DAWN ROAN

Q. What Is Your Approach for Improving Standardized Test Performance?

Standardized test performance hinges on several things: academic knowledge (English, Math, Science, Logic, etc.), test-taking strategies, how students process information, mindset, nutrition, sleep, exercise, hydration, habits, and consistency of study/practice. 

Like with other performance-based skills—sports, dance, piano performance—standardized tests can be learned with consistent effort over time. While the rare student can make a huge score gain in a short period of time, most students will require 6 to 18 months of consistent effort (meeting twice per week) to see a significant score gain. Sometimes, students will see a significant score gain in 3 to 6 months, and the odds are better in cases when the student has a history of high academic performance, especially if the student performs well under pressure, which is rare.

My approach is to work on all factors that contribute to test performance and to iterate on them until students reach their goals.  We start by working on accuracy--understanding the questions, developing efficient and effective approaches for passage types and question types in each of the sections, filling in content gaps, discovering the student's sticking points, and adapting to fit the student's learning style and to leverage the student's innate capabilities. No matter what the student's strengths or weaknesses are, we will work on every subject area in the test.

Typically, a student’s areas of strength improve faster, so minimal work on those subjects up front and throughout causes the overall/composite score to improve faster. Gaining one overall/composite point is easier to accomplish by earning one more point in each of 4 subject areas than by earning 4 additional points in a student’s area of weakness.

As with music and dance performance, we will start small and work on building skill. Accuracy must come first. As accuracy improves, speed will follow. Once a student can consistently nail a score a few points above the target goal score or has reached peak performance accuracy-wise then we shift to working on forming positive habits, developing automaticity to increase efficiency, and honing strategic test-taking to optimize scores.

Students learn at different rates—I've seen a student gain 4 composite/overall points with 3 weeks of intensive tutoring, and I've seen some students work for months to earn that kind of score gain. I've worked with students who've gained upwards of 10 composite/overall points and students who've gained a couple of composite/overall points.  Each student is different, and the programs I offer students are tailored to their individual needs.

Learning is rarely linear, and many students encounter hiccups along the way—illness, vacations, relationship breakups, car accidents, lack of sleep, stress from school tests, etc.  We work through those setbacks until the student reaches his or her goals. My purpose is to help students optimize their performance, so I will stick with them, coaching, mentoring, and teaching them until they are finished. I love helping students gain confidence, skill, and satisfaction in turning their aspirations, hopes, and dreams into reality.

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