Leveling the Playing Field with Enhanced Prep

Some students get nervous when they know they have a big test coming up, so the more exposure they have to the material, the more comfortable they feel — thus helping alleviate test anxiety and building confidence. Providing opportunities for test prep helps students become more familiar with what to expect on the actual test day.

This year, students had the opportunity to prepare for the SAT by attending a webinar-style workshop provided by Enhanced Prep, which offers students test-taking tips and a review of subjects that will be covered during the SAT.

Students learned test-taking strategies that can improve their test scores, such as managing how much time to spend answering each question and understanding how the test is scored, which can help them focus on which and how many questions they need to answer during the test. This workshop can also help students who have not yet met the state testing requirements (SBA) by giving them the extra refresher they need. Also, despite being a virtual resource, our SAT Prep workshop has someone available to speak with students and answer any questions they may have.

This workshop would not be possible in the scale that it’s happening without the help of community partners. A true example of collaboration, Graduate Tacoma has offered financial support while Enhanced Prep provides the tutorial services. Tacoma Public Schools and others host the workshop sessions, while organizations like TRiO coordinate them at the schools and help promote the opportunity to students.

It would be great to be able to offer these workshops on an annual or semi-annual basis for all TPS students in the future. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds often don’t have access to resources, such as tutors or lessons, so this refresher workshop can help level the playing field in a way.

This article was featured in the 2019 Community Impact Report. 


Riabelle Vivas is the Educational Planner and Advisor of the TRiO program at Tacoma Community College.