Archive for the ‘High School’ Category

SAT II: Subject Tests—What Are They and Do You Need to Take Them?

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

Another question that we are frequently asked is “What are the SAT II’s and do I need to take them?”.

The SAT II’s are content based tests.  They are each one hour long and are multiple choice.  Students can choose from a variety of subjects including literature, government, history, biology, chemistry, physics, two levels of math, and languages.  Students can take up to three exams on one test day.

The SAT II’s are generally required or recommended by highly competitive schools.  If you are a student that is planning to apply to schools, such as UVA or other similarly competitive colleges, then you will need to take at least two subjects.  Some schools require specific tests for particular programs.  For example, an engineering or architecture program may require that one of the tests be in the maths or sciences.   Schools that are competitive generally have a strong pool of applicants.  They use the SAT II’s as another factor in their admissions decisions.

To determine if you need to take the SAT II’s, decide on the list of colleges to which you’d like to apply.  Then, you can look up the application requirements on the school’s website or by using a college search engine like Bright Futures.  On this site, you can search for a school, then go to applying and admissions information to see what tests are required and how they are used (admissions decisions or placement only). Here is an example of UVA’s profile.  As you can see, UVA says that SAT II’s are recommended.  If a college says recommended, you should consider it required to have a strong application.

Now that you know if you need to take the SAT II’s, there are a few things to keep in mind.  Not all subjects are given on all test dates.  It is important to decide which tests you would like to take and plan a date that those tests are given. CollegeBoard has practice questions for each test and the dates that the tests are given.  Often, the best time to take the SAT II’s is May or June.  This is especially true if you are currently in the course in which you plan to test.  For example, if physics is a strength of yours and you are currently in AP physics, it is a good idea to take the SAT II around the same time that you take your AP exam.  This way, you can prepare for both tests at the same time.

Plan the calendar of test dates early.  You cannot take the SAT and the SAT II’s on the same test date.  Plan for this at the beginning of your junior year so you can map out dates for the SAT, ACT and/or SAT II’s.  If you plan to space out the testing throughout your junior year, you will avoid a very overwhelming spring when AP exams, SOL’s, and finals can make for a heavy workload.

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Should I Take the ACT or SAT?

Monday, April 8th, 2013

One of the questions we are asked most frequently is “should I take the ACT”?

I always tell juniors that they should try both the SAT and the ACT.  Even if you do not take an official test, you should at least take a practice test of each to get an idea of the differences and see which test showcases your strengths better.  This does not mean that you need or should send both SAT & ACT scores to college.   Since both tests are meant to test a student’s college readiness, one set of favorable scores is all you need.

You can take a practice SAT  or  a practice ACT here.

Historically, the test that you took was determined by the schools in which you planned to apply—East coast and California schools preferred the SAT while mid-West schools preferred the ACT.  Now, schools use either test for admissions with no preference.  For more information about the history of the tests, check out this interesting blog.

Who tends to do better on the ACT?

The primary difference between the ACT and SAT is that the ACT covers more content but the questions are asked in a way that students often find more familiar or more straightforward.  For example, the ACT math section includes trigonometry, imaginary numbers, logarithms, and matrices.  These topics are not found on the SAT.  However, the way that the questions are asked on the ACT look more like what students would see on a math test in school.  For this reason, the ACT often favors students that have taken a rigorous course load in school but do not test well on tests that require a lot of logic and reasoning skills like the SAT.

Another big difference is that the ACT does not penalize students for guessing incorrectly while the SAT deducts ¼ raw score points for each incorrect answer.  This can add up to a large scaled deduction.  Leaving questions blank on a test is not an idea that students are familiar with in school so it can be tricky to decide whether to guess or omit on top of the pressure of taking the test in the first place.

The ACT also does not have any compare/contrast passages or vocabulary questions.  These are often two of the most challenging areas of the SAT Critical Reading section so that can be helpful for some students.

Who tends to do better on the SAT?

The ACT has more questions in less time.  For example, the writing multiple choice section allows an average of 36 seconds per question on the ACT but about 43 seconds per question on the SAT.  For this reason, students that have a lot of difficulty with time management on tests often have more difficulty on the ACT. 

