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PARENT GUIDE

HOMEWORK TIPS AND TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES K-12 PARENT GUIDE

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PARENT’S GUIDE TO HOMEWORK TIPS AND TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

“YOU CAN TEACH A STUDENT A LESSON FOR A DAY; BUT IF YOU CAN TEACH HIM TO LEARN BY CREATING CURIOSITY, HE WILL CONTINUE THE LEARNING PROCESS AS LONG AS HE LIVES.”

– CLAY P. BEDFORD, BUSINESS LEADER AND ADVOCATE OF THE APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY TO CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION

Sussman Sales in Partnership with Connect with Kids Education Network 3

Homework Tips and Test-Taking Strategies K-12 Parent Guide. Copyright 2013.

All rights reserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 Goal of this Guide 3 How Homework Has Changed Through the Years 4 How Much is Too Much? 5 The Four Common Categories of Homework 5 The Elementary School Years 9 The Middle and High School Years 11 When Homework is Incomplete 12 Procrastination and Perfection 14 Test-Taking Strategies 14 What Parents Can Do 15 Help for Test Anxiety 16 Learning After the Test 16 Standardized Testing 17 College Testing 17 Common Core Standards 18 Summary 19 Sources and Resources

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GOAL OF THIS GUIDE

Welcome to the Guide on Homework Tips and Test-Taking Strategies. This guide is designed to empower parents with strategies to help their children be successful in completing homework and preparing for school and standardized tests.

Decades of research confirms that parental involvement is a powerful influence on children’s achievement in school (Eagle, 1989; Henderson & Berla, 1994; U.S. Department of Education, 1994; 2012). The challenge for parents is finding the right balance between being involved and allowing children to take respon-sibility for studying and completing their homework on their own.

This guide provides parents with expert tips for finding that balance while helping children manage their homework load throughout the elementary, middle and high school years. The guide also includes methods for developing test-taking skills, strategies to reduce test anxiety, ideas for learning outside of school, and an explanation of the recently-developed Common Core State Standards and their benefits for today’s students.

HOW HOMEWORK HAS CHANGED THROUGH THE YEARSCompared to America’s early educational system (a time when the 1901 Cali-fornia legislature passed a law abolishing homework in elementary school!), today’s increasing academic standards, state assessments and global com-petition have fueled a push for more schoolwork at home. While the National Center for Education Statistics reports that U.S. students spend 6.6 hours a day at school, many educators argue that this is not enough time to cover the many subject areas required.


What are the benefits of homework assignments? Homework can improve a child’s understanding of schoolwork and increase his or her memorization skills. Homework also helps children develop study skills, time management and responsibility, all valuable lifelong character traits. Yet, parents know all too well that homework can cause feelings of anxiety and pressure to complete assignments. With balanced involvement and ongoing encouragement, parents can help maximize homework’s positive effects and minimize the negative ones.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? A common question parents ask is, “How much homework should students be required to do?” Experts agree that the answer depends upon both the age and skill level of each student. A popular guideline, endorsed by both the National PTA and the National Education Association, is 10 minutes of home-work each night for each grade level. For example, a first-grader would have 10 minutes of homework each night, while a seventh grader would have 70 minutes and a 12th grader no more than two hours.

As students mature and progress through the middle and high school years, however, different teachers assign differing amounts of homework. At this juncture, experts suggest that parents ask teachers and school administrators if there is an established school policy or guideline regarding homework. A policy can help parents understand how much daily homework is appropriate, and gauge how much time their child is spending on homework compared to the suggested guideline.

E d u c at i o n i s t h E m o s t p o w E r f u l w E a p o n , w h i c h yo u c a n u s E to c h a n g E t h E w o r l d . NELSON MANDELA

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THE FOUR COMMON CATEGORIES OF HOMEWORKExperts at the National Middle School Association remind parents that under-standing the purpose of homework is critical in helping students get the most out of it. The U.S. Department of Education developed a homework guide for parents that categorizes homework into four purposes:

1. Practice homework reinforces learning and helps a student master specific skills. 2. Preparation homework introduces material that will be presented in future lessons. With the availability of online resources and videos, this learning is sometimes referred to as the “flipped classroom,” where students are asked to watch a video or complete an assignment in advance of a more in-depth classroom lesson. 3. Extension homework asks students to apply previously-learned skills to new situations. 4. Integration homework requires students to apply and integrate many different skills to a single task, such as a book report, science project or creative writing.

THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARS

Homework Support Strategies

Learning does not stop when the afternoon school bell rings, nor is it confined to the classroom. Every day, parents have the opportunity to model learning and time management, and demonstrate commitment to completing a task and tackling a challenge.

PARENT GUIDE


Knowledge is power. Sir Francis Bacon

Experts at the Family Education Network, an aggregator of leading learning resources for parents, teachers and kids, suggest the following basic strategies to help elementary school-aged children become more successful and inde-pendent learners. (Source: www.life.familyeducation.com)

• Create a special homework spot. Reinforce the importance of homework by setting aside a special place for your child to work. For younger children, that place is often the kitchen table. Or, depending on your child’s capabilities, it may need to be a place that is quiet and calm. Any location that has good lighting and where your child won’t constantly be interrupted will work. Encourage your child to help stock his/her work- station with proper supplies, and to organize his/her school papers and homework assignments in a plastic bin or file folder if a desk is not handy. • Understand the teacher’s expectations. Throughout the elementary school years, check with your child’s teacher periodically so you are clear on homework expectations. For instance, when and how are test dates communicated? Are study guides provided? When are book reports due? What can you expect regarding special projects or exhibits? Are reports to be typed or handwritten? • Set a routine from the beginning. Select a time for homework that works best for your family and for your child, then stick to it. You may want to post your homework time agreement in a visible place. If no specific homework has been assigned that day, this time can be designated for reading independently or together, or for practicing time tables or spelling words, for example. • Make homework tech-free time. Experts recommend that parents turn off TV, cell phone and computer access during homework time. Unless the computer is essential to completing the assignment, parents should consider having their children surrender the technology to foster focused attention on the homework task. • Communicate that homework is not an option. From the beginning, maintain a firm but positive attitude about homework. Let your child know that homework must be completed and done well. Many times, homework is where the “click” of learning occurs, and it is often a major part of a student’s grade.

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• Teach planning skills. Before your child jumps into homework each night, take a few minutes together to list what needs to be done in order of priority. Encourage your child to cross off each task as it is completed. • Offer help only when it is really needed. If your child is having homework difficulties, help increase understanding of the work by making up similar problems and showing him/her step-by-step how to do it. Then watch your child try one of the problems on his/her own. You might also ask your child to show you his/her completed work at the end of each section or chapter as another way to ensure that he/she is following directions correctly. The key is to give your child space to learn and grow, without relying on you for every detail. • Set a consequence for incompletion. If you discover that your child is not doing his/her homework, not turning it in, or not doing a quality job, provide a consequence. For instance, if work isn’t finished by a predetermined time (ideally, the same time each night), your child knows he/she will lose a desired privilege that evening or the following day.

Math Homework Tips for Parents

Source: U.S. Department of Education

• Encourageyourchildtouseadailymathassignmentbooktokeeptrack of homework and due dates. • Ifyourchildisexperiencingproblemsinmath,contacttheteacherto learn whether or not your child is working at grade level and what can be done at home to help improve academic progress. • Requestthatyourchild‘steacherscheduleafter-schoolmathtutoring sessions if your child really needs help. • Asktheprincipaltoimplementpeertutoringprogramsformath.These tutoring programs have proven results. • Usehouseholdchoresasopportunitiesforreinforcingmathlearning, such as cooking (measuring), dining (adding the tip) and shopping (calculating sales at percentages off). • Trytobeawareofthemethodsyourchild’steacherisusing,anddon‘t teach strategies or shortcuts that conflict with the teacher’s approach. • Asktheteacheraboutonlineresourcesthatyoucanusewithyourchild at home.

