USATestprep Blog

We wanted to share a comment  from a user about our newest projector game and first team game, “Think or Swim!”  It comes from Rachel Steel from Lee County, Georgia:

“I ended up using the “Think or Swim” projector game… and it was so much fun.  I gave each group a plastic divider (You could laminate a sheet of paper) and a dry erase marker so that they could write the group answer and then I would call time and all the groups flashed their answers at once. It is set up like (J)eopardy but everyone answers each question.  It is nice, too, that you can target the topics/domains you are working on and all the questions relate to those.”

Thanks for the kind words, Rachel. We’re glad you enjoyed it! So if you haven’t checked out “Think or Swim!” yet, head over to your subject page and look under “Online Resources.”

We’ve recently added two new English products for our Texas subscribers: STARR English II and STARR English III. If you live in Texas and would like a free one-week trial, give us an email (info@usatestprep.com) or call (1-877-377-9537) and we’ll activate it for you with no obligation.

We have added another new game: Think or Swim! It is not only our first projector game but our first team game, as well.

Multiple teams can compete in a review of 3 to 5 elements. Sets of 5 multiple choice and 2 vocabulary are automatically generated for each element. Students jus write down their team answers- we provide printable sheets- and the teacher keeps track of the results right on the site.

Be sure to check out Think or Swim! today! Just look under the “Online Resources” section of your subject’s home page.

We received feedback from you about the “Add/Remove Students” function on the website. Based on these suggestions we have made adding students even easier. Now you can search for students by last name with a single click of the mouse: just choose the first letter of their last name, find them from the list, and click “+Add.”

You can still type in their last name by clicking “Advanced Search” on the right. Removing students already in your class- listed on the left- remains the same.

Let us know if you have any questions about this new and improved process.

You may have noticed something new under the “Online Resources” on your subject-specific page:

If you have an LCD-type projector in your classroom, you can now use USATestprep to give 5 or 10 question quizzes to the entire class. Questions will display for a set amount of time, rotating automatically through. We even provide an answer key and a student handout for you.

Be sure to check out this new feature!

Perhaps this has happened to you: you’ve created an assignment for a class but a student will tell you, even SHOW you, that it hasn’t shown up on her homepage. One of the most likely reasons for this is that the student has multiple accounts. A student will forget the password, so instead of getting it from you- or us- she’ll just create a new account. This means that the original account- the one you have in your online class roster- is getting the assignments, but the one the student uses- the new account- isn’t showing anything. Fixing this is pretty easy.

- Password Card. Be sure the student prints out a Password Card, found in the “Student Resources” box on the student Home Page. It can be printed multiple times and placed in multiple locations.

- Student Email Address. If a student supplies their valid email address, they can be sent an automated email reminder of their password. Remember: USATestprep does not sell or exchange any student or teacher email addresses. Supplying a student email address remains optional.

- Merge Accounts. If a student has multiple accounts anyone with Account Admin privileges can merge them into a single account. No data is lost in this process. (If you are not sure if you have Account Admin privileges, look for the “Admin” tab in the top right of your page. You can also check under Account Preferences from your home page.)

- Join a Class. If a student DOES create a new account, he/she can add themselves to your class. Yes, they’ll show up twice, but then 1) they will continue to get their assignments and/or 2) you can always merge the multiple accounts into a single account.

These processes can help ease any confusion regarding missing assignments related to multiple accounts. If you have any questions, please to not hesitate to call or email.

USATestprep is happy to be attending the 25th Annual Texas Assessment Conference in Austin. If you’re planning on attending, come see us in booth 219: by registering to win a $50 Visa Gift Card and you can pick up a spiffy orange “Sasquatch Olympics” t-shirt!

Did you know that you can always check on your school’s USATestprep account from your home page? When you log in to USATestprep, you’ll notice the Teacher Resources box on the right, and within that the “Account Information Link”:

Clicking that link will take you to information about your school’s account. Here you can look at login and usage information, subscription and renewal dates, and the contacts for your account:

We hope this tool helps you to keep track of your school’s account quickly and easily!

The Gwinnett County (Georgia) School System was recently awarded the Broad Prize as ranking as the top urban school system in the United States. Gwinnett won the award because of its overall performance and improvement in student achievement, and for narrowing the achievement gap. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan presented the honor to Dr. Alvin Wilbanks, superintendent of Gwinnett County Schools on Tuesday, October 19. The $1 million prize is bestowed in the form of student scholarships.

To read more about this, read the story at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, or at The Broad Foundation website.

Congratulations, Gwinnett!

USATestprep is attending the Georgia Educational Technology Conference at the Georgia International Conference Center November 3-5. If you’re attending please be sure to stop our booth on Aisle 900 and say  ”Hello!”