Last year, the company CogniTutor asked if any of the HS4CC leadership would like to receive free tutoring in exchange for writing a review. CogniTutor offers live Zoom tutoring for subjects as well as exams. Two of our moderators participated in a session. This post shares their experiences with the product.
Besides the free classes, no one received any kind of compensation for their participation.
The offer: “We would like to offer 5 students a 3-hour workshop on your choice of test: either ACT or SAT. In the workshop, we will donate 1 hour to 3 of the sections: Reading, English, & Math. The normal cost of this would be $1200, which we are giving to you for free. In the workshops, we would speak about the test, give strategies, as well as give real test practice. let me know if you would like to proceed with this.”
What they got: “Hi Jennifer, they received almost the same. The only difference is that they did not receive the workbooks that we use as we have to charge for that and cannot give that part for free. However, the strategies that we gave and practice we gave was the same. The cost without the workbooks is $40 per hour; the cost with the workbooks is $50 per hour. They each got 3.5 hours for free, which would equate to $140 for an individual (since no workbooks). “
The free version use by our moderators was a limited version of their full program.
How it works (from their website)
Consultation: Your student will take a pre-assessment that will make the tutoring as efficient as possible. We will go over the tutoring process with you and go over any questions you may have.
Matching: We assemble an entire team consisting of the parent, the tutor, the tutor’s administrator, and your student’s teacher based on your student’s strengths, knowledge, and learning style. This team will help devise a personalized plan for your student’s success.
Tutoring with session reports: Your tutor will help your student based on the plan we’ve developed and you will get updates on the improvements, homework, and what they went over after each session. The goals will be revised as needed based on your student’s progress.
- Phase 1: Student learns strategies and new content during tutoring.
- Phase 2: Student learns to apply content knowledge to problems on the test and works on time management.
- Phase 3: Student and tutor work on evaluating student’s weaknesses and continue focused work while practicing the test as a whole.
Results: Your student will see great results early on. The major and long term improvements are expected to show up closer to the middle and end of tutoring. We are excited to see your students succeed! Remember that results depend heavily on how much work a student puts into their preparation. They will do well if they are engaged, complete their homework, bring their homework/calculator/materials, and ask questions.
HS4CC Moderator Comments
Kim Iverson, HS4CC Texas Moderator
“I was given an opportunity to go through CogniTutor’s ACT prep class in exchange for a review of the program. My son is a Sophomore in high school. We started with a 30-minute overview of what to expect from the program and some facts about what the ACT tests for and some tricks to help you succeed at taking the test. This was a good introduction of the program and how to succeed. After this we had three one-hour sessions focused on each main subject of the exam; reading, math, and then science and English were combined into one session.
The morning of our first full session we were sent a practice ACT test with answers. Each session started with a PowerPoint presentation explaining the details of that subject’s test including time allowed for each question, tactics to use to answer as many questions as possible, and what to do if you start to run out of time. We had time to practice each section while on the Zoom session and then practiced on our own time before the next session.”
They offer an increased score guarantee, which from their terms of agreement looks like it’s only offered to individual session clients who complete at least 20 hours of one-on-one sessions, all weekly assignments as assigned, the pre-assessment before the sessions begin, and at least five practice tests prior to the official test.
comments by Masuma Niv, HS4CC New York Moderator
My daughter will most likely take the ACT and hasn’t taken it yet. The SAT/ACT sessions were as detailed as possible for a student in the 9th grade. My daughter was pleased to have an overview of the structure of each test and a clear plan for her next steps in preparation. Amber (CogniTutor) was patient and consistent.
Would You Recommend Them?
Kim: Yes. I think the information provided was helpful and definitely gave my son a better idea of what to expect on the day of the test. I believe my son got enough out of the sessions that we are considering paying for sessions prior to his April exam.
Masuma: Yes. The service would be worth paying for, provided the number of sessions was increased, etc.