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. Thomas Jefferson


Reading Homework Tips for Parents

Source: U.S. Department of Education

• Assoonasyourchildstartssoundingoutwords,havehim/herread aloud to you each night. • Chooseaquietplaceforyourchildtodohis/hernightlyreading assignments. • Whenyourchildreadsaloudtoyouandmakesamistake,pointoutthe words he/she missed and help him/her read the word correctly. • Afteryourchildhascorrectedaword,havehim/hergobackandreread the entire sentence from the beginning to make sure he/she understands the sentence. • Beforetheendofthestory,askyourchildwhathe/shethinkswillhappen next and why. • Attheendofthebook,askyourchildtotellyouinhis/herownwords what happened in the story.

r E s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r l E a r n i n g b E lo n g s to t h E s t u d E n t , r E g a r d l E s s o f a g E . ROBERT MARTIN

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THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YEARS

Homework Support Strategies

Experts agree that by the time children reach middle school, they need to learn to self-manage. It is important for parents to help their children develop what childhood psychologist and author Madeline Levine calls “a sense of mastery” – the feeling that they can accomplish tasks on their own.

To encourage self-management, parents must adopt more of a hands-off approach to homework than when their children were in elementary school. Try these strategies with your children when they are in middle and high school:

• Create a study-friendly place. While it may no longer be the kitchen table, encourage pre-teens and teenagers to create a quiet study area with few distractions. • Develop a homework routine. After-school athletics, dance, drama, clubs, and jobs are all worthwhile activities that compete for time in a busy middle and high school schedule. Encourage your child to designate a regular time each evening to review, plan for and complete homework assignments. • Use a planner. Instill organizational skills by giving your child a daily/weekly planner. Show him/her how to keep track of homework assignments and due dates. Share your own organizational techniques and talk with your teen about how these skills apply to the real world. • Learn good study habits. Help your teen develop good study skills in class and at home. Encourage note-taking during class and re-reading those notes using a highlighter to emphasize facts and key points. • Become a low-key coach. Parents of middle and high school students can occasionally ask to review assignments and dates in the planner and ask about their completion plan. Encourage your child to reach out to teachers for extra help before or after school if necessary. Applaud effort and determination – not just good grades.


The Homework Contract

Many families use a homework contract as an effective tool for motivation and accomplishment. A homework contract is an agreement between the student and the parent that clearly outlines what the child will do to ensure that home-work assignments are completed accurately and on time, and what parents will do to support that goal. The portions of the contract that parents agree to should be supervisory and supportive in nature, to help guide their child’s success. Parents should not be responsible for completing assignments or teaching the content.

Homework contracts help many students stay on track, and they should be tai-lored to each child’s individual needs. Parents and students can work together to identify problems (procrastination, disorganization, learning challenges) and solutions (writing in a planner, establishing a set homework time, cutting back on activities to lighten the load, finding tutoring resources) as well as rewards and consequences, and include these items in the contract.

There are many excellent downloadable parent/student homework contracts online. The U.S. Department of Education developed an easy-to-use compre-hensive homework contract that you can download, print and customize with your child. View it at www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/fedstprog/21stCenturyCLearningCenters/21stCentFILES/HomeworkContract.pdf

The Myth of Multitasking

According to a national survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, about half of young people surveyed said they engage in media while doing homework (listening to music, watching TV, chatting with friends or surfing online). Researchers at Cornell University found that when our brains spend so much energy responding to multiple stimuli, we have fewer mental resources for comprehension and retention of any single task. In fact, the study found that “unplugged” students performed significantly better on measures of mem-ory and comprehension following a lecture than their plugged-in counterparts.

According to experts at Common Sense Media, multitaskers understand less of what they are doing/reading, and the following day they do not have quality recall of what they studied while multitasking. Parents are encouraged to use these tips to manage or reduce multitasking:

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The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson. Tom Bodett

• Establish boundaries. Turn off electronics during homework to keep distractions at a minimum. • Model “single-tasking” behavior. Don’t check your own cell phone while you are talking with your children; turn off television and cell phones while you are working, cooking, folding laundry, or balancing your checkbook. • Read more. Reading actually builds the brain muscle that counteracts the negative impact of multitasking. The more a person reads, the better he/she becomes at reflection and analysis.

WHEN HOMEWORK IS INCOMPLETEHomework stress and frustration are often the result of a child’s procrastina-tion and/or avoidance of the task. If your child cannot complete the homework without help, experts suggest that parents talk with their child to determine if the assignment is too hard, if the directions are unclear, or if your child truly does not understand the concepts that were taught in class. Write a note to the teacher, such as, “My child did not understand how to do these problems. Please explain this again and provide another opportunity to complete the as-signment.” Teachers are there to offer assistance and promote successful learn-ing, and will likely appreciate this insight from a parent’s perspective.