Also, as mentioned, the ACT does have more content.  Students that have taken a less rigorous curriculum may find the ACT more challenging.  The ACT also includes a science section.  The primary skills needed to be successful on this section are a basic understanding of experimental design and the ability to interpret data tables and graphs.  This does not require a lot of general science knowledge but it can be challenging for students that are not familiar with lab sciences.

Scoring:

As mentioned, there is a benefit to the ACT in that students are not penalized for guessing incorrectly.  On the SAT, students lose points for guessing incorrectly but earn 0 points for leaving a question blank.  In school, students are taught to do their best and put an answer for everything so this is not an idea that students are familiar with.

However, the SAT has a benefit in how the scores are combined across test dates.  On the SAT, there are three scores of 800 each for a total of 2400 points.  Most schools will combine the highest math section, highest reading section, and highest writing section even if they are taken from different dates for admissions decisions.  For example, if these were a student’s scores:

 

Math

Reading

Writing

March

650

580

450

May

600

620

570

October

620

640

550

 

Then, the overall score would be the highest section, which is a total score of 1860.  This is higher than any single date.

On the ACT, the score is a composite score from 0-36.  This means that the 4 scores from reading, English, math, and science are averaged to give you a composite score.  Most schools will not take the highest section from different dates.  Therefore, students have to do well on all 4 sections on the same test date

Overall, there is no downside to trying both tests.  Determining which one highlights your strengths is a great strategy for being competitive during the college admissions process. Good Luck!

 

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Don’t Let Mid-Terms Get You Down

Friday, January 11th, 2013

It’s that dreaded time of year: mid-term season. Parents and students alike dread mid-term exams, but with a few tips, there is no reason to be afraid. The key— as in all things — is to be prepared.

The first step is to be organized. Don’t study in a slapdash manner. Instead plan out ahead of time how you want to tackle your studies. You should try to determine which topics are going to be most important on the exam. Often a teacher will give students some idea of what areas to focus on. Then, when setting aside time to study, give focus to those areas that will be most relevant on the exam. Additionally, if there are areas where you have more trouble than others set aside extra time for those. If you plan ahead and know just how much time and attention you want to give to each subject, your studies will be less stressful and more manageable.

It’s important in preparing for exams to take a look at old tests and study guides. Old tests can give you some idea of what types of subjects will be most relevant, and additionally, they will show you what types of answers may be expected of you. Parents, point out to children how to examine past tests to determine which topics are most important. You can do this by indicating which topics get more questions, and thus, higher priority on a test. Help your children examine the mistakes they made on their past tests and help them develop strategies to avoid making them again. Also, you can compare the study guides to old tests and see what kind of questions actually made it onto the test from the guide. A lot is revealed in writing, and by seeing how teachers constructed previous tests, you can get a good idea of what to expect from mid-terms.

Find the best way to organize information. Develop graphic organizers or flow charts to make information manageable. And of course, the tried and true method of putting information on index cards for rapid review is always a good move.

For those of you who learn better from pictures, it will be helpful to draw pictures of material to help better memorize what you’re studying. Also, parents, while encouraging this, you should also be going through your children’s books with them. Help them understand how to use their textbooks. For example, point out the importance of bolded words and graphics. Also, chapter reviews and tests at the end of the chapters can be good study tools. Finally, when a student has gone over a chapter, have that student summarize it in his or her own words. Other helpful tactics are to give your children mini quizzes or give them work with mistakes on it for them to correct.

Parents should also help students understand how to think about tests. Guide them through the proper ways to approach a question. Try to explain to them what the thought process is when determining the answer to a question. Also, help your children understand what information is most important in texts and how they should pinpoint that information by use of highlighters. Teach them that highlighting is for keywords, pertinent information and for weeding out the less important information in the text.

No matter how you decide to study for mid-term exams, remember to take study breaks, eat well, and get lots of sleep.  Lastly, plan something fun to do after exams are over.  After all, you deserve it for a job well done.

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The Need for Extra-Curricular Activities

Friday, October 7th, 2011

In school, teachers and parents put a lot of stress on academic success, and with good reason. Understanding school subjects is a sure way to raise your base of knowledge and do well in school and beyond. However, grades are not the only important thing to consider for students. Extracurricular activities can also be an essential part of the learning process.

