Teacher Strives to Help Students Worldwide Improve SAT Math Scores by Creating Dr. Test Prep YouTube Channel

United States, 22nd Feb 2024 – On March 9, 2024, students across the globe will take the Digital SAT exam. For students in the United States, this is their first opportunity to take the SAT digitally. A significant benefit of the new Digital PSAT/SAT exam is that all students can now access an embedded graphing calculator for every Math question. On previous tests, only 2/3 of math questions permitted calculator use, which students were required to bring on testing day.

While giving all students access to an embedded graphing calculator for every question is a positive move forward for equitable testing (as not every student owns a graphing calculator to practice consistently before the test), it also highlights a gap in the free SAT prep program provided by Khan Academy in partnership with the College Board.

Most embedded Khan Academy math videos do not teach students how to use the graphing calculator, as the videos were recorded over three years ago when a calculator was not permitted for every question.

To close the gap, Dr. Michelle Ihrig, a 25-year veteran educator with 20 years of experience helping students prepare for high-stakes testing, created over 450 questions and 150 new videos to teach students how to use the Desmos calculator on the Digital PSAT and SAT exams. Her content aligns with Khan Academy’s framework, so Unit 4, Lesson 3, Operations with Polynomials, is the same topic on Khan Academy and her Dr. Test Prep YouTube channel.

“The target audience of my series is the 90% of students who score less than 690 on the math section. So many YouTube content creators offer quick tricks telling viewers how to score an 800. They use catchy phrases for views, neglecting that 75% of testers earned less than a 600 on the math portion and 60% less than 550. It is unrealistic that a quick trick video will make a significant difference” (https://research.collegeboard.org/reports/sat-suite/understanding-scores/sat).

“Instead, my program teaches students how to use the best features of College Board’s Bluebook practice tests and Khan Academy’s Official Digital SAT Practice, with the support of my targeted Desmos calculator instructional videos, to develop a personalized program that will bring results. All my content is freely available on YouTube with no upcharges to purchase specialized programs or tutoring services. Students who want to stay more organized can purchase my book for $14.95 on Amazon, which includes the questions from the series; however, paper-and-pencil works, too.”

“For students taking the SAT on March 9th, I recommend they start with my Unit 8 playlist. It covers techniques which students can use on over half of the math portion.”

Dr. Ihrig is familiar with creating Free SAT Prep programs that bring results. In 2020, she developed an in-person program at her high school with over 300 participants, raising the school’s mean SAT average by over 70 points (https://www.michelletheauthor.com/data). Last year, she streamed free SAT prep via Twitch.tv with viewers from the US, Poland, Japan, Germany, and the Philippines.

For the Class of 2023, 1.9 million students took the SAT at least once. Dr. Ihrig’s goal is to help as many future test-takers as possible, and her content also supports learners as young as 12 who are interested in improving their PSAT scores.

“I am an educator at heart. If viewers have questions, I encourage them to leave comments – and I read all of them. I’ve already made an additional video responding to a student-posted question in the comments.”

“I love watching young people grow into the people they want to become. It is an honor to play a small role in their journeys.”

About Dr. Michelle Ihrig – Dr. Michelle Ihrig is an Atlanta-based author, educator, and content creator who writes books that inspire. Her primary series, Live Growth Focused, includes seven books to equip kids through young adults to excel in life with a growth mindset. Her Dr. Prodigy YouTube channel teaches K-6th grade math concepts and has over 100,000 views.

Dr. Ihrig holds a BA in Mathematics 7-12 with Special Education Certification, MS Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology, an MBA, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Technology. She is certified in math, special education, gifted education, ESOL, and leadership in Georgia and earned an online teaching endorsement.

Website: www.youtube.com/@DrTestPrep