Students with special needs often receive modifications and adaptations to homework assignments, which teachers honor. Teachers understand that the ability to complete homework varies child by child, as well as on a day-to-day basis.


PERFECTIONISM AND PROCRASTINATION

Some homework hassles are a result of procrastination or perfectionism. Children with perfectionist tendencies set incredibly high standards for themselves, and yet believe they will never attain them. Therefore, they decide not to even attempt the homework at all, or they can’t complete it due to spending too much time trying to make one or two portions of the homework perfect. Experts at Scholastic Education recommend the follow-ing strategies to help a perfectionist child accomplish his/her homework:

• Let perfectionist children know it is okay to make mistakes. Many kids are so afraid to be wrong that they become frustrated when a project doesn’t come easily. Share your own stumbles. Reassure your children that when they are really stumped, it is okay to leave the answer blank and ask the teacher for help the next morning. • Set a calming example. Pay attention to how you react to daily hassles. When children observe your positive attitude and tenacity in the face of a challenge, they will be more likely to learn to take a deep breath try again. • Make time for play. A study published by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research found that 75 percent of a child’s day is tightly scheduled with activities that are parent-structured and parent- supervised. Balance your child’s schedule by giving him/her time to do absolutely nothing. • Hold the criticism. If your child asks you to review his/her homework, phrase your corrections gently, such as: “Why don’t you look over this sentence again?“ and “How did you find the answer to that?” Leave specific guidance to the teacher. • Remind your child that there is more to learning than grades. Perfectionists are often anxious because they want to be the best or get a perfect score. Try to instill an intrinsic joy of learning.

PARENT GUIDE

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Children who are procrastinators find hundreds of tasks to do before they actually sit down and start their homework. Procrastinators may delay for many reasons – disorganization, poor study skills, anxiety or boredom. Parents should work with their children to set realistic goals and an agreed-upon home-work schedule. Strategies for dealing with the procrastinator child include:

• Natural consequences. Let your procrastinator experience the natural consequences of incomplete homework (a bad grade; having to repeat the assignment; suspension from a school sport or activity due to grades, etc.). If you constantly rescue or enable your child, you are sending the message that you don’t believe he/she can do it himself. • Recognize your child’s steps in the right direction. Praise such as “Good first draft!” or “That’s a fine outline!” can go a long way toward motivating a child to complete assignments. • Set smaller goals. Simply beginning is the hardest part for a procrastinator, so show him/her some time management skills, such as creating a list of smaller steps to complete a bigger project; marking daily or weekly deadlines in a planner or calendar; taking notes while research- ing online; writing an outline, etc. When writing a paper, suggest that your child write down any thoughts that come to mind, even if they seem off-base; the process of writing down ideas can generate new ones. A favorite tip of language arts teachers for reports and papers is to write ANYTHING in the introductory paragraph – stream of conscious- ness about the topic, pros and cons, even “blah, blah, blah.” Strong writers get into the heart of a paper first, then come back and rewrite the opening paragraph based on the paper’s content. • Turn homework time into together time. Work on your own business or volunteer work, organize a file, read a book, or pay bills while your child studies. Sit nearby but work quietly; doing homework together can motivate a procrastinating child.

g E t o v E r t h E i d E a t h at o n ly c h i l d r E n s h o u l d s p E n d t h E i r t i m E i n s t u dy . b E a s t u d E n t s o lo n g a s yo u s t i l l h av E s o m E t h i n g to l E a r n , a n d t h i s w i l l m E a n a l l yo u r l i f E . HENRY L. DOHERTY


TEST-TAKING STRATEGIESEducators are required to test children on their academic knowledge and skills. Testing helps teachers understand what skills students have mastered and where they may have learning gaps; testing helps students understand how they are doing in a subject and what they still need to learn; and test scores alert parents to academic areas in which their children may be struggling.