Consider the variety of skills one can practice and learn in a high school setting. Sports can teach teamwork, the newspaper or yearbook can give students a basic understanding of publishing and getting a product made, and drama can allow students license to express themselves as human beings. All of these things are essential to learn before going out into the “real” world.

The benefits of extracurricular activities are real. Consider this somewhat old but still relevant article from Science Daily.

According to this article, high school students with good social skills and who participate in extracurricular activities do better 10 years out from school than classmates with similar test scores but fewer social skills and less participation in extracurriculars.

Part of this greater success comes because of a change in the economy. With the decline of manufacturing jobs, more service and information oriented skills are desired according to Christy Lleras, a professor of human and community development who is quoted in the article.

Unfortunately, a greater emphasis on testing in the wake of No Child Left Behind has decreased schools’ emphasis on extracurricular activities. Lleras is quoted in the article as saying the following:

“There’s this pervasive idea that if we just teach and test the basic skills, students are going to do much better in school and in life,” she said. “It would be great if we could just snap our fingers and tomorrow everyone could read, write and do math at grade-level. But an obsession with testing and routinized thinking doesn’t foster the non-cognitive soft skills that pay off as an adult.”

Parents, teachers and students have always known that there is more to life than just learning the facts. This is something we see played out every time a student tries to join extracurricular activities in an effort to boost his or her school resume for college applications. However, extracurricular activities are important not just for appearance but also for later success.

As parents and teachers, we have the opportunity to expose our children and students to more diverse activities so that they may become multifaceted human beings. Extracurricular activities are one avenue schools provide to do this.

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Back to School

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

It’s getting to be back to school time, and that means some preparation is in order. Going back to school isn’t a simple matter of packing a kid’s lunch and sending him or her off. Some additional thought is required. This website has some interesting advice for these back-to-school days. Take a look.

For high schoolers, first time or otherwise, these days before the start of school are for mental preparation. It is hard to believe when you’re in the midst of it, but what you do in high school can have a significant impact on what happens in the rest of your life. It is time to start thinking about careers, interests, college and what kind of person you want to be. Parents, you can help kids by engaging them on these discussions and driving home to them the importance of these years in setting a foundation for the rest of their lives.

The high school years are also tumultuous ones. Students are nearly adults but not given the respect or responsibility accorded those 18 and over. In addition, there is a great deal of pressure to fit in and not do anything embarrassing. Incoming high school students should find someone who can teach them the ropes about high school. Perhaps an older sibling or a neighbor’s older kid. Information is the best preparation, so go to the source wherever possible. Perhaps this is too obvious a point to reiterate, but, basically nothing you see on television or in the movies about high school is true. Ignore them.

For more advice for the high schooler, check out this article.

If your child is a starting at a new school this year, there are some strategies that should be taken to ensure a less stressful start. For one, try to arrange a tour of the school. Additionally, if parents can arrange for a meeting with the student’s teacher(s) ahead of time, that can go a long way toward reducing stress. Check out the rules and regulations, dress code, etc, of the school. As a student, you don’t want to be reprimanded out of ignorance. As a parent, you certainly don’t want to see your child suffer over something that could have easily been avoided.

For other tips for students starting in a new school, go here.

Another thing to start thinking about ahead of time is homework. How well does your child do when it comes to homework? Are there areas where he or she typically needs a little help? How does he or she learn best? Visually? Verbally? Hands-on? Now is a good time to start thinking about where help for the student can be found. There are online resources that can provide some tutoring, then there are also in-school and out-of-school services that can help. Of course, we have a full range of tutoring available to help any struggling student.

Check out this article for more information.

Now that we have stressed some of the practical aspects of preparing for high school. There are some less concrete ideas that should be explored. Namely perception. This next bit is directed primarily at the student.

High school is a time for many when everything seems really important. That high school boyfriend or girlfriend, having the best GPA, your friends, your extra-curricular activities… you name it. It can seem as though what’s happening now is the most important thing ever. We did talk above about the importance of taking high school seriously, and that’s true, but it is also important to consider the transitory nature of these four years. Who you are in high school is not who you will be for the rest of your life. You will have different boyfriends or girlfriends, not being the best will fade in importance, your friends will change and you will grow passionate about new and possibly more interesting things. Life has only just begun. When you look back on your high school years, you may be nostalgic, you may be regretful, you may not feel anything at all. But regardless, you will, years from now, see high school in its proper perspective and place: as a brief time in your life. Many years lie ahead. Get excited. Great things are to come.

