Kaplan and Simon & Schuster Publish
ULTIMATE FCAT: Expert Tips To Help Boost Your Grade 10 FCAT Score
By Cynthia and Drew Johnson

New York, NY (September 6, 2000) - Without exception, the explosion of high stakes standardized tests is the single most debated education topic in decades. Students are under tremendous pressure to do well. To help high school students face the exams with confidence, Kaplan, the leader in test preparation, has published a guide to succeeding on the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) for the 10th Grade. The book, Ultimate FCAT, will be available September 2000, just as students are heading back to school. (Kaplan and Simon & Schuster Publishing; $8.00.)

The FCAT Exit Exam, an achievement test specifically designed to assess tenth-grade students' mastery of Florida's Sunshine State Standards, began to be phased in as a high school graduation requirement in January 1999. Of the approximately 145,000 students who took the FCAT in 2000, 10% performed below the standards that will be required to pass in Reading and 28% performed below the standards that will be required to pass in Math. Understandably, students, teachers, and parents are eager for tools to help prepare for this all-important yet unfamiliar test. Beginning with the class of 2002-2003, tenth-grade students will be required to pass the FCAT Exit Exam in order to graduate.

Kaplan and Simon & Schuster's Ultimate FCAT, the first and only guide geared to help students with these daunting exams, introduces students to a wealth of tools for tackling test questions while reviewing key concepts and strengthening critical thinking and problem solving skills. Alternating challenging activities with humorous explanations designed to demystify the FCAT, Kaplan's Ultimate FCAT will give students the confidence they need to succeed.

Ultimate FCAT includes:

- An overview of the test and the objectives it covers
- Valuable strategies for each section of the test
- Tips for tackling even the toughest problems
- Humorous explanations and illustrations designed to make important lessons memorable and to instill confidence in anxious test-takers
- Ultimate FCAT is the latest book by the state test book team of Drew and Cynthia Johnson. They are the authors of the Parent's Guide to the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test): 4th Grade Reading, 5th Grade Math (ISBN 0-684-86962-4, 64 pages, $5.95) and the No-Stress Guide to the 8th Grade FCAT (ISBN 0-684-87089-4, $8.00) as well as test titles for 5 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 Florida 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 offers test prep and admissions services (www.kaptest.com); early childhood resources and 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).

ULTIMATE FCAT
Expert Tips to Help Boost Your Grade 10 FCAT Score
ISBN 0-7432-0176-0
Price: $8.00; Publication date: September 2000

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