SAT Math Toolkits

The Academic Approach SAT Toolkit is a set of tools and instructional materials to help schools infuse SAT- level rigor into curriculum and to infuse targeted skills and practices into instruction.

Each Math Toolkit includes:

SAT Test Specifications
- Directly from College Board
- Concrete skills that may show up on the PSAT/SAT
- Use to write objectives or student actions and analyze unit plans for full SAT skill coverage
Common Core Best Bridge
- The Common Core State Standards that connect best with the SAT Test Specifications
- Use when writing lesson plans to connect to multiple standard systems
Sample Student Actions
- Provide students with a clear purpose to focus their learning efforts (in student-friendly language)
- Use to direct your choice of instructional activities
Academic Skills and Suggestions for Improvement by SAT Score Band
- Scaffolded ways to increase rigor within the skill
- Instruction ideas to meet the needs of various students
SAT Examples by Difficulty Level
- Scaffolded ways to increase rigor within the skill directly aligned to SAT
- Use for transfer of knowledge to high-rigor assessment application
Performance Task
- Learning activity that asks students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, and proficiency within the skill
- Builds on content knowledge, process skills, and work habits
- Strategically place within your lesson or unit to enhance learning as the student “pulls it all together”

Creative Strategies Lesson

There is often more than one correct way to solve SAT Math questions. There is, though, a best way for each individual student—the way that helps them improve accuracy and increase efficiency.

Rule-based approaches are reliable. Formulas and rules are designed to produce the answers students need, and they work best when:

the problem is familiar and formula based.
the available answer choices cannot be easily eliminated.

Creative approaches are tactical. They may not always be optimal, but they are versatile and shine when:

you don’t have a rule-based approach available, or the rule-based approach is tedious.
the available answer choices allow for elimination through logical thinking.
the problem is beyond the scope of a single rule-based approach.

Students always want to ask themselves which approach will be the most accurate and efficient for them.

Two creative ways to solve SAT problems are: (see lesson for more details)

Testing Answers
Choosing Numbers