Changes are coming to Rochester area students in the very near future. As you've probably heard by now, the district is swiching over from the ACT test to the SAT test which itself is being revised this summer.  

The SAT differs in that there are actually two math sections as opposed to just one on the ACT.  Also, did you know that you actually lose points if you get a problem wrong?  It is only 1/4 of a point, but if you absolutely don't know the answer or can't narrow down some of the choices, guessing can work against you. Furthermore,  20% of the test is "free response," whereas the ACT is 100% multiple choice. On the SAT you bubble in the answers to these questions as a fraction or rounded decimal.  

Furthermore, the terminology that is used is being changed to reflect our current use of vocabulary.  Content is being geared to better suit what is needed in current college degree programs and careers.  

All of this is being rolled out starting this summer(2015) and it looks like juniors will begin taking this new SAT test starting in the spring of 2016.  

For more information see 
https://sat.collegeboard.org/home

I think technology is making us all a little short on attention and patience too! Lately, what I've been seeing are students who 'don't do' story problems. Whether these story problems are in their math homework or even on the ACT. Are story problems more difficult than regular problems? Maybe a little bit, but after all, math problems in real life are actually story problems, right?! What I recommend is to work with a lack of patience or short attention span and just plow right through those story problems. That's right! Read as quickly as you can through the problem without pausing at all. Even read quickly through the multiple parts a, b, c, and d too all in one go. If you feel yourself getting weak, light headed, or bogged down, go even faster. Get yourself over the initial hurdle...then go back and find out what the question is asking you to solve for(hint: it's usually asked in the last sentence). Then, draw a diagram if applicable, identify your variables, write an equation, then solve. Done!