Insights by General Academic

Why Are Students Still Required to Buy Graphing Calculators?

Shelby Joe — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 21:33:24 +0000

In observing April Fool’s Day, AOL’s gadget blog “Engadget” has posted a raft of reviews for technology from yesteryear. One such review is of the venerable graphing calculator TI-83 Plus. The reviewer writes that even ten years after its introduction in 2002, the calculator still functions great but still costs a whopping $85 for what he claims is only “about forty cents worth of technology,” which begs the question — Why are students still required to buy these things when their iPhones and iPads can run circles around antiquated graphing calculators? You might not like the reason the author postulates.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/01/texas-instruments-ti-83-plus-review/

College Tuition Rises

Shelby Joe — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:05:55 +0000

According to the College Board*, the non-profit that administers the SAT among other tests, college tuition continued to climb in the 2011-2012 academic year:

Average in-state tuition and fees for four-year public colleges and universities increased 8.3% from 2010-2011 to $8,244 per year.
For private nonprofit colleges and universities, annual tuition rose to $28,500, up a more modest 4.5% year over year.
The good news is that only about 1/3 of students paid full tuition without the benefit of assistance or grant aid.
The average undergraduate student receives $12,455 in financial aid: $6,539 in grants, $4,907 in federal loans, and $1,009 in federal tax credits and deductions and work-study assistance.

Read the full report online:

http://trends.collegeboard.org/college_pricing

Learning to Wait Decreases Anxiety?

Shelby Joe — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:10:15 +0000

In here new book, ”Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting,” author Pamela Druckerman writes about her research and observations of French parenting. She writes that French parents don’t coddle their children as they teach their children how to wait, to delay gratification, and to live independently within defined boundaries.

The results, Druckerman asserts, are that French children react much better to anxiety and pressure versus their American counterparts because they are stronger individuals.

You can read the book synopsis on the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204740904577196931457473816.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLETopMiniLeadStory

Papercity Profile

Shelby Joe — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:21:37 +0000

General Academic is featured in February’s edition of Papercity on page 6 in the editorial section. Editor-in-Chief Holly Moore writes:

Once my child passed sixth grade, I am loath to admit, I really couldn’t help him with homework. Who has ever heard of Chicago Math. And Algebra II? Forget it. I am now addicted to the recently opened Study Lounge in West University Village. President Shelby Joe, who began General Academic in 2003, and VP Stephen Hayes, both [sic] Rice School grads, have created a teen-approved, coffee-shop-like space with study areas, kitchen and private conference rooms. Most of the 40-plus tutors who man the Lounge are Rice undergrads and grads. Simply walk in, and your child will be checked in, and tutors make sure he or she works through an agenda. Mom pays by the day or month or opts for an unlimited subscription. General Academic has been a go-to for in-home tutoring for eight years, and the Lounge offers day-to-day tutoring, as well as intensive skills assessment and ISEE, SAT and ACT prep classes limited to eight students (which my son just completed), as well as foreign language and creative writing workshops. Finals will be here before you know it. Open Sunday through Thursday, 4 to 9 pm, and Saturday, noon to 5 pm.

[sic] Stephen graduated from Houston Baptist University and is constantly bemoaning the fact that he’s surrounded by all things Rice, not to mention our stadium size flag in the office.

We’re thrilled by Holly’s words and think it’s a great follow up to our full-page feature in the Houston Chronicle last May, which you you can also view online.

Professional Time Management

Shelby Joe — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:03:24 +0000

An article in the Wall Street Journal today talks about time management, specifically how to save an unproductive day. The same tips that work for career professionals can also apply to students:

Set an agenda for the day’s activities
Keep notes of what you accomplish during the day
Plan the next day’s events

Often times students become overwhelmed by what they have to accomplish. However, a written strategy for completing these tasks usually makes them feel a lot better.

If your student is feeling overwhelmed, sit down with him and write out what the plan should be; don’t just discuss it as that will only make things worse–write it down so that you can see and touch it!

Read the full article at wsj.com:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204770404577082532864410386.html?mod=WSJ_hps_editorsPicks_2

Houston Schools Survey Now Available

Shelby Joe — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:05:27 +0000

We are excited to announce that our publication on Houston area private high schools is finally complete in its first edition form. This 120 page document profiles 20 private high schools in and around Houston’s Beltway. It also provides comparative analysis, advice on school selection and applications, information about the ISEE and HSPT, and much more.

The Houston Schools Survey (HSS) is currently available as a free download in Adobe PDF format:

http://generalacademic.com/documents/GenAc_HSS.pdf

In the coming weeks, we will also make it available in a purchasable, paper-back book version.

Cash Incentives Fuel Higher Scores

Shelby Joe — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:27:16 +0000

The National Math and Science Initiative awards participating students $100 when they score a passing grade of 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement® exam. It also awards teachers $100 for each student who earns the passing grade. More than 1800 teachers participated in the program last year, and more than half of those earned bonuses exceeding $2,000. A Harvard economists, Roland Fryer, has said that while cash incentives are important, they are not solely responsible for the good test scores–tutoring, teacher training, and support programs also are key.

Cash or other tangible incentives may be a way to make rewards seem more immediate and closer to students. Parents would like to think that the reward of admission to a good college or a high paying job in the future would be reward enough, but perhaps that’s too long term for students to get motivated.

Read the full article at the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/education/03incentive.html?_r=1&hp

The Effectiveness of Public School Discipline

Shelby Joe — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:10:05 +0000

Texas researchers have just released a groundbreaking study on school discipline. The study, “Breaking Schools’ Rules” looked at 1 million Texas 7th graders and followed them for six years (when they should have all graduated). It found that 60 percent of those students were suspended or expelled at least one time in that six year period. Of students who were disciplined repeatedly (11 times or more over six years), 50% of them ended up in juvenile detention facilities. Furthermore, the study found that African Americans were disproportionately disciplined. The big question that the article presents is the effectiveness of the school discipline system–whether it focuses too much on punishment and not enough on correcting the underlying behavioral issues.

How Genuine is Community Service for College Applicants?

Shelby Joe — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:51:35 +0000

An article in the Wall Street Journal, “The Do Good Zeal of College Applicants,” talks about (exotic) community service to burnish college application resumes. The author raises a good point–will colleges see your student’s efforts as genuine and worthwhile activities or will they discount them as expensive, thinly veiled vacations:

“Admissions officers at elite colleges see these trips for exactly what they are: worthwhile endeavors undertaken by well-intentioned kids, but no different from a Grand Tour of Europe—just the current fashion for wealthy youngsters, who are supervised and pampered at every step.”

Think carefully about what your student qualifies as community service and read the entire article at the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303812104576440141905847736.html

Houston Schools Survey Coming Soon

Shelby Joe — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:53:38 +0000

We are now more than half way through analyzing more than thirty private schools in Houston. We plan to publish our findings by September 15th, 2011. To stay up to date about our progress, register here.