Our team here at USATestprep has a serious appreciation for our users, especially power users like Jessica Price. She is currently the only biology (honors) teacher at Bartlett Ninth Grade Academy in Arlington, Tennessee. Price started teaching in 2013 at Millington Central High School and moved to one of the largest school districts in Tennessee, Bartlett City Schools, in 2014. Busy raising her almost two-year-old daughter and earning her EDS at Arkansas State, Price utilizes USATestprep as a time saver, but also as a tool to assess her students’ knowledge correctly.
After receiving a gift from us for completing a survey, Price immediately responded with, “Thank you so much. I have enjoyed using USATestPrep so much in my classroom! I have been a huge supporter and advocate for USATestPrep since 2013! Thank you!” So, of course, we had to learn more about her personal journey and success with the USATestprep platform.
After interviewing Price, we discovered that she truly is a cheerleader for USATP. Here’s a little more insight on why it is the one tool she requests her principal to purchase every year.
USATP: How did you come to use USATestprep?
JP: The first school I started at was a Title 1 school. That school purchased USATestprep for several subjects. I was a first-year teacher that wasn’t set in my ways and was willing to have help from anything that would give information on how to ask the right questions, which it did. It’s an awesome tool on how to assess student knowledge correctly.
USATP: How do you use it in your classroom on a daily basis?
JP: I use it very differently than I did when I first started teaching. Millington was a paperless school, so I used it for group activities. Now, I use it for modules much like a college format. I typically assign a video, a quiz, games, free response, etc. Each module can have up to 15 items to complete in a week. This gives me the data I need because it tests prior knowledge, while also assessing new standards. I also use it as a quiz builder, to make assessments and for the bell ringers feature. These give me the information I need to prepare students for testing.
USATP: How do your students like USATestprep?
JP: (laughing) By the time Christmas rolls around they say: “Oh my gosh! This program does help.” They like that they can self-pace their own learning!
USATP: Do parents engage with USATestprep?
JP: Parents love when they see USATestprep as an “online tutor.” I show parents how to help their child know which standards they are covering and how to access individual practice. They love that they don’t have to search tutorial videos on Youtube. USATestprep provides videos right there for the students to watch and learn from.
USATP: What would you say to teachers who are hesitant to try USATestprep?
JP: I’ve held professional development sessions on how to work USATestprep, how to set up a class, how to get students to join, and they are impressed. I tell them I’ve had a 100% pass rate and I really think it’s because of this program.
I’ve had a 100% pass rate and I really think it’s because of this program.
USATP: Can you expand a little more on how you came to your 100% pass rate?
JP: My students have had a 100% pass rate on the Biology state End of Course Exam for Tennessee for the past five years. I believe that USATestprep has contributed to that.
Jessica--thank you for being an advocate for USATestprep and constantly encouraging and educating your fellow teachers on how they can be more successful and personal with their students’ education.
Would you like your classroom featured on our blog? We love to brag about our users! Contact Lindsey@usatestprep.com and we’ll get your story told!
