ACT and SAT Test Dates for 2017-2018

ACT and SAT Test Dates for 2017-2018 The beginning of the school year is a great time to begin planning your testing schedule. Both the SAT and the ACT are offered throughout the year, but its crucial to know which dates will work best for you. Having a testing plan in place can greatly decrease your junior or senior year stress. Reasons to prepare your testing schedule at the start of the school year can include staying on top of registration deadlines, allowing time to send scores to colleges and universities, and ensuring adequate prep time prior to test day. Like the sound of making a plan, but not sure where to start? Keep reading to learn about the 17-18 test dates and registration deadlines. And dont forgetVarsity Tutors offers personalized, one-on-one SAT tutoring and ACT tutoring. SAT test dates When preparing a list of potential SAT test dates, its important to note any registration deadlines to ensure you dont miss them. Below are the SAT test dates released by The College Board for the 2017-2018 school year. Click here to register for a particular exam date. * The first late registration deadline is for mailed registrations, while the second is for online or telephone registrations. The SAT also offered tests on August 26 and October 7, 2017, and registration dates fell approximately 10 days to a month before exam day. If you are interested in taking the first SAT of the 2018-2019 school year, be sure to register before the beginning of August 2018 to ensure a spot. [RELATED: How to Create an SAT Prep Plan] ACT test dates Its important to note that for both the SAT and the ACT, there is an additional fee of $29.00 (SAT)/$29.50 (ACT) to take the exam if you miss the initial registration deadline but register before the late registration deadline. Below are the ACT test dates released by ACT.org for the 2017-2018 school year. Click here to register for a particular exam date. The ACT also offered a test on September 9, 2017, and registration dates fell approximately several weeks to a month before exam day. Note registration deadlines for the 2018-2019 ACT schedule as the new school year approaches if you wish to take the first test of the year. [RELATED: How to Create an ACT Prep Plan] Schedule for ACT/SAT score release When planning your testing schedule, consider when your scores are due to colleges. For example, if you must submit results by a certain month, you will want to schedule your exam date well in advance of that deadline. At certain schools, you may also need to submit your scores by a specific date in order to qualify for grants or scholarships. [RELATED: Should I Take the ACT or SAT?] Adequate ACT/SAT prep time You should also ensure that you allow yourself plenty of prep time before the examafter all, no one wants to take the ACT or the SAT until they feel ready. Take a moment to be honest with yourself and to evaluate your progress; examine just how much prep time you will need in order to reach your desired score, and dont schedule a test date before then. Private SAT tutoring or ACT tutoring may also be of use to you as you strive to achieve your test prep goals. Finally, good luck! Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

What is it Like to Attend Queens College, City University of New York

What is it Like to Attend Queens College, City University of New York Erika is a current sophomore at Queens College, City University of New York. She is majoring in elementary education, and specializes in Spanish tutoring, test prep tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, she shares her experience at Queens College, City University of New York: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Erika: Queens College has a great city vibe. Its a spacious campus with many opportunities for students. Most students commute to campus, so thats generally the main transportation option for students. How available are the professors, academic advisors, and teaching assistants? Erika:I feel the professors, advisors, and teaching assistants are very helpful to students. They are always available to assist students when needed. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students, etc.? Erika:The campus is very beautiful and is a great place to meet people. The social life on campus is hugetheres always something going on and students are always eager to interact with each other. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? What did you study and why? Erika:Im majoring in elementary school education. I feel my major is very well supported by the school and that I have all the resources I need. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Erika:Meeting other people isnt hard at all on campus, and there are always chances to get involved. Greek life does play a big part in campus social life. How helpful are the Career Center and other student support services? Erika:I find the career center on campus to be very helpful and always available to help students. How are the various study areas, such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Erika:The campus has tons of study areas for students that are always great to take advantage of. Describe the surrounding town. Erika:The campus is in the middle of the city, so there are lots of chances to explore the surrounding area. There are so many things for students to do close to campus. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Erika:The student body is pretty large in size. I was always happy with the sizes of my classes and never felt they were too big or too small. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most. Erika:A memorable experience Ive had so far was with my art class professor. He inspired us to use everything to learn to draw, and taught us a new meaning of art. Check out Erikastutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Do Computer-Based Cognitive Training Programs Help Kids with ADHD

