“As a professor, I love teaching my subject. As a tutor, I love teaching my students.”
Grant Bergland was an intern at The New Yorker, taught at Columbia University, worked as a part-time Professor at The New School, and helped countless students earn top tier (and sometimes perfect) scores on standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, and ISEE tests.
Part of Grant’s secret to being a great educator is that he comes from a family of teachers and has worked as a special education teacher. Over the past 25 years, Grant has taught students from the ages of 8 to 89 as a classroom teacher, private tutor, wrestling coach, curriculum writer, Executive Function Coach, and Adult Education instructor.
Grant Bergland published his thesis at Columbia University and holds a Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Writing. A Master’s degree in English Literature and dual teaching credentials in English Rhetoric/Composition and Art History/Design round out Grant’s background as a master educator. Grant is a member of the National Education Association (NEA), holds a Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) certification, and has a College Reading and Language Association (CRLA) Master Tutor certificate.
As an undergrad, Grant wrestled for Arizona State University’s Division I program and met Dan Gable, Dave Schultz, J. Robinson, Lee Roy Smith, Dan Severn, and trained with two time Olympian Zeke Jones. Grant was a Sun Devil “Spark” award-winning athlete and followed a pre-med curriculum before being hired by Arizona State’s Writing Center where he discovered his love for composition.
“I’d never seen how important writing was until I started looking at my student’s successes and near-misses. Being able to present your thoughts in a way that any other person can feel is hard work. Actually, when you think about it, getting someone to understand you is the most important work we do in our lives.” Grant says.
Within a month of graduation, Grant Bergland was hired by Mt. Diablo Unified School District where he taught for ten years. His first assignment was teaching Economics, Earth Science, and Biology in Clayton Valley High School’s Special Education department. “I learned how to be a great teacher while teaching students with learning differences. I had to teach several classes simultaneously through a combination of various levels of scaffolding to fit my students’ needs. Also, I learned to be an entertainer and “sell” whatever it was that I was teaching at the time.”
Grant Bergland was a case manager for high school students and managed their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), which involved anticipating ways to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities and other obstacles to their education. To complete these IEPs, Grant conducted collaborative meetings with curriculum specialists, speech pathologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers, principals, and parents.
Grant taught every level of High School composition (Grades 9-12), standardized test preparation, wrote curriculum approved to meet the A-F requirements for the University of California, and served as the department chair.
Under the banner of having big dreams and working hard to achieve them, Grant helped many students write admissions essays for applications to top tier colleges: “I can’t tell you how satisfying it was when I’d see a student run towards me across the school quad with an acceptance letter in hand saying: ‘I never thought I’d ever get in!’ It’s a great feeling to know you helped someone start living the life of their dreams,” Grant says.
In 2010, Grant Bergland moved to New York City, aided by a full tuition scholarship from Columbia University and 97th percentile ranking on the Verbal section of the GRE. At Columbia, he studied with notable writers, interned in the Fiction department at The New Yorker magazine, introduced George Saunders to a crowd of over a thousand, and was accepted into the prestigious Bread Loaf Writer’s Workshop founded in 1926 by Robert Frost.
As an academic coach with My Learning Springboard, Grant Bergland has coached dozens of students to earn perfect scores on their SAT and ACT writing prompts and top 1% or perfect scores in all sections. He also tutors middle school students the same skills for the SSAT and ISEE exams with the same level of passion and success. Grant co-authored the ACT and ISEE curriculum for My Learning Springboard and has written both ISEE and ACT test. Moreover, he’s worked as a homeschool teacher for Manhattan families, helped hundreds of students with writing coaching and executive function coaching, and gained a reputation for being able to advise, inspire, and work with any student.
“So much of who we are depends on identity,” Grant says. “Some students think they can never do something and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s my job to help them see and eventually believe they can do more than they ever thought possible. Work is effortless for students who believe that they are writing their own amazing story. I help them find that truth (whatever that might be for them) and get them started on an exciting life. In this way I feel I have the noblest of professions.”
He is a father of two, wrote and directed an award-winning short film, wrote four novels, traveled the world, and rides a very big motorcycle.
CTP
General Information
The Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) is an assessment of students in grades 1-11 often administered at ERB-member schools in person or remotely, but it is also available for students being homeschooled. Results from the test are used both to inform teachers and parents of individual student needs as well as to help teachers and administrators make curriculum and classroom instruction decisions.
Content
It is not one test, but rather a series of tests generally administered over several days or weeks. It covers reading, listening, vocabulary, writing, mathematics, and science. Beginning in 3rd Grade, verbal and quantitative reasoning subtests are included. While the majority of items are multiple-choice, the tests include some fill-in-the-blank and open-ended questions. The number of questions per section differs depending on the level of the test.