The U.S. Department of Education website presents many test-taking myths and realities that parents may find helpful, to increase their awareness of the various types of evaluation systems and their purposes. Visit www2.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/ayp/testingforresults.html

WHAT PARENTS CAN DOExperts agree that parents can be a great help in boosting their child’s testing skills by following these do’s and don’ts:

• Dotellyourchildthatoccasionallyhe/shewilltakestandardizedtests; standardized tests require that every student take the same test according to the same rules. This makes it possible to measure each student’s performance against that of other kids throughout the state or country, allowing schools to assess how effectively they are teaching. • Domakesurethatyourchildattendsschoolregularly.Whenstudents miss too much school, they can easily fall behind or miss important test review sessions. • Don’tgetupsetbecauseofasingletestscore.Manythingscaninfluence how your child does on a test. He/she might not have felt well on test day or might have been too nervous to concentrate or had other things on his/her mind. One test does not tell a complete story about your child’s capabilities. • Don’tbeshyaboutmeetingwithyourchild’steacherregularlytodiscuss your child’s progress. If your child does well in school but does not test well, ask the teacher to suggest activities for your child to prepare for tests. • Don’tfeedyourchildheavyorsugaryfoodsthemorningofatest;thiscan make him/her groggy or hyper – both can make it difficult to concentrate. • Don’tencourageyourchildtocramforatestthenightbefore;thiswill likely increase your child’s anxiety and can interfere with clear thinking. Instead, ensure that your child gets a good night’s sleep.

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HELP FOR TEST ANXIETYTest anxiety occurs when a child worries too much about doing well on a test and how the grade will affect his/her success in school and in life. Instead of feeling a healthy sense of being challenged by learning and the opportunities ahead, students become overly afraid of failure. Help your child plan ahead; mark dates on a calendar for your child to start studying for the test well in advance. Also, ensure that your child understands what material the test will cover, and suggest that he/she review the material several times—not just once.

Tips to reduce anxiety during test-taking:

• Readthetestdirectionscarefullybeforebeginning.Ifyoudon’t understand the instructions, ask the teacher to explain. • Quicklyscantheentiretesttoseewhattypesofquestionsareincluded (multiple choice, matching, true/false, essay). See if questions are worth varying points. This will help you to determine how much time to spend on each part of the test. (Devote more time to questions worth more points.) • Ifyoudon’tknowtheanswertoaquestion,skipitandmoveon.Don’t waste time worrying about one question. Circle it and, if you have time at the end of the test, return to it and try again. • Eliminateanymultiplechoiceanswersthatyouknowrightawaycan’t possibly be correct; the more you narrow down your choices the better odds you’ll have of selecting the right one. • Duringgrammartests,lookforcluesinthesentencethatleadtothe answer. For example, search for common errors such as comparison errors, incorrect singular/plural nouns and verbs, and differences in tense.

t h E a r t a n d s c i E n c E o f a s k i n g q u E s t i o n s i s t h E s o u r c E o f a l l k n o w l E d g E . THOMAS BERGER

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LEARNING AFTER THE TESTStudents can learn a great deal from reviewing a graded exam. When students see which questions they missed and read the teacher’s comments, they see where they had difficulty. This is especially important for classes in which the material builds from one section to the next, as in math and writing. If any comments written by the teacher aren’t clear, encourage your child to ask the teacher to explain them.

Parents can also discuss the wrong answers with their children and learn why they chose certain answers. Often parents will find that their child didn’t un-derstand the question or misread it. Or, your child may have known the correct answer but did not answer clearly.

STANDARDIZED TESTINGStandardized tests are created not by your child’s teacher but by various educa-tional organizations. Not all standardized tests measure the same knowledge and skills; some are designed to predict student performance, while others are designed to measure a student’s knowledge as compared to peers across the state or across the country.

If you are a parent interested in the tests that are administered in your child’s school, talk with your child’s teacher and/or school administrators:

• Whichstandardizedtestsaregiveninmychild’sgrade? • Whatdoestheteacherdotopreparestudentsfortests? • Howmuchofclasstimeisspentpreparingfortests? • Howmuchclasstimeisdevotedtotopicsthatarenottestedon standardized tests? • Dostudentshavetheopportunitytoanswersamplequestionsto ensure they understand the format of the test? • Whataccommodationsaremadeforchildrenwhohavealearning disability or who do not speak English? • WhatcanIdoathometohelpmychildprepareforthetest? • Whocanwetalktofollowingthetesttohelpusunderstandtheresults?