Do Computer-Based Cognitive Training Programs Help Kids with ADHD Commuter-based cognitive training programs have been marketed for over a decade as interventions that can improve memory and attention in kids with ADHD. The appeal of computerized programs that can have a lasting effect on ADHD symptoms is obvious, especially for parents who have watched their child struggle daily with memory and attention challenges at school and at home. Many parents hope that these programs will be the magic bullet that finally helps their child reach his or her full potential. But, before enrolling their child and committing a significant amount of time and money, parents are faced with the challenge of evaluating the true effectiveness of computer-based programs. This is no small task, particularly given the vast amount of conflicting information available online. What the Research Says Unbiased research published by scientists who are unaffiliated with the cognitive training programs themselves provides the most reliable source of information about the programs effectiveness. Results from these studies arent always easily found in online searches, so many parents may not realize that currently in the United States and internationally there is a sizable investment in research on ADHD and computer-based cognitive training programs. Recently, a number of researchers have combined and analyzed the data from many studies so they could draw more accurate conclusions about the effectiveness of computer programs for kids with ADHD. Results from these studies have consistently indicated that children with ADHD do not show any improvement in ADHD symptoms, academic performance, behavior, or memory at school or at home after completing computer-based programs. When improvements were observed, they were limited to gains on the computer tasks that the children had spent hours p racticing through the program. Unfortunately, improvements on computer tasks did not translate into real-world gains. Basically, computer-based programs help kids get better at completing the programs they are using, but they do not lead to observable improvements in ADHD symptoms or functioning.1,2,3 Being an Educated Consumer The current research suggests that parents should be cautious about enrolling their children in computer-based cognitive training programs for ADHD. For parents who are considering one of the many cognitive training programs currently available, ask the following questions as part of your pre-enrollment evaluation: How many research studies have been conducted with this particular cognitive training program? Who funded the research, an independent agency or the private company that owns the computer program? Was real-world improvement seen in ADHD symptoms and functioning at home and at school? How will you know if the program is effective and your child is actually improving? Remember- you will see results at home or at school with any effective treatment. Also, ask yourself and your child the following question: What activities will your child need to give up in order to find the time needed to complete the computer-based program? Every hour spent alone in front of a computer represents time that is not spent socializing or engaging in physical activity both of which are especially important for kids with ADHD. Computer-based cognitive training programs require a significant investment of time and money. Before enrolling, think about your childs specific challenges and consider alternative targeted interventions with proven track records in the areas where your child needs help the most. These can be academic interventions, social interventions, programs that help kids learn to manage their emotions, or behavioral treatments that target ADHD symptoms specifically. Targeted interventions with a history of proven outcomes are most likely to lead to real-world results for your child with ADHD. 1Rapport, M.D., Orban, S.A., Kofler, M.J., Friedman, L.M. (2013). Do programs designed to train working memory, other executive functions, and attention benefit children with ADHD? A meta-analytic review of cognitive, academic, and behavioral outcomes. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 1237-52. 2Sonuga-Barke, E., Brandeis, D., Holtmann, M., Cortese, S. (2014). Computer-based cognitive training for ADHD: a review of current evidence. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinics of North America, 23(4), 807-24. 3Cortese, S. et al., (2015). Cognitive training for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: meta-analysis of clinical and neuropsychological outcomes from randomized controlled trials. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(3), 164-174 ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Dont Confuse These Words!