There are 10 levels; a different level is used with each grade from 1 to 11. Schools prepare their own testing schedule either in the Fall or Spring testing cycles.
Format
The test can be administered in either a paper-pencil version (CTP-5) or a computer-based version (CTP Online or CTP At Home).
Scoring
The CTP provides percentile and stanine comparisons to national, suburban public, independent school, and association norms. Reports such as the Individual Student Report, Class Roster, and Administrator’s Summary are available to help administrators and teachers identify students’ strengths and weaknesses. Parent reports are among the various report options available to schools. Like the ISEE, also published by the ERB, there is no wrong answer penalty on either of these assessments. Students are encouraged to answer every question.
Testing Schedule
Fall testing: September to February
Spring testing: March to August
Additional Information
ACT
General Information
The ACT is a college entrance exam administered by ACT, Inc. It consists of five sections: English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning, and Writing.
Format and Content
| SECTION # & LENGTH | SUBJECT | QUESTION TYPE | # of QUESTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - 45 min | English | Usage, Mechanics, Rhetorical Skills | 75 MC4 questions (7 reading passages) |
| 2 - 60 min | Math1 | Primary topics: Arithmetic, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Data Analysis | 60 MC questions |
| 3 - 35 min | Reading | 4 Passages: 1 Prose Fiction, 1 Social Science, 1 Humanities, 1 Natural Science | 40 MC questions (10 questions per passage) |
| 4 - 35 min | Science2 | Interpret Charts and Graphs | 15 MC questions (3 reading passages) |
| 4 - 35 min | Science2 | Examine Experimental Results | 18 MC questions (3 reading passages) |
| 4 - 35 min | Science2 | Compare Conflicting Hypotheses | 7 MC questions (1 reading passage) |
| 5* - 40 min | Writing (optional)3 | Essay Question | 1 essay based on a given prompt |
1 It is NOT specifically designated how many questions will test each math topic, but the content tested is always the same. The primary topics tested are arithmetic, algebra I and II, geometry, and data analysis. Calculators are permitted.
2 Calculators are NOT permitted for the Science Reasoning section.
3 The essay portion of the exam is technically optional although some schools require it.
4 Multiple choice.
Total length with standard time
- 3 hours and 35 minutes with Writing
- 2 hours and 55 minutes without Writing
Total length with extended time
- 5 hours and 23 minutes with Writing
- 4 hours and 23 minutes without Writing
Scoring
Students receive a score between 1 and 36 for each section other than the Writing section. The Writing section is scored out of 12. A composite score out of 36 is calculated by averaging the four section scores. There is NO wrong answer penalty on the ACT, so a student should never leave a question blank.
2024-2025 Testing Schedule
- September 14, 2024 (registration deadline is 8/9/24; late registration deadline is 8/25/24)
- October 26, 2024 (registration deadline is 9/20/24; late registration deadline is 10/7/24)
- December 14, 2024 (registration deadline is 11/8/24; late registration deadline is 111/22/24)
- February 8, 2025 (registration deadline is 1/3/25; late registration deadline is 1/20/25)
- April 5, 2025 (registration deadline is 2/28/25; late registration deadline is 3/16/25)
- June 14, 2025 (registration deadline is 5/9/25; late registration deadline is 5/26/25)
- July 12, 2025 (registration deadline is 6/6/25; late registration deadline is 6/20/25)*
*No test centers are scheduled in New York for the July test date.
Cost
- Registration without Writing Section: $69
- Registration with Writing Section: $94
- Test Option Change (removing or adding the writing section prior to late registration deadline): $25
- Late Registration: $38
- Change Fee: $44
Registration Site/Additional Information
Visit the official ACT website to register and learn more.
View a comparison of the current SAT and ACT tests.
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- Understanding The Value Of Tutoring With My Learning Springboard
- A Different Tutoring Experience With My Learning Springboard
- High-Dosage Tutoring
- Tutoring As A Springboard To Achievement
- Redefining Educational Consulting
- Navigating Test-Optional Policies
- Comparing the dSAT and ACT
- Why Should I Opt-In To The ACT Writing Section
SHSAT
General Information
The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) is an entrance exam for the specialized high schools in New York City taken by 8th and 9th graders who reside within the five boroughs. After two decades with the same format, the test was redesigned for the 2017-2018 school year in order to be better aligned with New York State Learning Standards and daily classroom instruction. Please note that Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts requires an audition in lieu of the SHSAT.
