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Where is AI leading us in education?

Mr. John's Test Prep

Mr. John's Test Prep

— 6 min read
Where is AI leading us in education?

AI's Impact on Education: Why SATs Matter More Than Ever

I recently explored some fascinating perspectives on how AI is reshaping education, and the implications are significant for students and parents planning for college admissions. One perspective came from a Substack article, the other from this engaging video podcast:

The key insight I glean from recent research and commentary is this: as AI makes traditional academic work easier to fake, standardized testing becomes more crucial than ever.

Here's what's happening:

  • Grade inflation concerns: With AI assistance readily available, traditional homework and essays become less reliable indicators of student ability
  • Standardized test integrity: The SAT remains one of the few controlled-environment assessments that truly measures student capability
  • College admissions shift: Universities are likely to place even greater weight on test scores as other metrics become less dependable

This reinforces why focused, strategic SAT preparation is not just helpful—it's becoming essential for competitive college admissions. The students who master standardized testing now will have a significant advantage in this changing landscape.

Week 2 SAT Bootcamp Momentum: Information and Ideas

The excitement is building as we dive into Week 2 of our SAT Summer Bootcamp! This week we're tackling the most challenging section of SAT Reading: Information and Ideas. This is where students often struggle the most, but it's also where the biggest gains can be made.

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This week's focus: Mastering the PROVE-IT method for Information and Ideas questions. We'll break down how to systematically approach these complex reading comprehension challenges that test your ability to analyze evidence, understand implicit meanings, and draw logical conclusions.

New Website Feature: Interactive Vocabulary Quizzes

I'm excited to announce a major update to our learning platform! We've just launched interactive vocabulary quizzes featuring the most challenging words from recent SATs dating back to October 2024.

After each SAT administration, r/SAT hosts a discussion on Reddit encouraging students to report the most challenging vocabulary from the test. These are then compiled by a moderator named "yodatsracist." Other sites like roots2words.com have compiled these lists for students. I've taken the best of what I can find to construct a quiz for each administration. Each quiz is designed to:

  • Target high-frequency "tough" vocabulary from real SAT tests
  • Reinforce words through spaced repetition
  • Offer a quick report on words to work on – words you can add to your Knowt or Quizlet flashcard set

I'll be assigning these vocabulary quizzes to students in the future. Studying vocabulary does move the needle, and as you can see from this audit, many of the words are repeated from test to test.

Access the new vocabulary quizzes here → https://www.mrjohnstestprep.com/tag/words/

Summer Heat = SAT Prep Time

As the summer temperatures rise, so does the urgency for SAT preparation! Tutoring requests are pouring in. I've had to make the tough decision to cancel the second Summer SAT Bootcamp offering I was planning to begin at the end of July. With my commitment to full-time teaching, I simply won't have enough room on the schedule.

Now is the critical time to prepare for the crucial fall testing dates:

  • August 23 SAT - Perfect for early decision college applications
  • September SAT - still early enough for early action deadlines
  • October & November SATs - Great for regular decision deadlines in January and beyond.

Challenge Yourself: Difficult SAT Inference Question

Let's test your skills with a challenging Inference question—exactly the type we're mastering in our Information and Ideas session this week:

SAT Inference Quiz
Marta Coll and colleagues' 2010 Mediterranean Sea biodiversity census reported approximately 17,000 species, nearly double the number reported in Carlo Bianchi and Carla Morri's 2000 census—a difference only partly attributable to the description of new invertebrate species in the interim. Another factor is that the morphological variability of microorganisms is poorly understood compared to that of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and algae, creating uncertainty about how to evaluate microorganisms as species. Researchers' decisions on such matters therefore can be highly consequential. Indeed, the two censuses reported similar counts of vertebrate, plant, and algal species, suggesting that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. Coll and colleagues reported a much higher number of species than Bianchi and Morri did largely due to the inclusion of invertebrate species that had not been described at the time of Bianchi and Morri's census.
B. some differences observed in microorganisms may have been treated as variations within species by Bianchi and Morri but treated as indicative of distinct species by Coll and colleagues.
C. Bianchi and Morri may have been less sensitive to the degree of morphological variation displayed within a typical species of microorganism than Coll and colleagues were.
D. the absence of clarity regarding how to differentiate among species of microorganisms may have resulted in Coll and colleagues underestimating the number of microorganism species.

✅ Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it presents the conclusion that most logically completes the text's discussion of the different counts of species in the Mediterranean Sea.

The passage establishes that:

  • Coll's 2010 census found nearly double the species of Bianchi and Morri's 2000 census
  • This difference is only partly due to new invertebrate discoveries
  • Microorganism classification is particularly uncertain
  • The vertebrate, plant, and algal counts were similar between studies

Since the counts were similar for well-understood categories but dramatically different overall, the logical conclusion is that the researchers applied different standards when classifying the poorly understood microorganisms. Coll and colleagues likely classified morphological differences as distinct species, while Bianchi and Morri treated them as variations within species.

PROVE-IT Strategy: Answer choices A, C, and D all represent at least one or two common patterns in wrong answer choices. A represents a twisted relationship or partial truth. C and D both represent reversed meaning or twisted relationship between the known characteristics of both groups of researchers. These are skills we'll be covering in our bootcamp this week!

Wishing You a Fantastic Summer!

Whether you need help with college essays, test preparation, or want to try your luck fishing in the beautiful waters around Sarasota, Florida, I'm here to help!

Keep up the amazing work, stay motivated, and remember—every practice session gets you closer to your target score. The dedication you're showing now will pay dividends when those college acceptances start rolling in.

Have a wonderful week, and see you in our next session!

Mr. John

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