Dont Confuse These Words! I recently wrote  a post about common mistakes people make when learning English.  It got me thinking about many  words that are commonly confused for English learners.  Maybe its because the words look alike or sound alike, but often they have completely different meanings and could sound a bit silly.  We dont want to sound silly when were asking to use  a pen, right?BORROW vs. LENDThis is  one of the most common confusions for Spanish speakers.  This is because in Spanish, the same verb, prestar, is used for both borrow and lend.  Just try to remember: borrow=take, lend=give.  So, if we want to take something from someone (and of course give it back), we use borrow.  If you are giving something to someone (temporarily), we use lend.Can I borrow your pen?(Can I take your pen?)Can you lend me your pen?(Can you give me your pen?)You can borrow my pen.(You can take my pen.)I can lend you my pen.(I can give you my pen.)When in doubt, try filling in the sentence with take and give , and see which makes sense.  For example, if you try saying, Can I give your pen? that doesnt sound right, so we would not use lend.  Then, try saying, Can I take your pen?  That makes sense, so we know we use borrow.CLOTHS vs. CLOTHESThese nouns look similar and have similar meanings, but there is a difference in pronunciation.  To understand their slight differences, lets take a look at the meanings of these three words:Cloth  |klôTH|: fabric; the material used to make clothes.  This is an uncountable noun.Pronounced with short /o/ and soft /th/Example: I bought some cloth to make a dress.(pl. cloths |klôT?Hz, klôTHs|):  pieces  of fabric; the material we use to make clothesThis is a countable noun.Pronounced with short /o/ and soft /th/Example: I used two cloths to clean the kitchen.Clothes  |klo(T?H)z|: things we wear to cover our bodies.This is a plural uncountable noun.  It has no singular form and cannot be used with numbers.Pronounce with long /o/, hard /th/, and / z/ sound at the endExample: My clothes are in the washing machine.DEAD vs. DIEDeath is never a fun topic of conversation, but it can be improved  with the correct use of these words.  In Taiwan, my students often said things like, My grandmother is die, or She dead last year.Lets clarify:  Dead  |ded|  (adjective): no longer aliveRemember that we use the be verb with adjectivesExample: My fish is dead.Die  |di| (verb): to stop livingRemember that since this  is a verb, we need to use the correct tense.Example: My fish died yesterday.So, when you  are discussing this unfortunate topic, just  remember which one is the  adjective and which is the verb.EXPERIENCE vs. EXPERIMENTThese words are easy to confuse because they sound so similar, but they have completely different meanings.  Many native Spanish speakers confuse them because the noun, experiencia can sometimes mean experiment.Experience  (noun): there are a few different ways to talk about experience:Skill, practical knowledge , backgroundExample: She has a lot of experience, so she got a job easily.Event, incidentShe traveled to Chile.  It was a great experience.Involvement, participation, contact withThe new job was his first experience  with business.Experiment (noun): a scientific procedure to discover, test, or demonstrate somethingThe class did an experiment to see if a plant would grow without sunlight.ADVISE vs. ADVICERemember that advise means to give advice  or a suggestion to help  someone.  With these two, people usually mix up the pronunciation, so lets practice:Advise: the second syllable has a hard /z/ soundMy teacher advised me to  take a class with LOI to improve my English.Advice: the second syllable has a soft /s/ soundMy teacher gives a lot of good advice.Time to put it all together!  Complete the sentences and write your answers in the comments section.Its getting cold!  We should buy some _______ to wear this winter.We will all ___ someday.When she went to University, she had to ______ money from her parents.The ______ got really dirty when I used them to clean the oven.My mom gives good ______ about raising children.Scientists conducted an __________ on mice to learn more about the disease.The dog I had when I was little is ____ now.My friend asked me to ____ him my car for the weekend.They didnt hire her for the job because she has no __________ in the field.They always ______ you to wash your hands.Want to make sure youre not confusing any more words?  Sign up for a class with LOI, or check out these posts for more practice:say vs. telljob vs. workhear vs. listenspeak vs. talk

October Language Challenge Video Pledges 3

October Language Challenge Video Pledges 3 See Whos Taking October  Language Challenge If you are taking October Language challenge were  giving away 50 free ITC if you make a video challenge pledge. Life Hacks research  has shown that if you put yourself up to something by doing it in public, you follow through because others are watching.  So use peer pressure to your advantage!  So help out your fellow language learners participating in the challenge!  Leave them words of encouragement on their notebook entries!  And dont forget to sign up for yourself, and get the summer of to a great start! Click the links below to see: October  Language Challenge Video Pledges 1 October Language Challenge Video Pledges 2 October Language Challenge Video Pledges 4 Helga from Russia, is learning Italian Helga is going to learn Italian. She speaks Italian quiet well but she is so struggle with propositions, articles and talking about the past. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Kheryee from Malaysia, is learning French Kheryee is learning French. Her goal at the end of the challenge would be to carry out two minutes of conversation in French with a stranger. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Jonathan  from the United States, is learning Spanish and Italian Jonathan is learning Spanish and Italian. He wants to improve his Spanish also because his family speak Spanish. Moreover Jonathan wants to improve his Italian because he travels frequently for work in Italy. Cheer him on by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Frank  from the United States, is learning Spanish Frank is learning Spanish. He wants to improve his listening and speaking. His goal is to have a conversation with a native speaker for five or ten minutes. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his  notebook. Jesee  from the United States, is learning Spanish Jesee is going to learn Spanish. His goal is just to become more natural to speak Spanish. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his  notebook. Mr Coffee  from France, is learning Spanish Mr Coffee is going to learn Spanish. He lives in Argentina and he would like to improve his grammar.  Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Clarissa  from Australia, is learning Icelandic Clarissa is going to learn Icelandic. Her goal is to be able to hold a basic conversation in Icelandic for five minutes at the end of the two weeks challenge period. She has never learned Icelandic before and so she is starting completely from scratch. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Ian  from the United States, is learning Spanish, Cebuano and American Sign Language Ian is learning Cebuano, one of many languages of the Philippines, because it is the native language of some of his family members. He is also brushing up on Spanish and he has started learning American Sign Language. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Jairet  from the United States, is learning  Portuguese Jairet is going to learn Portuguese. His goal for the challenge is to improve his ability to speak about the past. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Maureen  from United Kingdom, is learning Catalan Maureen is Scottish and she is going to learn Portuguese. She wants to do the italki Challenge to improve her Catalan and now normally she has three lessons each week. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. October Language Challenge Video Pledges 3 See Whos Taking October  Language Challenge If you are taking October Language challenge were  giving away 50 free ITC if you make a video challenge pledge. Life Hacks research  has shown that if you put yourself up to something by doing it in public, you follow through because others are watching.  So use peer pressure to your advantage!  So help out your fellow language learners participating in the challenge!  Leave them words of encouragement on their notebook entries!  And dont forget to sign up for yourself, and get the summer of to a great start! Click the links below to see: October  Language Challenge Video Pledges 1 October Language Challenge Video Pledges 2 October Language Challenge Video Pledges 4 Helga from Russia, is learning Italian Helga is going to learn Italian. She speaks Italian quiet well but she is so struggle with propositions, articles and talking about the past. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Kheryee from Malaysia, is learning French Kheryee is learning French. Her goal at the end of the challenge would be to carry out two minutes of conversation in French with a stranger. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Jonathan  from the United States, is learning Spanish and Italian Jonathan is learning Spanish and Italian. He wants to improve his Spanish also because his family speak Spanish. Moreover Jonathan wants to improve his Italian because he travels frequently for work in Italy. Cheer him on by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Frank  from the United States, is learning Spanish Frank is learning Spanish. He wants to improve his listening and speaking. His goal is to have a conversation with a native speaker for five or ten minutes. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his  notebook. Jesee  from the United States, is learning Spanish Jesee is going to learn Spanish. His goal is just to become more natural to speak Spanish. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his  notebook. Mr Coffee  from France, is learning Spanish Mr Coffee is going to learn Spanish. He lives in Argentina and he would like to improve his grammar.  Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Clarissa  from Australia, is learning Icelandic Clarissa is going to learn Icelandic. Her goal is to be able to hold a basic conversation in Icelandic for five minutes at the end of the two weeks challenge period. She has never learned Icelandic before and so she is starting completely from scratch. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Ian  from the United States, is learning Spanish, Cebuano and American Sign Language Ian is learning Cebuano, one of many languages of the Philippines, because it is the native language of some of his family members. He is also brushing up on Spanish and he has started learning American Sign Language. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Jairet  from the United States, is learning  Portuguese Jairet is going to learn Portuguese. His goal for the challenge is to improve his ability to speak about the past. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Maureen  from United Kingdom, is learning Catalan Maureen is Scottish and she is going to learn Portuguese. She wants to do the italki Challenge to improve her Catalan and now normally she has three lessons each week. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. October Language Challenge Video Pledges 3 See Whos Taking October  Language Challenge If you are taking October Language challenge were  giving away 50 free ITC if you make a video challenge pledge. Life Hacks research  has shown that if you put yourself up to something by doing it in public, you follow through because others are watching.  So use peer pressure to your advantage!  So help out your fellow language learners participating in the challenge!  Leave them words of encouragement on their notebook entries!  And dont forget to sign up for yourself, and get the summer of to a great start! Click the links below to see: October  Language Challenge Video Pledges 1 October Language Challenge Video Pledges 2 October Language Challenge Video Pledges 4 Helga from Russia, is learning Italian Helga is going to learn Italian. She speaks Italian quiet well but she is so struggle with propositions, articles and talking about the past. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Kheryee from Malaysia, is learning French Kheryee is learning French. Her goal at the end of the challenge would be to carry out two minutes of conversation in French with a stranger. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Jonathan  from the United States, is learning Spanish and Italian Jonathan is learning Spanish and Italian. He wants to improve his Spanish also because his family speak Spanish. Moreover Jonathan wants to improve his Italian because he travels frequently for work in Italy. Cheer him on by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Frank  from the United States, is learning Spanish Frank is learning Spanish. He wants to improve his listening and speaking. His goal is to have a conversation with a native speaker for five or ten minutes. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his  notebook. Jesee  from the United States, is learning Spanish Jesee is going to learn Spanish. His goal is just to become more natural to speak Spanish. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his  notebook. Mr Coffee  from France, is learning Spanish Mr Coffee is going to learn Spanish. He lives in Argentina and he would like to improve his grammar.  Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Clarissa  from Australia, is learning Icelandic Clarissa is going to learn Icelandic. Her goal is to be able to hold a basic conversation in Icelandic for five minutes at the end of the two weeks challenge period. She has never learned Icelandic before and so she is starting completely from scratch. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Ian  from the United States, is learning Spanish, Cebuano and American Sign Language Ian is learning Cebuano, one of many languages of the Philippines, because it is the native language of some of his family members. He is also brushing up on Spanish and he has started learning American Sign Language. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Jairet  from the United States, is learning  Portuguese Jairet is going to learn Portuguese. His goal for the challenge is to improve his ability to speak about the past. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Maureen  from United Kingdom, is learning Catalan Maureen is Scottish and she is going to learn Portuguese. She wants to do the italki Challenge to improve her Catalan and now normally she has three lessons each week. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. October Language Challenge Video Pledges 3 See Whos Taking October  Language Challenge If you are taking October Language challenge were  giving away 50 free ITC if you make a video challenge pledge. Life Hacks research  has shown that if you put yourself up to something by doing it in public, you follow through because others are watching.  So use peer pressure to your advantage!  So help out your fellow language learners participating in the challenge!  Leave them words of encouragement on their notebook entries!  And dont forget to sign up for yourself, and get the summer of to a great start! Click the links below to see: October  Language Challenge Video Pledges 1 October Language Challenge Video Pledges 2 October Language Challenge Video Pledges 4 Helga from Russia, is learning Italian Helga is going to learn Italian. She speaks Italian quiet well but she is so struggle with propositions, articles and talking about the past. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Kheryee from Malaysia, is learning French Kheryee is learning French. Her goal at the end of the challenge would be to carry out two minutes of conversation in French with a stranger. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Jonathan  from the United States, is learning Spanish and Italian Jonathan is learning Spanish and Italian. He wants to improve his Spanish also because his family speak Spanish. Moreover Jonathan wants to improve his Italian because he travels frequently for work in Italy. Cheer him on by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Frank  from the United States, is learning Spanish Frank is learning Spanish. He wants to improve his listening and speaking. His goal is to have a conversation with a native speaker for five or ten minutes. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his  notebook. Jesee  from the United States, is learning Spanish Jesee is going to learn Spanish. His goal is just to become more natural to speak Spanish. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his  notebook. Mr Coffee  from France, is learning Spanish Mr Coffee is going to learn Spanish. He lives in Argentina and he would like to improve his grammar.  Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Clarissa  from Australia, is learning Icelandic Clarissa is going to learn Icelandic. Her goal is to be able to hold a basic conversation in Icelandic for five minutes at the end of the two weeks challenge period. She has never learned Icelandic before and so she is starting completely from scratch. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook. Ian  from the United States, is learning Spanish, Cebuano and American Sign Language Ian is learning Cebuano, one of many languages of the Philippines, because it is the native language of some of his family members. He is also brushing up on Spanish and he has started learning American Sign Language. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Jairet  from the United States, is learning  Portuguese Jairet is going to learn Portuguese. His goal for the challenge is to improve his ability to speak about the past. Give him some support by leaving a quick message in his notebook. Maureen  from United Kingdom, is learning Catalan Maureen is Scottish and she is going to learn Portuguese. She wants to do the italki Challenge to improve her Catalan and now normally she has three lessons each week. Give her some support by leaving a quick message in her notebook.