The school year is rapidly approaching. In these last few days of student freedom, it is necessary to think ahead. What can be done to prepare a student for what he or she will face? What questions need to be answered? What problems need to be addressed? What should a student expect? It is nearly too late to start thinking about this, but there is still a little time left. Start thinking about preparation, and all challenges can be faced.

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Reality TV: Joy or Junk?

Friday, March 25th, 2011

The essay question on the March SAT has left some students feeling confused and irritated. It asked them to write an argument about reality television and its possible beneficial or negative impacts on viewers.

Controversy ensued regarding the fairness of the question. If students aren’t that familiar with reality television, are they at a disadvantage on this essay question?

Some say no. They point out that the underlying point of the essay is to choose a side of an argument and display the ability to formulate a strong written response. They also argue that it contains all the information a student would need to accurately answer it, and that actually being a reality TV watcher is immaterial. Judge for yourself. Here is the prompt:

“Reality television programs, which feature real people engaged in real activities rather than professional actors performing scripted scenes, are increasingly popular. These shows depict ordinary people competing in everything from singing and dancing to losing weight, or just living their everyday lives. Most people believe that the reality these shows portray is authentic, but they are being misled. How authentic can these shows be when producers design challenges for the participants and then editors alter filmed scenes?

“Do people benefit from forms of entertainment that show so-called reality, or are such forms of entertainment harmful?”

Follow this link and you will find a blog post arguing that the controversy is overblown. In it, Laurence Bunin, senior vice president for operations and the general manager of the SAT Program at the College Board, is quoted giving the following example:

“If presented with a topic about balancing the risk of climbing a mountain with the reward of reaching the summit, for example, a good writer could compose a strong essay without ever having reached the summit of Mount Everest.”

Fair enough. But let us raise a couple points:

How are students supposed to support their essay answer with legitimate literary, historical, or personal concrete examples if they know nothing about reality TV? A risk/reward analysis of mountain climbing requires considerably less knowledge than a pro/con debate over reality television after all. Reality television isn’t a “thing” to consider. It’s a diverse group of programs, some of which may have more merit than others.

It’s also fair to consider whether we have reached a new low when a supporting example on a college entrance exam could be a drunken episode of “Jersey Shore” or a superficial episode of “The Bachelor.”

Not every student taking the March SAT had to answer the reality TV question. But whatever the prompt, the essay answer is high stakes. It accounts for 33 percent of a student’s score on the writing portion, which makes up 800 out of the 2,400 points one can get on the SAT. Students will learn March 31 how they fared.

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OK, I’m Prepared–Now for the Test

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Previously we examined some tips for mid-term exam studies. We will continue that here by talking about specific strategies to use on different types of exam questions.

If there is one thing students are familiar with, it’s multiple choice exams. But as important as knowing the answer is, it is also important to know strategies to deduce the answer if one is not readily apparent. The first thing you should do after reading the question is to answer it before looking at your choices. Does you answer seem to fit? If so, good. Then you can look at the possible answers listed and choose the closest one. If you are still unsure, you should go through all the answers and try out each one. Which one seems to fit best? Next, you can eliminate the answers that seem furthest from the truth. That way, if you have to guess, you will have fewer possible answers to choose from. Two final words of advice. Don’t second guess yourself. It will only create unnecessary anxiety; and besides, if you’re gut is telling you something, it is best to listen. Lastly, beware of questions that say things like “All of the following EXCEPT…” Don’t get fooled by the tricky wording.

In addition to multiple choice questions, there is also the dreaded true/false question. It seems easier since you have a 50-50 chance of being right. But these questions can still be tough, and a good strategy can go a long way towards helping you answer them. First thing, analyze the question. Break it down and figure out what exactly the question is asking. Then try to prove the answer false. It is important when doing this to remember that if any part of the question is false, then the whole answer is false. Finally, as with the multiple choice questions, watch out for tricky wording. Words like “Always, Sometimes,” or “Never” should be red flags reminding you to pay special attention.