Patience is the companion of wisdom. St. Augustine

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COLLEGE TESTINGToday’s students have choices for pre-college exams, including: the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT); the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT); 16 Subject Tests (formerly the SAT II); the American College Testing exam (ACT), and its preliminary exam, the PLAN. Many colleges and universities require students to submit an ACT or SAT test score, although recently a growing number of schools are making standardized tests optional.

As with other school tests, counselors advise starting early to prepare for college entry exams. Most recommend that students allow eight weeks to review test formats and take timed practice tests. (Practice tests are available in preparatory manuals in bookstores as well as on SAT preparatory websites.) Some teens have the discipline and motivation to prepare for college tests on their own; others benefit from the external structure of a college test prepara-tory class or one-on-one tutoring. Many school districts offer courses to help students prepare; talk with your child’s school counselor about preparation resources and test dates.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDSThe Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of sequential benchmarks that define the skills and knowledge a child should have mastered by the end of each grade. Prior to CCSS, every state had its own expectations and standards; the CCSS provides clarity and consistency across all states that adopt them. And, since the developers of CCSS also researched what other countries are doing in education, the new standards will help ensure that students from the United States can compete anywhere in the world. As of this printing, CCSS have been adopted by 45 states.

The Common Core is state-driven – it is not a federal program – and was devel-oped in collaboration with teachers, parents, business leaders, and education experts. The goal is to provide students with an education that truly prepares them for success in college and/or in a career. Bill Gates, speaking on behalf of the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation, believes that the adoption of these stand-ards will improve our country’s competitiveness and innovation.


Why CCSS now?

Jobs today require different skills and abilities than they did even a decade ago; employers are looking for workers who are highly-capable in skills such as technology, problem-solving, communication, and higher-order thinking. The developers of CCSS studied what currently works in our schools and what doesn’t, and also researched countries with high-performing students. They recognized that generalized education standards may not produce graduates who have what they need to be successful. As an example of CCSS’s changes, educational concepts that were previously taught in higher grades may now be taught in lower grades. This allows students to build foundational skills sooner and continue to progress and become proficient as they get older. CCSS addresses grades K-12 for math and language arts.

You can learn more about your state’s involvement in or its adoption of CCSS by visiting your state’s Department of Education website; locate your state’s site at the U.S. Department of Education website: www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html.

SUMMARYParents can be as influential in their child’s homework and test-taking success as their child’s teachers and school environment. By showing support for a child’s efforts, helping a child learn time management skills, and applauding effort and improvement, parents can help motivate their child to complete homework assignments and prepare well for tests. Use the tips and examples in this guide to help your child handle homework duriing the elementary, middle and high school years, and use the test-taking strategies that work best with your child’s specific learning style and skill level. Start early and be consist-ent, and you can instill in your child a life-long love of learning.

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Sources and Resources

College Board www.collegeboard.org

Common Sense Media www.commonsensemedia.org

Connect with Kids www.connectwithkids.com

Family Education Network, Homework Strategies for Younger Students www.life.familyeducation.com

Kaiser Family Foundation www.kff.org

National Center for Education Statistics www.nces.ed.gov

The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), formerly the National Middle School Association (NMSA) www.amle.org

Parent Map www.parentmap.com/article/what-parents-should-know-about-pre- college-tests

The Public Broadcasting System www.pbs.org

Scholastic Education www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/homework-project-tips/stop-homework-struggles

U.S. Department of Education www2.ed.gov/parents

You for Youth Homework Contract www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/fedstprog/21stCenturyCLearningCenters/21stCentFILES/HomeworkContract.pdf


Resources

American College Testing (ACT) provides tests and information to assist with educational and career decisions. The site has material on exploring career options and preparing for college life, as well as information on ways parents, employers and teachers can act together to raise student achievement. www.act.org

The College Board is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to preparing students for college. www.collegeboard.org

Common Core State Standards www.corestandards.org/resources/frequently-asked-questions

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) is a private educational testing and research organization. ETS develops and annually administers more than 11 million tests worldwide, including the SAT. This site contains many specific resources on financial aid for college, including information on student loans, work-study programs and scholarships. www.ets.org

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