Yonkers Partners In Education
Wendy R. Nadel, Executive Director
(914) 377-4882

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: September 15, 2008
For More Information Contact: Wendy Nadel
Email: wrnadel@ypie.org

Yonkers High School Students Score Big With SAT Prep Classes

Free Prep Courses credited with significantly increasing average SAT scores

Yonkers, NY - Throughout the 2007-2008 academic year, 395 Yonkers high school juniors and seniors participated in a free SAT Prep Class, that enabled students to increase their SAT scores. by an average of 155 points. The program measured scores from the first diagnostic test taken to the final SAT. Eighty students in the program increased their scores by 200 to more than 400 points.

The program, sponsored by Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE) with partial funding from the Ronald McDonald House Charities, provided an opportunity for Charlyn Brea, a 2008 graduate of Lincoln High school, to increase her SAT score by 400 points and gain acceptance to Dartmouth College. Brooke Spaight, who will graduate from Yonkers High School in 2009, increased her score by 470 points, prompting her to remark, “Now I can actually apply to schools where I never had a shot of getting in before I took this course.”

The access to college provided by YPIE SAT Prep has been important to Yonkers students because, in the words of YPIE Executive Director Wendy Nadel, “It has enabled them to compete equally with students who receive comprehensive preparation before taking the SAT. Research has shown that such preparation makes a significant difference in score outcomes and consequent college admissions.”

Prior to this year, most students attending the Yonkers Public Schools came into the SAT test having taken just the PSAT, with no other means of preparation due to the steep fees associated with SAT courses and/or private tutors. Previous scores reflected this lack of preparation and have prevented many Yonkers students from competing for slots at the nation’s more competitive colleges. “As important as the score increases, is the tremendous impact on the students’ self-confidence and outlook for their futures,” continues Nadel. “Programs such as this help Yonkers students see their possibilities.

Yonkers Partners in Education, in partnership with the public and private sectors, strives to ensure that all children who attend the Yonkers Public Schools have access to a quality education that prepares them for high school graduation, college, work, and success in life.

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