when Michael Evans, the younger brother on the sitcom Good Times, dealt with taking a national standardized test. In the episode, the shows creator, Mike Evans (the guy who used to play George Jefferson’s son on The Jeffersons) and its executive producer, Norman Lear, attempted to speak to the bias inherent in the test questions on national standardized tests.
A study commissioned by the Harvard Civil Rights- Civil Liberties Review, found that ACT and SAT exam questions, when presented to students of similar intellect but from different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds, were answered differently. Although the answers were not found to be ‘incorrect’, only the answer the testing system sought was deemed to be correct.
The question isn't necessarily asked in a racial way, intentionally, but because of similarities in socialization between the test writers and the students, certain answers were more correct than others.
Recognizing that 50 years later, nothing has really changed, The H2O Experience, Inc. formed the H2O Academy with an emphasis on increasing student standardized testing scores. Along with one of its community partners, Geaux Learn, Inc. and Dr. Amber Alexis, we employ an intense test taking strategies that plots a child's initial test taking skills, determines their strengths and weaknesses, structures a program around enhancing strengths and mitigating weak points, and then through a continuous regimen of testing and skills provision, we plot a child's skills after an 8 session program and record the growth.
With the intensity of the program and the study hours required of the participants, we have recognized ACT testing scores increasing by movements of 3 to 6 points.
In addition to the ACT/SAT prep program, the H2O Academy will be offering a program to teenage students in Drone Operation and Aerial Photography as well as offering several internship programs with local professionals. For more information about the exciting things being accomplished at The H2O Academy, and to get your school age child involved, feel encouraged to send us a message from our contact page.