hours. Following the exam, over 45 students will leave for the Southern California College Tour where they will visit a variety of universities and colleges in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas. We asked Director of Curriculum, Mr. Russell, to talk to us about how RCS prepares students for the SAT exam and, ultimately, equips students to reach their college goals.
How does RCS prepare students for the SAT?
Starting in 6th grade, the SAT Vocabulary and SAT Math programs are taught at the beginning of each class period, every day. The vocabulary development, math problem-solving, and test-taking skills all aim at specific parts of the PSAT and SAT exams. RCS academic standards are aligned to national standards (which are also used to provide preparation for the PSAT/SAT), and curriculum choice is aligned to national standards to provide distinct preparation for PSAT/SATs.
What is the PSAT?
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in the United States. At RCS, we prioritize the time during the school day so that students in 8th-11th grades can take the PSAT every year to prepare for the SAT as much as possible. RCS uses the standardized test data to understand the student-mastery levels. Teachers use researched and best-practiced strategies to create a learning environment for students to improve.
What can parents expect after their student takes the PSAT?
After taking the PSAT, students will then get an emailed link to their PSAT online account and have the opportunity to review problems they missed, use practice tests and other resources on the PSAT website to understand their score and identify areas to improve. Once parents and students identify the areas that need improvement, students should then use the free, personalized SAT practice via the website Khan Academy.
