The links on this page allow students to receive instruction and practice for the AIMS test. All of the sites are free and offer practice on skills included in the State of Arizona test. No free website contains all of the skills on the AIMS; therefore, the school and district do not claim that using these sites guarantees passing the AIMS test.. Mountain Pointe and the Tempe Union High School District do not endorse any merchandising found on these sites.

• Access to Your AIMS Study Guide
  
• AIMS Test help
  
• AIMS Links
  
• State of Arizona website
  
• State of Arizona High School Guide to Aims
  
• State of Arizona High School Test Samples
  

Getting SAT Score Help for Free Online

By Kim Komando

There have been software programs available for several years now that claim to help students boost their SAT scores. The question is: How do you know if they really work? You generally take the test once, so how can you tell if the program really boosted your scores?

However, instead of spending your hard-earned money on software, why not take advantage of the free resources available on the World Wide Web first?

Without question, your first stop on your quest for free SAT skill-builders should be Stanford Testing Systems. While many other sites offer free tools as a way to encourage you to buy other fee-based products, the STS site is a little different. This company's primary product is the Stanford Studyguide Software for SAT Success, a software package that the company markets directly to high schools. In other words, they're not trying to sell you anything.

When you use the STS online service, called WebWare for the SAT, you first take a real SAT test and submit your answers to STS through a Web interface. STS then scores your test and identifies the particular areas where you need help. Once this process is done, the software guides you to math and verbal skill review lessons that specifically address your weakest areas. The site claims to have thousands of these review exercises available for its online users.

Unlike many commercial programs that you can buy for SAT preparation, STS takes a very serious approach. They don't use games or cartoons to reinforce skills. The STS definitely takes the just-the-facts approach.

I should also point out that STS is working on WebWare programs for the following tests: ACT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, TOEFL and MAT (Miller Analogies Test). Once these are complete, you may never have to spend another dime on test-preparation software again.

A company called College PowerPrep offers both fee-based and free software on its site. The free, downloadable software includes SAT Strategies, SAT Diagnostics, VocabMaster! Lite and SAT Classroom software. The classroom software covers analogies; sentence completion; reading comprehension; decimals, percents and equations; algebra; fractions and exponents; geometry; and story problems. The only "cost" of these programs is the requirement that you complete an online registration.

The College PowerPrep site also offers many related resources for the SAT-bound student. There's a Tip of the Day page, resources to help you find the right school, and strategic guidelines for taking the SAT. All in all, this is a worthwhile site, even if you decide not to buy anything.

If math is your shortcoming, you may want to check out the SATMath site, offered by Cubic Sciences. While this online SAT math tutorial is not free, the site does offer some free samples so you can try before you buy. Plus, if you do sign up, you get the first week for free--if you change your mind during that week, you owe nothing. The cost: $30 for one month of access.

The interactive lessons on the SATMath site do require that you have the Macromedia Shockwave plug-in installed with your Web browser. If you don't have the Shockwave plug-in, you can download it for free from the Macromedia Web site.

If you need to bone up on your word skills, check out the Syndicate Puzzles Web site. This site offers word puzzles in a competitive arena--you compete against everyone else in cyberspace for monthly prizes valued at about $50.

The site claims, "Endorsed by teachers, these quizzes can be used to prepare for the PSAT, SAT, SSAT, GRE or LSAT tests." There are several different types of word puzzles to choose from and, aside from the required registration, participation is 100-percent free.

You can spend $30 to $50 or more on test preparation software that may or may not be what you need. Or you can spend a little time on the Internet and get the job done for free. If you do find the sites don't do the trick for you, though, then consider buying the software, getting a tutor or attending a class. Having a high SAT score is important to attending the college of choice.   Source: Kim Komando

Study Web

Need to know about Plato for an upcoming report? How about when to use a comma while writing that report?

Study Web is just what it sounds like, a place to find research information in a hurry.

Pick a subject, or put in your own, and let Study Web provide you a list of sites with descriptions

for you to choose from. Let Study Web do the legwork for your next research project.

PLATO Learning, Inc. is the original educational software company, with a history of successful student outcomes.

The heritage of innovation dates back to 1963 and continues today as we lead the educational technology industry with the breadth and depth of the software and services.

Delivering just-in-time online assessments that are tied directly to state and provincial standards. The courseware includes thousands of hours of basic to advanced level instructional content for K-adult learners.

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