Bad News For College Students Sugar Is Definitely Bad For You

Bad News For College Students Sugar Is Definitely Bad For You pexels.com According to newly released historical documents, back in the 1960s, it’s suggested that the sugar industry paid scientists to downplay a certain link between sugar and heart disease, placing the blame instead on saturated fat. A researcher from the University of California in San Francisco uncovered these documents from the sugar industry and published them in JAMA Internal Medicine. And what these documents suggest is that over 50 years of research into nutrition and heart disease were shaped, on a large scale, by the sugar industry. So today’s dietary recommendations quite possibly hold no merit. According to Stanton Glantz, professor of medicine at UCSF (and an author of JAMA paper), “They were able to derail the discussion about sugar for decades.” Even worse? The Sugar Research Foundation (or the Sugar Association, as it’s known today), paid three Harvard scientists $50,000 (today’s money) to publish a review on sugar, fat and heart disease that minimized the link between sugar and heart disease and instead cast the blame on saturated fat. In other words, this article was falsified to hide the real harm sugar does to the body. And while this is a seemingly isolated incident back in 1967, this isn’t the only indication that the food industry has been influencing nutrition studies and recommendations. In fact, just last year the New York Times uncovered the fact that Coca-Cola gave millions to researchers to downplay the link between sugary drinks and obesity. And the Associated Press also recently reported that candy companies were funding studies that were showing kids that eat candy weigh less than those who don’t. Of course, now the scientists from Harvard involved in the sugar scandal are no longer alive and neither are the sugar executives responsible for paying them off. And the sugar industry has since responded to the JAMA report that called them out for funding studies that benefited them, but they claimed that the 1967 review came out at a time where the researchers weren’t required to disclose their funding sources. According to the Sugar Association, the industry “should have exercised greater transparency in all of its research activities.” But even in saying that, the association continued to defend the research in saying that it concluded sugar “does not have a unique role in heart disease.” So why is this important? Lying isn’t the worst part, it’s the way it has affected the population that is now a problem. Because of these studies, the general population believed that sugar was less harmful than saturated fats, so people began consuming low-fat, high sugar foods to control their fat intake. What this has done, as sugar is actually the culprit, is fueled a prevalent obesity crisis even further. According to Glantz, “it was a very smart thing the sugar industry did, because review papers, especially if you get them published in a very prominent journal, tend to shape the overall scientific discussion.” So essentially what happened is this research, that was manipulated for the sugar companies, influenced the government’s dietary recommendations, which in turn suggested to consumers that sugar wasn’t nearly as bad as it actually was. Instead of sugar, saturated fat was seen as a major cause of heart disease, and sugar was emphasized as nothing more than empty calories. And while recently saturated fat warnings still exist, the American Heart Associate, the World Health Organization and other health authorities have warned against added sugar in large amounts for cardiovascular risks. According to Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at NYU, there is “compelling evidence” that the sugar company funded this research “expressly to exonerate sugar as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease … I think it’s appalling. You just never see examples that are this blatant.” And according to Dr. Walter Willett, the chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this is “why research should be supported by public funding rather than depending on industry funding. Given the data that we have today, we have shown the refined carbohydrates and especially sugar-sweetened beverages are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but that the type of dietary fat is also very important.” Everything is documented through archives at Harvard as well as at the University of Illinois and other libraries. These archives are complete with statements from John Hickson, the top sugar industry executive, in which he says things such as “we can publish the data and refute our detractors” and, upon reading the review, “Let me assure you this is quite what we had in mind, and we look forward to its appearance in print.” Essentially, this looks very bad for the sugar industry. And it’s only a matter of time before the news spreads faster and there are bigger issues at hand. Moral of the story: don’t believe everything you read.

