This Georgia Physical Science Teacher Helped to Increase EOC Scores by 32% in Just One Year

New Manchester high school physical science teacher Adrienne Petit has a long history with USATestprep--and not just as a teacher.

“I first used USATestprep as a high school student in 2000,” says Petit. “I still remember how much it helped me then. USATestprep played a huge role in supporting our learning in high school so, of course, I use it now as a teacher.”

Dedicated to making learning relevant and rigorous for students, Petit enjoys introducing new ways of learning and integrating technology in her classroom. She also loves collaborating with her students on a more personal level.

“My favorite part about teaching is definitely the student interaction and having one-on-one time with each of them. I love it when I can see that they are learning and am able to transition to more of a support role. It’s important to push them beyond their comfort zone. I like to set the bar high from the beginning. Initially, my students feel a little intimidated, but I don’t expect them to be perfect. I expect them to be better.”

Petit has taught every type of science for the past 10 years. However, last fall she taught Physical Science for the first time while using USATestprep as a key tool.

“We increased our level three and level four Physical Science EOC from 14% to 46% in just one year of using USATestprep,” notes Petit. She adds, “That jump was ridiculous! I had 100% of my class pass and the lowest grade was an 82. My students didn’t just pass--they exceeded.”

As a teacher in a professional learning community (PLC) that contains teachers who teach both honors and inclusion classes, Petit loves the ability to customize and blend for both. She uses USATestprep for other capabilities as well.

“I use it in so many ways. I love the individualized remediation option that you can use to be intentional about what each student needs in order to remediate or excel. The data aspect is awesome! It is streamlined and clear cut. I love the guarantee that it provides standards alignment. I love that you can customize the number of DOK questions.”

Petit’s love for USATestprep is evident, but what do her students think of it?

“Students are always thinking, ‘If I do my USATestprep, what’s in it for me?,’” says Petit. She addresses this by incorporating the work into their weekly grades. She notes that students especially see the benefit when other students whose grades increase are rewarded through recognition.

“It’s all about establishing a culture around it,” she says. “We use everything USATestprep has to offer and make it a part of our culture, which leads to our students being more comfortable with that level of rigor.”

Although Petit has been a USATestprep superuser almost since the dawn of the company’s existence, she is not the only advocate at her school. Her PLC invested in the platform to become more intentional with students. Using the platform, they are able to quickly identify what their students know, do not know, and what steps they can take through easy-click remediation to course adjust.

Petit lives by the motto: “Simplify it. Make it intentional.” USATestprep was a huge part of the Douglas County school’s simplifying and being more intentional with their students. The PLC held competitions and challenges leading up to the EOC and even embedded USATestprep’s “Question of the Day” into their website. Their principal noticed their efforts and how USATestprep was leading to student success and implemented the platform in all subjects at their school.

Petit is a tried and true USATestprep veteran, the kind of teacher that students know is going to make them work, but will always remember years down the road as being one of the best teachers they ever had. She’s also one of the teachers USATestprep is proud to call our own.

“I could go on forever, talking about everything I love about USATestprep!” says Petit.

Thank you, Adrienne, for being a resourceful, committed and engaging role model for your students. USATestprep is honored to be the classroom partner for such a supportive and empowering teacher and for New Manchester High School.