SCA’s Higher Achievement Program (HAP)

 

 

 

The Higher Achievement Program

 

The Higher Achievement Program (HAP) at SCA is an immersive program targeted at preparing girls entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grades for the Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools (TACHS). Over the course of the program, students will be exposed to the testing format, test-taking strategies, and area-specific content in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, students will also be introduced to the high school environment, SCA’s STEM Lab and Robotics program, and a variety of sports.

 

What sets HAP apart from other summer prep programs is its holistic benefit. Students will enter the program and be assessed on their skills in a diagnostic exam. Before the end of the program, students will be retested to measure their growth in each area. Students will also be given recommendations for continued preparation for the TACHS and in the academic school year.

 

 

 Critical Reading

 

Critical Reading in HAP consists of timed-reading exercises, skill-building exercises, and leveled reading exercises for students to grow comfortable with reading comprehension they may face on the exam. Strategies will be introduced and applied for students to be more successful as they advance toward the TACHS.

 

• Active Reading
• Timed-reading exercises
• Skill Reinforcement
• Scaffolded, leveled reading practice
• Test-taking strategies

 

ELA

 

English Language Arts in HAP takes students through parts of speech, grammar, usage and mechanics, and punctuation necessary for success in middle and high school with a specific focus on exam-style questions for greater success on the TACHS. Students will have the opportunity to explore different rules of the standard conventions of English and apply these rules by correcting errors in writing that goes beyond the scope of the TACHS to enrich the student’s writing for the next academic year. 

 

• Review of Parts of Speech
• Grammar
• Usage and Mechanics
• Punctuation
• Clarity of Expression
• Paragraph Improvement

Mathematics

 

HAP looks at the following topics in Mathematics to help students achieve more on the TACHS: estimation, pre-algebra/algebra, geometry, ratios and proportions, and mental math. In a supported environment, students will use a variety of tools to help solidify their understanding of topics. Beyond the scope of traditional Mathematics, students will be exposed to the ability section on the TACHS that consists of a series of patterns and matrices, which allows students to perform to their true ability. 

 

• Estimation
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Ratios and Proportions
• Mental Math
• Ability and nonverbal reasoning
• Matrices

Click here to register for HAP.