Another section you may encounter on mid-terms is the essay question. This requires more thought and strategy than the other two because much of it is subjective. But there are still ways you can make sure you do your best on this portion of the exam. The first thing to do is brainstorm. Get all your thoughts down on paper then prepare to organize. You can do this by creating an outline or a graphic organization chart, which will give you something to follow as you structure your essay. When you write your essay, make sure you have an intro, a thesis, body, and conclusion. This may seem self evident, but you could lose big points if you overlook one of these vital components. Also, make sure that everything you write relates back to the thesis. Consider the thesis the paper’s commander. It must be obeyed and adhered to. Any attempt to step outside the thesis in your essay will end up with lost points. Also make sure to answer all parts of the questions asked. Oftentimes essays will ask you to answer multiple questions. Make sure you don’t leave one out. Also, use vocabulary that is appropriate to the subject matter, but make sure you are well acquainted with that vocabulary. It does no good to use fancy words if you’re not sure if you’re using them correctly. Finally, make sure you leave time to review your essay. Don’t turn it in without having read it over.

The last section we will go over is the math section. For some of you, this will be a joy. For others, a fear. Either way, we have some tips that can help you. First you want to make sure that you read the question carefully and underline the key points. It is hard to get the right answer if you aren’t clear on what the question is asking. Also make sure to show your work. Sometimes teachers will give only partial credit if the way you arrived at your answer isn’t demonstrated. For clarity’s sake, make sure your answer is circled. There will probably be a lot of numbers twirling around your answer space, and you want to make sure your teacher knows which one is the final answer. Also, be sure you plug the answer you get into the original question to make sure it fits.

When evaluating the question, especially word problems, make sure to break them down into their different parts. After you have done that, drawing a diagram can also be helpful. Other helpful tips are to write down any formulas for the variables in the problem so you can have them handy, make sure you include units of measure, put the answer in its simplest form, and round to the correct number of decimal places. Math is about being exact, so any little thing that you neglect can mean fewer points for you.

Mid-terms are certainly a stressful time of year, but that doesn’t mean you need to go in unprepared. Using some of these simple strategies, you can ensure that you get the most out of each question on your exams.

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Don’t Let Mid-Terms Get You Down

Friday, January 21st, 2011

It’s that dreaded time of year: mid-term season. Parents and students alike dread mid-terms, but with a few tips, there is no reason to be afraid. The key— as in all things — is to be prepared.  Today we are going to cover some of the study skills you will need to get ready for exams.

The first step is to be organized. Don’t study in a slapdash manner. Instead plan out ahead of time how you want to tackle your studies. You should try to determine which topics are going to be most important on the exam. Often a teacher will give students some idea of what areas to focus on. Then, when setting aside time to study, give focus to those areas that will be most relevant on the exam. Additionally, if there are areas where you have more trouble than others set aside extra time for those. If you plan ahead and know just how much time and attention you want to give to each subject, your studies will be less stressful and more manageable.

It’s important in preparing for exams to take a look at old tests and study guides. Old tests can give you some idea of what types of subjects will be most relevant; and, additionally, they will show you what types of answers may be expected of you.  A parent or tutor can help guide a student in examining past tests to determine which topics are most important. You can do this by indicating which topics get more questions, and thus, higher priority on a test. Help your students examine the mistakes they made on their past tests and help them develop strategies to avoid making them again. Also, you can compare the study guides to old tests and see what kind of questions actually made it onto the test from the guide. A lot is revealed in writing, and by seeing how teachers constructed previous tests, you can get a good idea of what to expect from mid-terms.

The more connections that can be made to a topic, the better chance there is of recalling that information.  This can be seen in everyday tasks, such as learning a new friend’s name.  It is easier to learn a person’s name if you associate the name with another connection that you may have.  This principle is also true when studying for classes.  Develop graphic organizers or flow charts to make information manageable and to map the connections between topics. And of course, the tried and true method of putting information on index cards for rapid review is always a good move.

For those of you who learn better from pictures, it will be helpful to draw pictures of material to help better memorize what you’re studying.  This is especially helpful for visual learners when trying to learn new vocabulary.  Textbooks are an often overlooked resource.  A parent or tutor can help students better understand how to use textbooks as a valuable resource. For example, point out the importance of bolded words and graphics. Also, chapter reviews and tests at the end of the chapters can be good study tools. Finally, when a student has gone over a chapter, have that student summarize it in his or her own words.

