Strongest Improvements Ever! Below are the results of my students who completed their programs between January 2023 and June 2023. The table will be updated as students' scores come in.
Grade | School | Exam | Starting Score | Ending Score | Improvement | Season | Notes |
Junior (M) | St. Thomas High School | SAT | 1070 | 1440 | +370 | Fall, Winter, Spring | |
Junior (F) | Awty International School | SAT | 1050 | 1370 | +320 | Fall, Winter, Spring | |
Junior (M) | Awty International School | SAT | 1190 | 1380 | +190 | Fall, Winter | |
Junior (F) | Awty International School | ACT | 1210 | 1400 | +190 | Winter, Spring | |
Junior (F) | Homeschool | SAT | 1430 | 1570 | +140 | Winter (8 weeks) | |
Junior (M) | Elkins High School | SAT | 1200 | 1430 | +230 | Winter, Spring | |
Junior (M) | Memorial High School | SAT | 1200 | 1380 | +180 | Winter, Spring | retaking in August |
Junior (F) | Homeschool | SAT | 1400 | 1510 | +110 | Spring (7 weeks) | |
Junior (M) | Elkins High School | SAT | 1280 | 1350 | +70 | Spring (9 weeks) | retaking in August |
Results Summary: The average score improvement of my students this term was +190 points. Those who were with me short-term saw an average improvement of +105 points. Those with me for two or more seasons averaged +245 points.
Reflection: This was both the most intense and the most rewarding crop of students to work with. I had more students than I have ever had before, which naturally was draining (I definitely reached the limit this time, and in the future I'll always have a maximum of one fewer student than I did this time) .
I. It is often that I help kids make their college dreams come true: dramatic improvements in SAT scores is the norm for my students, after all. This time, though, I helped one student alter his entire academic trajectory, giving him the confidence to do collegiate mathematics and major in economics in college. Early on when working with this kid, I realized he was smart, yet he could not do 9th and 10th grade mathematics without being shown exactly how to do a problem -- he had no rational command over math, and lacked the fundamentals that should have been learnt in 7th-10th grade. It was satisfying seeing him completely transform himself on the way to the highest score.
High school students are still young enough, with nimble enough minds, to fundamentally improve their reasoning powers and abilities. I try to do that with all my students, and it was especially satisfying to see this one student transform himself, as if from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
II. I had my two highest score improvements of all time this cycle, which I am proud of. Two of my students underperformed, and both took the August exam yesterday -- I'm expecting both to obtain scores they are happy with.
III. One area that I did better at this time than in previous eras was with my short-term students. Usually those are hit-or-miss, especially given my foundations-based approach which helps students improve by more, but which also requires more time. This time all of them improved, with two hitting their 1500+ score targets earlier this year, and the third likely hitting his 1400+ score target yesterday.