August, 2013: Associated Press

Susan Kruger’s SOAR^® Study Skills Curriculum was featured in this article in the Associated Press.

Timothy Decatur-Luker, a sixth-grader from Madison, VA, collected signatures from 250 peers and asked his school board to adopt SOAR^® Study Skills. Photo courtesy of www.capturedbystacey.com

Children Petition for Their Right to Study: Whole School Raises Grades by 1 Full Grade-Point!

Unlike the common misconception that kids these days are not interested in school, student Timothy Decatur-Luker of Madison, VA, and students from Maeser Prep Academy in Orem, UT are breaking the stereotype.

Timothy Decatur-Luker is a 6th grade student at Wetsel Middle School in Madison, VA. He is the school’s youngest ever student council president. He’s also involved in multiple sports and noticed that his peers were having trouble maintaining eligibility for sports because of low grades. Timothy wanted to fix the problem, so he did a little research and found www.studyskills.com, hosted by SOAR^® Study Skills.

Timothy asked his school board to adopt study skills curriculum, but his request was shot down due to budget issues. Knowing this was what he and his friends needed, Timothy collected over 200 signatures from his peers, petitioning the school board to let them learn *how* to learn so they can be successful in school. A community sponsor stepped forward and now, thanks to Timothy, 6th graders at Wetsel Middle School are about to discover what students across the country – in Orem, UT – discovered last year.

Over in Orem, students at the public charter school, Maeser Prep Academy, made incredible gains by learning how to study; their entire 6th grade GPAs increased by more than one point! Their standardized test scores rose by an average of 5 standard points! Just like the students at Timothy’s school, Students at Maeser Prep Academy have a new passion for learning.

“Some schools say they don’t have a budget for study skills. For us, it is not even an option to not get it anymore,” said Principal Robin Ellis, of Maeser Prep Academy.

SOAR^® Study Skills is changing the way students feel about education. Students around the country all have similar challenges; they are never taught *how* to learn. SOAR^® provides their solution.

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