February 18, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Durham, NC – Very soon Durham Public Schools students will use their cell phones to learn SAT vocabulary words. Thanks to a unique partnership with the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Urban Planet Mobile, Durham Public Schools is pleased to participate in SAT Remix, a program designed to help teenagers improve their vocabulary in preparation for the SAT exam.
This out-of-the-box learning initiative will be offered to all DPS 11th graders free of charge, due to the generosity of our partners.
Dr. Eric Becoats, Superintendent of Durham Public Schools, highlighted the partnership as one example of the district’s new strategic plan.
“One of our goals is to strategically collaborate with local, regional and global organizations to support student learning,” said Becoats. “We only launched the plan a couple weeks ago, and we are already seeing fruit.”
Between March 6 and June 2, students will receive a text message Sunday through Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The message will include a “Word of the Day” with an audio link to definitions.
The link contains music and multiple uses of the word in order to help students better remember the meaning of the word. The lessons focus on the 300 most missed words on the SAT. The audio lesson can be turned into a ringtone and Urban Planet Mobile is the only company in the world that offers this feature. The lessons work with both data and non-data phones and contain no advertisements.
SAT Remix has already yielded significant results. Students in a pilot program in Savannah, Georgia demonstrated significant gains.
“Students using SAT Remix have increased their scores by a minimum of 150 points,” said Brian OliverSmith, CEO of Urban Planet Mobile. “Motivating teenage students to study is never an easy task. With SAT Remix we’re reaching teenagers through their favorite outlets, texting and music.”
Words of the Day delivered by text can also be incorporated into lessons by 11th grade teachers. Pre-tests and post-tests will be administered to monitor progress.
To learn more about the program, parents are encouraged to attend an information meeting on February 22 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the DPS Staff Development Center located at 2107 Hillandale Road. Information can also be found at the SAT Remix website: www.satremix.com.
###
CONTACT:
- Tahira Stalberte, Chief Communications Officer 919-560-9112 (office) 919-358-8876 (cell)
- Jeff Nash, Communications Coordinator 919-560-2602 (office)