Another helpful tactic is to give your children mini quizzes in timed environment so that they have practice working in time constraints.  Also, stress the importance of reviewing work for simple mistakes.    Parents can also help students understand how to think about tests. Guide them through the proper ways to approach a question based on the type of question. Try to explain to them what the thought process is when determining the answer to a question.

Finally, here are a couple common sense tactics for students:

Take breaks when you need them. Don’t slog through your studies without giving yourself a breather. And review study materials the morning before a test after having a good night’s sleep.

Follow these guidelines and you will find that preparing for mid-terms isn’t as scary as you may have thought.

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Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Hey teenagers, ever feel like you just can’t get enough sleep? Find yourself droopy eyed during your morning classes? Parents, do you have trouble getting your children out of bed? Well, as our understanding of human development and biology advances, we are beginning to understand the nature of sleep and adolescence better. And it turns out that, for our youth, the adult sleep schedule may not be ideal.

A study published online in the July 7 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine discovered that pushing the time school starts back by half an hour can lead to benefits for students.

The study was conducted by Katherine Belon and sleep expert, Dr. Judy Owens, both from Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Rhode Island, and Dr Patricia Moss, of St. George’s School in Newport, Rhode Island. St George’s is the small, private school where the study took place.

Typically, it is recommended that teenagers get about nine hours of sleep, but they usually don’t. And that sleep deprivation can negatively affect grades and motivation, and may lead to weight gain and the use of stimulants, according to an article about the study titled, “Teens More Alert, Motivated, When School Starts Later, US Study.” Read the article and learn more about the research here.

According to Owens, the biological development of teenagers leads to a change in the rhythms that guide their internal sleep clocks. Because of that, teenagers naturally stay up later and wake later. She said that an 11 p.m. bedtime and 8 a.m. wake time are about normal. Unfortunately, school bells don’t generally follow that schedule.

At St. George’s School, during the winter term, the researchers studied delaying the school’s start from 8 to 8:30 a.m. for 201 ninth to 12th graders.

Some of the results indicate that because of the change students slept more, didn’t feel as tired, had better motivation, and were more likely to make it to the first class of the day without being tardy.

The article goes on to discuss the fact that changing the time school starts is a controversial issue and that the research in the field does not give definitive proof that doing so will improve grades. Nevertheless, the findings of this most recent study do give school administrators, parents, and teenage students something to think about.

Owens also mentions that a school’s start time isn’t the only factor involved in student sleep deprivation. Jobs, homework, and other activities can also contribute. So, parents, while you can’t do anything about the school schedule just yet, perhaps you can help your children with time management to improve their chances of getting all the sleep they need.

Sweet dreams.

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Why Do We Have the SOL’s Anyway?

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

SOL stands for Standards of Learning and were implemented in Virginia as part of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001.  The idea was to standardize education to ensure that all students were receiving high quality education.  The standards set the goals and each state is required to administer a test at the end of the year to monitor whether students are meeting these goals. The SOL tests are administered  in various grades for math, reading, writing, science, and social science courses.  The standards are defined for each subject and each grade on the VA Dept of Education website: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Superintendent/Sols/home.shtml

There is a lot of pressure on schools to have their students pass the SOL’s. This pressure gets placed on the teachers and, in turn, the students.  For schools that receive government funding through Title 1, achievement on the SOL’s is tied to the funding that the schools receive. All schools are required to publish the results of their SOL’s and get a “report card” to say how well the school is doing. Teachers are held accountable for their students’ performance.  There are high stakes for the SOL’s, which is the reason for the pressure that can sometimes be felt around SOL testing time.  Whether the NCLB act accomplished its original goal is still up for debate.

For high school students, SOL’s are required to earn a diploma. The number of SOL tests that students have to pass depends on whether they are working towards a standard diploma or an Advanced Studies Diploma. When you pass a class and the SOL for that course, it is called a verified credit. For a standard diploma, students have to have 6 verified credits out of the 22 total credits needed. Two must be English courses, one math, one lab science, one social science, and the last one is the student’s choice.  For an Advanced Studies Diploma, students must have 9 verified credits out of 24 total required credits. There must be two verified credits in English, math, lab science, and social science. The last verified credit can be the student’s choice. For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Education website at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/2plus4in2004/index.shtml

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