Chicago Democrats are concerned about the lack of improvement in proficiency testing. They are concerned because the city has received billions of dollars towards education but has shown no improvement. Illinois State Senator, Willie Preston, spoke about this issue:
In my belief, parents should be reorganized. As well as, urged to take part directly in their children’s education wherever possible. Furthermore, we must make sure that we invest our funds wisely in order to support the education of our kids.
Preston further explains that students haven’t been able to achieve grade-level English and Math because of the pandemic. The 2023 school year was the first complete in-person academic year since 2019. Therefore, it’s the year in which students are getting used to the school year again. However, the author of “The Wirepoints Report” Ted Dabrowski debated that the 2019 levels are nearly the same as this year, showing that the pandemic had no effect.
What Can Be Done
Chicago is a city with tremendous amounts of resources for students that need academic support. Not to mention they have given a lot of funds to schools to help their students. Outside of school, however, there are more academic/tutoring centers. Some of these include:
- The In-Home Tutor Hinsdale.
- Academic Approach.
- Chicago Home Tutor.
- Sylvan Learning of Chicago.
- Varsity Tutors- Chicago.
- C2 Education of Lincoln Park.
If any students need help, it is important that they reach out. School counselors are also there to help. Test scores matter not just for them but it shows how Chicago is as a city. Nothing beats an advanced city with achieving students.
SAT Preparation and Tips
The first step to preparing for the SAT is, knowing the skills the individual is good at and those that need improvement. By doing this, people are able to know what they actually need to focus studying on, rather than studying really broadly.
Second, take the SAT practice at least once. By doing so, the individual gets a sense of what the test would feel like, and what they can prepare to see on the SAT.
Third, familiarize me with the test and its instructions. Timing each section is key, if people know the format then they will be ready and prepared for the day off. It helps get to know how many questions should be answered every five minutes and end close to the ending time.
Fourth, rest up. It is important that the mind gets time to rest. When the brain is not relaxed and well-rested, it is not able to work at its full capacity. Going into the SAT with a tired brain is not ideal, especially because the test is timed.
Finally, prepare. On the day of the test, make sure the individual has everything they need ex: pencils, calculator, and student ID. With these six steps, the basic tips for the SAT are set. Remember, reviewing is key.
Opportunities for the Class of 2024
For the Class of 2024, the SAT is coming up. It occurs sometime between March and April. Many students fear that they will get a low score, it is the test that many colleges ask for. It is important that one is prepared for the SAT as it has an important role in the acceptance of students.
Having a good SAT Score shows reediness, and memorizing skills, it shows the strengths of the students as well (in both English and math). Besides the SAT, however, are college applications.
College is not cheap, these are some scholarships for high school students (class of 2024):
- Science Without Borders Challenge —Deadline 03/06/2023.
- Doodle For Google Scholarship — 03/14/2023 deadline.
- Religious Liberty Essay Scholarship Contest — deadline is 03/17/2023.
- Campaign Pay it Forward Scholarship — 03/30/2023 deadline.
- SunCoast Music Scholarship — deadline is 03/31/2023.
- $10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship — 05/01/2023 deadline.
- Modeling The Future Challenge — deadline is 11/18/2023.
- Taco Bell Live Mas Scholarship — 01/11/2024 deadline.
- Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Scholarship — deadline is 01/30/2024.
These scholarships give money to those who have entered through an essay, have good grades, need financial aid, and many other reasons. There are hundreds of scholarships for all students, no matter their status, race, gender, etc. There are many more on scholarships.com. Junior year for the class of 2024 is very important, thankfully Chicago has a lot of resources for them. Make sure to take advantage of them, since they are here to help.
Written by Adriana Castelan
Sources:
Fox News: Chicago Democrat sounds alarm as 55 schools report no proficiency in math or reading: ‘Very serious’
Khan Academy: Preparing for the SAT
Scholarships.com: High School Junior (H.S Class of 2024) Scholarships
Featured Image Courtesy of Got Credit Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Zwenzini Flickr page- Creative Commons License
