Students, Educators Rave Over March2Success Program

FORT KNOX, Ky. (Army News Service, April 17, 2007) - The U.S. Army Recruiting Command is helping prospective recruits and other students improve their test-taking strategies and math, science and English skills through March2Success, a free Web-based program.

With a curriculum designed by Kaplan and Educational Options, Inc., the program is proving successful according to teachers and students using it.

"This has been a great tutorial for students preparing for standardized testing. This is the best test preparation program I have run across, even better than the semester ACT preparation class we used to offer students here," said Mr. Dennis McArthur (photo), a career counselor from Bonneville High School, in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

The program demonstrates the Army's commitment to providing lifelong learning opportunities to American youth - whether they join the Army or not, said Mr. Terry Backstrom, an experienced education service specialist with USAREC.

"This is just another way we can give back to our communities and help the youth of America be more successful," he said. "We need them to be successful. But more importantly, the United States needs our young men and women to be successful, and March2Success can help them do that."

"By using March2Success, I was able to prepare for the ACT by using the practice tests that were provided," said Ms. Hannah Hagert, a student attending Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill. "These tests allowed me to focus on my weaker subjects, and strengthen my overall test scores."

The practice tests also helped her realize how important time management can be to taking and completing a standardized test, she said.

The positive feedback doesn't surprise Mr. Backstrom. "In today's world, tests are increasingly the end, rather than the means. The world relies on tests to determine who will graduate, get a job, receive a scholarship, or even enter a government career as a firefighter, police officer, civil servant or military servicemember. How well young men and women do on standardized tests can have a great impact on their future," Mr. Backstrom said.

Participants may select part of all of the sections offered though March2Success, and are free to repeat lessons. The course sections include: comprehensive English (language usage, reading, writing); integrated math (basic math, algebra, geometry, statistics); skills and strategies (test-taking skills for state assessments, college admissions, aptitude tests); high school preparation (introduction to study skills, and classes in English, math and science); SAT Program (SAT preparation, SAT Quiz Bank, online SAT writing workshop, online practice test with performance feedback); and ACT Program (ACT preparation, online practice test with performance feedback).

March2Success is available at www.march2success.com. Registrants may request recruiter contact through the site; however they are not required to do so and will not be contacted without request. Personal contact information (address and phone number) is collected only from those who ask to be contacted.

(Mr. Christopher C. Calkins writes for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.)