SOAR® Raises Test Scores Five Standard Points, GPAs by 1 Full Point!
We just received some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G data! It came to us from Maeser Academy, home of SOAR®’s 2013 Teacher of the Year. According to the school’s administrator, Robyn Ellis:
– “GPAs are up at least a full point every month this year…”
– “Test scores are five points above the national average and five standard points beyond students’ previous scores, which is a TREMENDOUS growth in these students…”
Robyn says, “We realize what a valuable piece of the curriculum this is and it would be detrimental NOT to do this!”
Robyn shares her experience in this video:
GPAs and standardized test scores are growing by leaps and bounds, thanks to SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum!
At the beginning of this month, we proudly announced the winner of the 2013 SOAR® Teacher of the Year contest. Ms. Marlene Goodrich, study skills teacher as Maeser Academy, submitted a very compelling entry.
Her entry was so compelling that my husband jumped on a plane to capture this story for himself. He snagged a former student, who is now a professional videographer, and appeared at the doorstep of Maeser Prep Academy. Well, he did get their blessing first, but the school year was shrinking and he had to act fast.
It was the last week of school at Maeser. But, despite their hectic schedules, students and staff graciously welcomed Brian and Mo (videographer) with open arms!
They cleared space for the cameras and lights. They rearranged their schedules to make time to talk to us. They endured the intimidation of the camera and lights. And, they opened their hearts to talk about SOAR®.
Brian collected hours of footage! He just returned a few days ago, so it will take a while to get it all organized. But we wanted to share some highlights from Robyn, the school’s administration right away.
Below is a transcription of this short, 2.5-minute video:
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Interview with Robyn Ellis, administrator of Maeser Prep Academy, South Lindon, UT:
What results have you seen from SOAR® Study Skills?
The seventh-graders, we gave them the full program and it was a year-long, specific class that they attend. And, so just looking month-by-month this year, the GPAs in the seventh and the eighth grade, the seventh graders are at least a point above all of the eighth-graders ever month this year when we are looking at GPAs.
Have you noticed any other improvements?
We just did our DWA writing assessment. And, our eighth-graders, who we started with some organizational skills last year and worked on their writing and organization and how that works, were five points above the national average! 76 of those 100 students took this test five years ago and they are five standard points above where they were five years ago, which is a TREMENDOUS growth in these students and I attribute a lot of that to SOAR®!
Why would you invest in SOAR® Study Skills?
What are my opportunity costs? I would say this is a win-win…that SOAR® encompasses across the entire curriculum. It doesn’t just teach one more thing. It teaches students HOW to learn. And, so, once they learn how to learn, they can engage in all of the subject areas. It encompasses everything. They don’t just use it in one class, they use it in every class. And they are going to use it every day of every month of every year throughout their entire educational experience. And then, they are going to take those things and they are going to use them in their careers and to better their communities. So, to not do this program or to not really consider because, “Oh, maybe it’s expensive to buy the books”… it’s not an option anymore for us. We realize what a valuable piece of the curriculum this is and it would be detrimental not to do this.
Final thoughts?
If you are considering this program, I would say, whole-heartedly, this is a definite “YES!” This is something that will compliment any curriculum, any program, any school because it gives those students life skills. It’s not just something they are going to learn and forget; this is something they are going to use throughout their life and I would whole-heartedly encourage anyone to embrace this and add this to their curriculum.
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Many thanks to Robyn, Marlene, and all of the students and staff of Maeser that graciously welcomed SOAR® last week. Thank you for your hospitality. Most especially, thank you for breathing life into SOAR® and showcasing the power of these simple strategies!
Are you ready to make big changes in your school? To introduce your students to relevant, real-world skills that transcend all of your standards and benchmarks, please click here.
-Susan Kruger
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