NYC Specialized High Schools
- Bronx High School of Science
- Brooklyn Latin School
- Brooklyn Technical High School
- High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at City College
- High School of American Studies at Lehman College
- Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
- Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
- Staten Island Technical High School
- Stuyvesant High School
Format and Content
| SECTION # and LENGTH | SUBJECT | QUESTION TYPE | # OF QUESTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - 90 min1 | Verbal (57 total items)5 | 20 revising/editing questions | 5-8 stand-alone questions and 2 passages with 6-8 questions each4 |
| 1 - 90 min | Verbal (57 total items)5 | 6 reading passages3 | 5-7 questions each4 |
| 2 - 90 min1 | Math (57 total items)5 | Grid-ins and multiple choice items2 | 5 grid-in questions and 52 multiple choice word problems and computational questions4 |
1 The SHSAT is now 3 hours instead of 2.5 hours. Students can still work between the two sections freely the whole time. 90 minutes per section is only a suggestion.
2 It is NOT specifically designated how many questions will test each math topic. Students will be asked to solve problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division as well as fractions, decimals and statistics. Calculators are NOT permitted.
3 All reading passages for 2017 testing will be nonfiction passages. Starting in 2018, the DOE may revise the test to include persuasive and literary passages.
4 All multiple choice questions on the redesigned test will provide four answer choices (instead of 5 choices).
5 Though each section is comprised of 57 items, only 47 items are scored. The other 10 items in each section are field test items that are not used to determine a student’s score. Students will not be able to determine which items are field test items.
Scoring
First, a raw score is calculated for each student. There is no wrong answer penalty, so the raw score is simply the total number of correct answers.
The raw score is converted into a scaled score using a formula that the New York City Department of Education does not release. The scaled scores for the verbal and math sections are then added together to create a composite score out of 800. Each of the specialized high schools creates their own cut-off score, which varies from year to year depending on the students’ scores and the number of open spaces at the school.
Admissions Process
On the day of the exam, students choose which schools they would like to apply to and then rank their preference. If their score meets or exceeds the cut-off score of their first choice school, they will be accepted there. If it does not, then it is compared in the same way to the cut-off score of their second choice school and so on. In 2016, over 28,000 students took the SHSAT.
Testing Schedule/Registration
The SHSAT is administered once annually, typically in late October for 8th graders and early to mid-November for 9th graders. Results are used for admissions for the following school year.
2024-2025 Testing Schedule
The DOE shares updated information about the testing schedule on this page.
Cost
It is FREE to take the SHSAT exam.
Additional Information
Visit the official SHSAT website to learn more.
Click to preview the 2024 specialized high schools admissions guide.
SAT
General Information
The dSAT is a college entrance exam that is administered by the College Board. It consists of two sections: 1) the Reading and Writing Section (RW), and 2) the Math Section.
Digital SAT Content and Question Types
| Reading and Writing Section (RW) | Math Section | |
| Administration | Two-stage adaptive test design using AI: 1 Reading and Writing section administered via two separately timed modules. The first module is a "baseline module". Performance on the baseline module determines whether students progress to an "easier" or "harder" second module. | Two-stage adaptive test design using AI: 1 Math section administered via two separately timed modules. If 0-14 questions are answered correctly in the 1st module (baseline module), then students progress to the "Easier Adaptive Math Module". If 15-20 questions are answered correctly in the baseline module, then students progress to the "Harder Adaptive Math Module". |
| Total # of Questions | 54 questions (27 questions/module) 1st Module: 25 operational questions (scored) and 2 experimental questions (non-scored) 2nd Module: 25 operational questions (scored) and 2 experimental questions (non-scored) | 44 questions (22 questions/module) 1st Module: 20 operational questions (scored) and 2 experimental questions (non-scored) 2nd Module: 20 operational questions (scored) and 2 experimental questions (non-scored) |
| Total Time Allotted | 64 minutes (32 minutes/module) | 70 minutes (35 minutes/module) |
| Average Time Per Question | 1.19 minutes | 1.59 minutes |
| Question Types | 4-option, multiple-choice questions | 4-option, multiple-choice questions (~75%) Grid-in (~25%) questions called "Student Produced Responses" |
| Subject Areas | Literature, History & Social Studies, Humanities, and Science | 30% of the Math section questions are in the context of Science, Social Studies, and Real-World Topics; the remaining 70% are "pure" math questions. Content: -Algebra 1 and 2 (~35%) -Advanced Math (~35%) -Problem-Solving & Data Analysis (~15%) -Geometry and Trigonometry (~15%) -Statistics, Probability -Emphasis on word problems and questions in real-world context |
| Word Count | 25-150 words per passage | ~30% are word problems called "Questions in Context; most have 50 words or fewer. |
| Informational Graphics | Tables, Bar Graphs, and Line Graphs | Yes |
Total Length
- 2 hours 14 minutes
- There is a 10-minute break between the Reading and Writing Section and the Math Section.
