Thomson Peterson's Focuses on Writing Skills in New SAT Prep Products
New array of personalized online tools help students
improve writing skills - and scores - for the new SAT
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Earlier this month, as hundreds of thousands of students across the country took the SAT, many others were already knee-deep in their preparation activities for the new SAT, scheduled to debut March 12, 2005. Of all the changes to the test, the 25- minute essay is causing students the most anxiety and has sent them scrambling to learn how best to prepare. With Thomson Peterson's, the premier online test-preparation company and part of the Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TXS: TOC), they now have a source for comprehensive, personalized essay-critiquing and scoring tools to help them become better writers and improve their test scores.
Thomson Peterson's believes that every test taker has a unique skill set and approach to studying. Among the suite of products Thomson Peterson's offers for the new SAT, including full-length practice tests and personalized online courses, the SAT EssayEdge Course is the flagship offering. After completing a series of skill-based diagnostic tests that illustrate their strengths and weaknesses on important test concepts, students receive an individualized curriculum of interactive lessons allowing students to focus their time and effort only where they need improvement. They also receive scoring and review of practice SAT essays. Qualified essay tutors review three practice essays and issue an overall score and five sub-scores, both based on the same scoring system that will be used in the actual SAT, and a two-page critique of each essay to help students improve their writing skills.
"If you talk to teachers and college educators today, they all lament the decline in students' ability to write a cogent, concise essay," notes Gregg Driben, VP and GM of Thomson Peterson's High School & Consumer Group. "Our essay services are designed to help all students not only improve their test scores but also learn what it takes to craft a well-written essay."
In addition to the SAT EssayEdge Course, students can choose from a variety of essay scoring and review options that utilize automatic scoring, as well as personal critiques by EssayEdge tutors, who are graduates of Harvard, Stanford, and o:her highly selective institutions.
The company also recently announced the Peterson's $5K Essay Challenge, a national essay-writing contest that offers high school sophomores and juniors a chance to win a $5,000 college scholarship (Contest rules and deadlines can be found at http://www.petersons.com/essaycontest.)
About The Thomson Corporation and Thomson Peterson's
The Thomson Corporation (http://www.thomson.com), with 2003 revenues from continuing operations of $7.44 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research and healthcare. With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson has approximately 38,000 employees and provides services in approximately 130 countries. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). Its learning businesses and brands serve the needs of individuals, learning institutions, corporations and government agencies with products and services for both traditional and distributed learning. Thomson Peterson's (http://www.petersons.com) is a leading provider of education information and advice, with books and online resources focusing on education search, test preparation, and financial aid. Its Web site offers searchable databases and interactive tools for contacting educational institutions, online practice tests and instruction, and planning tools for securing financial aid. Thomson Peterson's serves 110 million education consumers annually.
SOURCE Thomson Corporation
-0- 10/26/2004
/CONTACT: Gabrielle Zucker Acevedo, Vice President, Euro RSCG Magnet,
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Public Relations, Thomson Learning, +1-203-539-8663, adam.gaber@thomson.com/
/Web site: http://thomsonlearning.com /
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