5 Best Middle Schools in Dallas

5 Best Middle Schools in Dallas Middle school can be a transformative time for kids as they prepare themselves for a high school curriculum. There are many outstanding middle school in Dallas, but we wanted to check out which ones are the highest performing.After researching the best middle schools in Dallas we now have the concrete proof just how great they are. For our first ranking in our school district series, we’ll show you how we calculated the Texas Education Agency’s metrics from the most recent report (2014) to rank each school that met their standards. While the TEA Index is pretty comprehensive, Frog Tutoring decided to evaluate a couple additional factors in the study we found. The following methodology was used in calculation:STAAR Expectations (48%): When taking the STAAR test into consideration, we look at the percentage of students who met or exceeded the expectations of the test in a given year.TEA Index (48%): We utilized the Texas Education Agency’s 4 areas of academic excellence, which co nsist of Student Achievement, Student Progress, Closing Performance Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness.Class Size (2%): Student-to-teacher ratio is important for an individual’s learning, so we took this into consideration.Online Reviews (2%): We have weighted each school’s popularity score based on Facebook reviews, Greatschools.org reviews, and K12.Niche.org reviews.If you’d like to see a more in-depth look at the TEA’s metrics for accountability standards, please click here. To determine a definitive ranking for the top middle schools in Dallas, we combined these 7 factors to create one number to compare and contrast the success of each middle school.Are you ready to take a look at the best middle schools in Dallas? Let's go!1. Ewell D Walker MiddleEwell D Walker Middle is number one on our list with a TEA rating of 208. It’s STAAR expectations met are the highest at the middle school level with 65% of its students meeting or exceeding standards. Although the class size of the school is 21 students, that doesn’t mean these students aren’t getting the attention they need. Ewell D Walker has also earned distinctions in Science, Social Studies, and Postsecondary Readiness to name a few.2. Raul Quintanilla Sr MiddleRaul Quintanilla Sr Middle is number two on our list with a TEA rating of 177. It’s STAAR expectations met are the highest at the middle school level with 60% of its students meeting or exceeding standards. The average class size of the school is 16 students, which means every student is getting the attention they need. Raul Quintanilla Sr Middle has also earned distinctions in Mathematics, Science, and Top 25% Student Progress.3. Benjamin Franklin MiddleBenjamin Franklin Middle is number three on our list with a TEA rating of 189. It’s STAAR expectations met are the highest at the middle school level with 56% of its students meeting or exceeding standards. The average class size of the school is 18 students, which means every studen t is getting the attention they need. Benjamin Franklin Middle has also earned distinctions in Science, Postsecondary Readiness, and Reading/ELA.4. J L Long MiddleJ L Long Middle is number four on our list with a TEA rating of 184. It’s STAAR expectations met are the highest at the middle school level with 55% of its students meeting or exceeding standards. The average class size of the school is 20 students, which means every student is getting the attention they need. J L Long Middle has also earned distinctions in Postsecondary Readiness, Mathematics, and Reading/ELA.5. Zan Wesley Holmes Jr MiddleZan Wesley Holmes Jr Middle is number five on our list with a TEA rating of 160. It’s STAAR expectations met are the highest at the middle school level with 57% of its students meeting or exceeding standards. The average class size of the school is 19 students, which means every student is getting the attention they need. Zan Wesley Holmes Jr Middle has also earned distinction in Top 25% Student Progress.Frog Tutoring Dallas Tutors are proud to present the best middle schools in Dallas based on statistics released by the Texas Education Agency. Please share in the comments any personal experience that you have had in the Dallas Independent School District!5 Best Middle Schools in DallasCreate your own infographicsNote: We wanted to take a second to explain our methodology, and how we arrived at factoring in each area of success for our rankings. First, we made an extensive spreadsheet (which you can take a look at for yourself here), and collected all of the data that we needed for our results. Then we converted each factor into a percentage and multiplied that number by the percentage of how much it’s worth in our ranking system. Let’s look at an example:Woodrow Wilson High School’s TEA Index ranking is 235/400.235 / 400 = 58.75%Since this is 22% of our total, we used the percentage above to measure how much it’s worth in our ranking system. Which in t his case is 22% of the total score.58.75 x .22 = 12.93%If you’d like to know more about this process, please contact our coordinator, Judith, at judith@frogtutoring.com.