Compare the Digital SAT with the ACT
| SAT | ACT | |
| Format & Length | 2 Sections: 1) Reading & Writing 2) Math Each section is divided into 2 equal-length, separately timed "adaptive" modules. The first module will present easy, medium, and hard items. A student's performance will then guide the 2nd module, which will employ AI to deliver easy, medium, and/or hard items. Items will be multiple-choice with 4 answer choices. | 5 Sections: 1) English 2) Math 3) Reading 4) Science 5) Essay (optional but recommended) Items will be multiple-choice with 5 answer choices for math and 4 answer choices for other sections. |
| Scoring | Combined score: 400 to 1600 (sum of both sections) Reading Score Range: Math Score Range: The difficulty level of Module 2 for each section -- and the highest potential score -- will be determined by student performance on Module 1 of each section. | Composite score: 1-36 (average of the 4 multiple-choice sections) Section Scores: Notably the national average is 19.5 (a 30-year low). |
| Reading & Writing | 27 passages per module: -Each passage will range from 25-150 words. -Some paired passages with 1 question -Reading passages come before Writing passages in each module. -Passages may include informational graphics. -Reading content includes: Literature, Humanities, History & Social Studies, and Science -Writing content includes: Grammar & Usage, Punctuation, Structure, and Rhetoric ~71 seconds/question | 4 reading passages: -3 regular passages -1 paired passage -Each passage will range between 700-900 words with 10 questions per passage. Content (in order): ~52.5 seconds/question |
| English | English topics are covered in the Writing modules as described above. | 5 writing passages: -Revise and correct errors -Passages are 800-1,000 words -15 questions per passage Content: ~36 seconds/question |
| Math | Content includes: -Algebra 1 and 2 (~35%) Structure: ~95.5 seconds/question | Content includes: -Pre-Algebra -Algebra 1 and 2 -Geometry (~25%) -Statistics & Probability -Trigonometry Structure: ~60 seconds/question |
| Science | Science-themed passages embedded in the reading modules. | This section tests reasoning and non-fiction reading skills more than science knowledge. Embedded in this section are tables, charts, and graphs requiring analysis and data analysis without a calculator (e.g. mean, median, mode). Passage topics include: Structure: ~52.5 seconds/question |
| Essay | No essay | Optional but strongly recommended to demonstrate writing prowess. The task requires students to read a background paragraph on an issue that doesn't particularly require any background knowledge and typically appeals to everyday experiences for a typical high school student. Students analyze and evaluate 3 given perspectives (stances) and then choose one to develop. A non-chosen perspective (stance) serves as fuel for a counterargument. The expectation is a well developed, 5-paragraph persuasive essay. |
Scoring
The dSAT reports two section scores, each with scaled scores ranging from 200 to 800. The first section is Reading and Writing, and the second section is Math. These two section scores are added together to give a cumulative SAT score between 400 and 1600. Notably, each question has its own weighting, so answers certain questions incorrectly will have a bigger impact on your score. Therefore, there is no longer a conversion chart aligning the number of correct answers with a specific score.
Testing Schedule
The dSAT is administered seven times per year, typically once in each of the following months: August, October, November, December, March, May, and June.
2024-2025 Test Dates
- March 9, 2024 (registration deadline is 2/23/24; late registration deadline is 2/27/24)
- May 4, 2024 (registration deadline is 4/19/24; late registration deadline is 4/23/24)
- June 1, 2024 (registration deadline is 5/16/24; late registration deadline is 5/21/24)
- August 24, 2024 (registration deadline is 8/9/24; late registration deadline is 8/13/24)
- October 5, 2024 (registration deadline is 9/20/24; late registration deadline is 9/24/24)
- November 2, 2024 (registration deadline is 10/18/24; late registration deadline is 10/22/24)
- December 7, 2024 (registration deadline is 11/22/24; late registration deadline is 11/26/24)
- March 8, 2025 (registration deadline is 2/21/25; late registration deadline is 2/25/25)
- May 3, 2025 (registration deadline is 4/18/25; late registration deadline is 4/22/25)
- June 7, 2025 (registration deadline is 5/22/25; late registration deadline is 5/27/25)
Cost
- Exam Cost: $60
- Late Registration Fee: $35
- Change Fee: $25
- Scores by Phone: $15
Score Choice™
Score Choice™ is a feature of the SAT that allows a student to take the test multiple times without having to worry about colleges seeing all of their results. Instead, they can select which test dates they want sent to schools. A student CANNOT, however, select from within a test date certain subject scores to send. For instance, they cannot send ONLY a math score from a certain test date.
Different colleges have different policies with regards to Score Choice™.
Learn more here
Registration Site/Additional Information
To register, visit the official College Board SAT website.
Related Posts
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- Understanding The Value Of Tutoring With My Learning Springboard
- A Different Tutoring Experience With My Learning Springboard
- High-Dosage Tutoring
- Tutoring As A Springboard To Achievement
- Redefining Educational Consulting
- Navigating Test-Optional Policies
- ACT Overview
- Comparing the dSAT and ACT
- Why Should I Opt-In To The ACT Writing Section