Kaplan, Inc. and Simon & Schuster Publish Parent's Guide to the Ohio Proficiency Test for Grade 4
 
By Cynthia and Drew Johnson

New York, November 15, 2000 – The explosion of high stakes standardized tests is quite possibly the singly most debated education topic in decades. Ohio schools are already preparing students for the next test administration in March 2001. Never before has understanding the test and performing well on it been more important.
 
To help students and their families get a handle on the Ohio Proficiency Tests for Grade 4, Kaplan, Inc. the leader in test preparation, announces the publication on Parent's Guide to the Ohio Proficiency Tests for Grade 4 (Kaplan, Inc. and Simon & Schuster; December 2000; $6.95.)
 
All 4th grade students in Ohio public schools are required to take the tests. Of the approximately 128,000 fourth-graders who took the exams in 2000, 22% scored below proficient in Writing, 41% scored below proficient in Reading, and 37% scored below proficient in Math. Beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, the high stakes provisions of the "Fourth Grade Guarantee" will go into effect. This is the "high stakes" provision of the Ohio legislation which requires that students must be reading, at least, at a 4th-grade level.
 
Parental involvement has been shown to make a difference in how well students perform in school, and this new guide provides parents with valuable information and tools as their children face these challenging tests. In addition to explaining the basic structure of the tests and the objectives measured, this concise guide offers a range of activities designed to introduce students to basic test taking techniques and to help them develop the critical skills measured by tests.
 
Kaplan's Parent's Guide to the Ohio Proficiency Tests for Grade 4 shows parents how they can play a valuable role in demystifying the test and help their children approach the exam with confidence. The guide includes:

A detailed explanation of what the test is and what performance means in your state.
Is performance an issue for your child? When to be relaxed, when to be concerned, and what you can do to help.
Test strategies specifically tailored to the types of questions found on the test.
Word games and other fun activities to help students master the basic skills measured by the test.
Tips for reducing test anxiety.

Parent's Guide to the Ohio Proficiency Tests for Grade 4 is the latest book by the state test guidebook team of Drew and Cynthia Johnson. The authors are state test experts and have written test review titles for 9 other states.
 
About the authors:

Cynthia Brantley Johnson is the author of several educational books for young people, including Word Smart Junior and Writing Smart Junior, both of which received the prestigious Parents' Choice Gold Award in 1995, and were included in Curriculum Administrator magazine's list of "Top 100" educational products for 1996.
Drew Johnson is the author of Kidding Around Austin!, a travel activity book for children visiting Austin, Texas, and co-author of Kaplan Learning Power, a guide to improving study skills. Drew is currently an education writer and editor, creating workbook, textbook, and Web-based educational materials for students of all ages.

Cynthia and Drew Johnson are AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW to serve as experts on: the Ohio tests; test-taking strategies; and trends in state testing.
 
Kaplan, Inc. (www.kaplan.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Kaplan, Inc. offers test prep and admissions services (www.kaptest.com);K-12 educational programs for kids and parents through SCORE! Learning, Inc. and www.eSCORE.com; on-site education and professional development at schools and universities; books and software; professional education services; and an extensive array of distance learning programs (www.kaplanCollege.com). Kaplan, Inc. is also a shareholder in BrassRing, Inc. (www.brassRing.com), the business-to-business recruitment and hiring company that helps employers find and hire the right candidates faster. Kaplan, Inc. is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
 

PARENT'S GUIDE TO THE
OHIO PROFICIENCY TESTS FOR GRADE 4
ISBN: 0-7432-0496-4; $6.95
Publication date: December 2000

Press Contact: pubrel@kaplan.com, (212) 492-5965