While watching the film, “Most Likely to Succeed,” I was very intrigued by how the students at High Tech High scored so well on their SAT exams. From what I witnessed during the film, High Tech High seemed to be a very interesting inquiry-based school. I wondered if some student inquiries would benefit their ability to do well on the SATs, while others would not cover the necessary information. It is important to note that I have never taken the SAT exam, thus I do not know what the questions are truly asking or how to prepare for the exam. However, from exploring the High Tech High website, I have begun to understand how the students perform well on the SATs. There are three possible factors I have come up with; student motivation, parental involvement, and private tutoring. The students who attend High Tech High are encouraged to explore inquiry topics that mean something to them, likely preventing burnout as they are participating in activities they genuinely enjoy. The lack of burnout among students can assist them in their SAT prep and studying, as they will feel more motivated. Secondly, parents seem to be more involved in their student’s lives and can be of assistance when preparing for the SATs. This ties into my third point about private tutoring for the SATs. Parents may be more inclined to fund private tutoring for their children. However, High Tech High has a wide range of students from different financial backgrounds, so not every family may be able to afford something like that. Overall, the film did not discuss in detail how their students performed so well on their exams. Their website does not explicitly state how they achieve this, leading me to draw my conclusions.
Perishable. (n.d.). Publications. High Tech High. v https://www.hightechhigh.org/student-work/publications/
