Leave It to the Kids. Students Ask Danville Teacher to Use USATestprep

Published: March 27, 2019, 11:22 a.m.

While teachers are typically the ones handing out assignments, when it came to finding the perfect teaching tool, one teacher in Danville, VA looked to his students for help.

High school English teacher Cary Wright has taught in Danville, VA for 23 years and counting. Two years ago, as he was preparing his 11th grade students at Galileo Magnet High School for their SOL reading test, he asked his students to find a free or low-cost test-prep site. They came back to him with USATestprep.

Wright requested a free trial with amazing results. “I used the USATestprep report to help students who scored below 400 dial in on which standards they needed to work on. I then used the site to take my kids through remediation. Every single one of them passed.”

Wright quickly requested a subscription and now recommends USATestprep to every core content teacher.

“The best value I receive from the site is as a diagnostic tool at the beginning of the semester, said Wright. “This is the first semester I had the platform start to finish and what I did is create an assessment that was approximately 75% of the entire test. I gave that out the first day of class. That let me obtain an initial layout of each student’s skills and abilities, which was essential. Then I used the data to group students, pairing strengths and weaknesses for enhanced learning.”

"The best value I receive from the site is as a diagnostic tool at the beginning of the semester..."

Beyond assessment, Wright uses the platform for one-on-ones. “I work with the student in an individual conference to give support to those weaknesses identified by the program. Then they can do the work whenever they want to, which is fantastic,” he said. “Waiting for the bus, if they can’t sleep... it’s a huge timesaver for me. They’re doing the work, we’re both tracking it, and we’re both seeing results.”

Wright notes he appreciates the interaction offered by USATestprep. “When I wanted to tweak a couple of reading passages and questions, I called and got Larry Coty (USATestprep math and ELA lead coordinator) on the phone. He listened to what I wanted and made the changes immediately. I also requested new writing EOC products and Larry and team jumped right in.”

Per Coty, Wright’s request for new writing EOC products was great to receive. “It not only came at a time when we're adding to our Virginia products and customer base, but was great because it was prompted by his good experiences using our reading products. With my thirty-plus years in the classroom, I enjoy hearing success stories from teachers like Cary. It’s personally satisfying to be able to give teachers time-saving  tools to use in their daily work with students--because I remember how valuable that time is."

Finally, pricing is another selling point in Wright’s eyes. “The services and results I receive through USATestprep are immense, and the price is far better than any competitor. If I had one bit of advice for the company, it would be, ‘Keep up the good work.’”

Learn more about how USATestprep can be used for assessments, test prep, and daily instruction. Request a no-obligation free trial.