Counselor FAQ

Find out answers to frequently asked questions about how Full Circle Education's program works, timelines, how juniors and sophomores work together, and more about teaching staff and student eligibility.

1. What is the timeframe/timeline of the program?
The program starts in December with a diagnostic test and ends in June with the administration of the SAT. Classes are once per week for 2 hours after-school. The program does not run during Regents week in January, mid-winter break in February, or Spring Break in April.

2. Why do students in the program take the June SAT test instead of the May SAT test?
Students take the June test to benefit from an extra month of test preparation. Furthermore, June is a month that is uninterrupted by school breaks, whereas the May test occurs soon after the students return from Spring break. Several students who are entitled to fee waivers in May take both tests.

3. How many students may be enrolled in one module at a school?
Typically a Full Circle Education class or module is made up of 15-20 sophomores and 15-20 juniors. More than one module may be run at a school.

4. How many Full Circle Education staff members are present for each class.
Each class is supervised by two Full Circle Education staff members (one math and one reading trainer).

5. Are the tutoring sessions between junior’s and sophomore’s supervised?
Yes. On the weeks in which students are tutoring each other, Full Circle Education staff are monitoring the 15 or so paired sessions that are done simultaneously to make sure the strategies and content are being taught in the correct manner.

6. Who are the Full Circle staff members?
The Full Circle Education staff are made up of dedicated professional SAT tutors.

7. How much does the program cost to schools?
The program costs $1,000 per module (made up of 15 juniors and 15 sophomores).

8. What materials are included in the program?
Students will receive an SAT book published by the College Board, a notebook, worksheets/curricula/quizzes, and if they don’t own one already, a calculator.

9. How many practice tests do the students take?
The participants take two practice tests in addition to the diagnostic test administered in December.

10. How are junior’s paired with sophomore’s?
Juniors are assigned a partner largely based on the scores from the diagnostic test. Students are paired so that their diagnostic score on each section differs by no more than 50 points per section. The purpose of the standard is to pair students in such a way that the Junior has to master topics that he/she is struggling with before teaching them to a sophomore who is likewise struggling. Input from the school is also factored in to pairing decisions.

11. What students are eligible for the program?
The program is designed for juniors who score between 800-1000 points combined in the core SAT sections (math and reading) on the diagnostic test and whose chances of attending college would increase dramatically with a score above 1000. The program is not appropriate for students who show extreme deficiency in language or math skills, or whose IEP would suggest a mismatch between cognitive profile and program demands. The program is also not a good fit for students who have demonstrated attendance or behavior problems in the past.

12. How are students nominated and made aware of the program?
The students are nominated by the school, which has a good sense, from PSAT scores, of the potential score ranges of its students. A parent night is held in December to answer questions and discuss the program. Students who qualify by score, and meet the attendance/behavior requirements, are invited to attend.

13. Where does the program  take place?
The program takes place at the school.

14. When  does  the  program  take  place?
After school, once a week for 2 hours, from January to June.

15. By what deadline do schools have to sign up for the program?
By October 31st.

16. What kind of results can students expect after completing the program?
Data from students completing the full two-year program is not yet available since Full Circle Circle is not two years old.  Schools in their debut year cannot expect to evaluate results for two years, when the first cohort of sophomores completes the program.