PSAT/SAT Marketing Campaign Issues to be addressed: • Despite the fact the district was picking up the tab for all students in grades 8-11 to take the PSAT test each October, the district had very few students qualify as Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists. The Advanced Academics Department determined that students just did not take the test as seriously as the SAT or the ACT. • The College Board overhauled both the PSAT and SAT, requiring new test-taking strategies for better results. • The district would offer its first-ever SAT School Day for juniors in March, administering the test at their campus for free. Receiving PSAT scores at the end of January, students had a little more than one month for targeted practice. • A significant number of Garland ISD students qualified for free/reduced lunch – meaning their families could not afford to send them to pricey test preparation seminars. However, the playing field did not seem as “level” if they were not exposed to the strategies and drills the seminars typically provide. Therefore, several promotions were put into play. To combat the lack of seriousness, the Division of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment began brainstorming catchy slogans for posters and some other ideas, but had many other projects on their plate. The Advanced Academics Department came to the Communications Department for assistance. We took the ideas that were in the works and built on that foundation - tweaking some, ditching some and coming up with entirely new ones. In the end, we had approximately 10 different ideas to explore. A team member suggested making the posters larger than usual, so they would be like billboards in a high school hallway. We agreed that was a good idea, and put it into play. Hallway billboards A set of large banners (approximately 3.5’ x 5’) with catchy slogans challenging students to think about the value of the PSAT test were provided to each high school. (Two appear to the right, more on following page)

Postcards

Sept. 21 Lakeview Centennial H.S. Sept. 22 Rowlett H.S. South Garland H.S. Sept. 29 Naaman Forest H.S. Sept. 16 Sept. 17

Curtis Culwell Center Sachse H.S. North Garland H.S. Garland H.S. Sept. 8

Information sessions offered at 7 p.m. in the H.S. auditorium:

For all students in grades 8, 9, 10 & 11

What parents and students need to know about the test redesign.

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Para todo los alumnos en grados 8, 9, 10 y 11

Lo que los padres y alumnos necesitan saber acerca del nuevo diseño del examen.

21 de sept. Lakeview Centennial H.S. 22 de sept. Rowlett H.S. South Garland H.S. 29 de sept. Naaman Forest H.S.

Sesiones de información ofrecido a las 7 p.m. en la escuela secundaria (H.S.) cafetería:

8 de sept. Curtis Culwell Center Sachse H.S. 16 de sept. North Garland H.S. 17 de sept. Garland H.S.

PSAT Test

Advanced Academics planned meetings for students and parents, as well as meetings for district staff. Because there was little time between the beginning of school and PSAT testing in October, we had to hit the ground running to develop postcards to be mailed on time. We had to alert students who would be taking the PSAT about information meetings offered in English and Spanish. These meeting would not only spotlight the changes to the test, but the benefits of earning a good score.

In February, a follow-up meeting was held for students to review their scores and learn how to improve them.

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The PSAT test has been redesigned for fall 2015. Please make plans to attend one of eight information meetings, offered in English and Spanish, this September to learn how you can prepare for success. Testing dates for eighth and ninth-graders are Oct. 13-16. Tenth and 11th-graders will take the PSAT/NMSQT Oct. 14. Why is it important to take the PSAT seriously? • It helps identify academic strengths and weaknesses, so you can make appropriate class choices • It is practice for college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT • Students who take the PSAT tend to score higher on their SAT exam • Scores can lead to scholarship opportunities • The junior year PSAT determines who will be named National Merit Scholars - a prestigious title that comes with financial assistance for college

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Fliers In tandem with the postcards, schools also distributed companion fliers, with English on one side and Spanish on the other, about the upcoming information meetings. A flier was developed for staff as well, since they were part of the efforts to raise scores districtwide. Advanced Academics named the staff event “Mission: Possible.”(Fliers shown on previous page and below)

February 3 Curtis Culwell Center Arena High School Teachers - 3:30 p.m.

Middle School Teachers - 4:30 p.m.

S e e Yo u T h e re ! Evidence of Success

Our Advanced Academics Department was overwhelmingly pleased with the campaign. The College Board organization was so impressed with the district promotional and education efforts, they invited our Advanced Academics Department to do a presentation at their Prepárate: Educating Latinos for the Future of America conference in New York that spring. In addition, GISD achieved 100 percent linking to Khan Academy, and we saw an increase in scores.

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Posters In addition to motivational billboards, regular posters were needed to remind students of testing day. We also wanted to emphasis the need to take the test seriously.

Test Date ____ : ____ ____

(Three posters follow: one for eighth grade (in middle school), one for ninth grade, and one for grades 1011. All were printed 11”x17”)

YO, NINTH-GRADERS!

Stare into my eyes and listen carefully. You are getting sleepy. V-e-r-y s-l-e-e-p-y. You will do your best on the PSAT test and learn your academic strengths and weaknesses. You will use this information to choose the right classes for 10th, 11th and 12th grades.

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Twitter and News Meeting and test dates were advertised on the district’s Twitter account and in district news.

Khan Academy To help level the playing field, the district entered into a large-scale partnership with Khan Academy, which is an online PSAT/SAT test prep service that is available free-of-charge to anyone. The organization was founded by a person who wanted ALL students to benefit from the strategies and drills offered by for-profit test prep businesses. There’s an app for that Much of the Khan information would be provided by the classroom teachers, but to help remind students, a wallet-sized card and flier were designed to promote the smartphone/tablet Khan Academy apps available.

The Official SAT Question of the Day

Daily Practice for the New SAT

www.khanacademy.org/SAT • www.collegeboard.org

front

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Bus ads Three different “wraps” were designed for the back of a select number of district school buses targeting neighborhoods where secondary students reside. The wraps were to promote the Khan Academy availability as well as the benefit of good PSAT and SAT scores.

Video GRS-TV put together a video promoting information meetings for the PSAT test in fall 2015. It was played on the video board during football games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2okRjJrgK4

Later in the year, they did a second video promoting the Khan Academy test preparation tools. The presentation was videotaped so that families unable to attend would still be able to view the information. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2MM4SrZXHs

Webpage Links to a variety of information were posted to the district website. http://archive.garlandisd.net/ready/