Case study · K–12 International School
Building an SAT Program from Zero
A curriculum that still runs without me — the needs analysis, the materials, and the train-the-trainer system behind the school's first in-house SAT prep program.
- Role
- Head of Research & Program Development · SAT Program Coordinator
- Location
- Taif, Saudi Arabia
- Years
- 2015 – 2020
- Scope
- Grades 10 – 12
Skills: Program Design, Train-the-Trainer, Assessment
+200
avg score band lift
5 yrs
pioneering the program
10–12
grades reached
Still live
running after my exit
Overview
As Head of Research & Program Development at an American-accredited K–12 international school in Saudi Arabia, I designed the institution's first in-house SAT preparation program: the needs analysis, the curriculum, the materials, and the train-the-trainer system that let other instructors deliver it consistently, for Grades 10–12.
The challenge
Before the program, students who wanted a competitive SAT score had to find independent tutors on their own and travel to other cities to sit prep courses — preparation was inconsistent, expensive, and available only to families who could arrange it. As an American-system school accredited by AdvancED (now Cognia), the SAT was the natural standardized measure to bring in-house: a globally recognized pathway to universities abroad, without students leaving campus to prepare for it.
Objectives
01
Bring SAT preparation in-house and make it equitable across the whole cohort.
02
Design a repeatable curriculum and material set — not a one-off cram course.
03
Enable any qualified instructor to deliver it consistently and to standard.
04
Establish measurable score baselines and demonstrably lift them.
How it was built
Phase 01
Partnership & groundwork
Established the school as a College Board certification and training center, and attended College Board forums to stay current on SAT preparation practice and format updates. I translated those requirements into a working program blueprint the school could actually staff and run.
Phase 02
Curriculum & materials design
I authored original lessons, strategy decks, and practice sets, and curated vetted external resources into a single coherent sequence. Delivery ran on two tracks: skills embedded directly into English and Math from Grades 10–12, plus a dedicated SAT prep subject scheduled in the three months before each cohort's exam date.
Phase 03
Facilitator enablement (train-the-trainer)
I trained instructors on what the SAT is, how to review each test section, how to use the prep materials, and how to teach review and pacing strategies. Consistency was held through shadowing, classroom observation, and regular calibration meetings where coordinators and instructors aligned on materials and strategy.
From bolt-on prep to a vertically aligned curriculum
Rather than keep prep as an add-on, I worked it into the system. English and Math assessments were gradually redesigned to mirror PSAT and SAT item patterns, and the curriculum added activities that built critical reading, academic writing, and logical reasoning earlier.
The result: students reached their exam years already fluent in the skills the test measures. The clearest signal it worked — the program is still running at the school after my departure.
Materials and tools
What I made, and what I made it with.
| Authored | Strategy lecture decks — reading, writing & language, grammar |
|---|---|
| Authored | Practice sets with annotated answer keys and worked explanations |
| Authored | Instructor briefs and pacing guides for consistent delivery |
| Curated | Vetted resource banks sequenced to each lesson |
| Aligned | English & Math assessments patterned on PSAT / SAT items |
| Tools | College Board resources, curated prep platforms, standard doc & slide tooling |
Results and impact
Measurable lift, and doors opened internationally.
Cohort average moved up a full band once prep went in-house
Graduates admitted to universities across United States, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Philippines, Australia, Malaysia.
How I'd evolve it today
Rebuilt for the Digital SAT and faster feedback
The program was built for the 2016 paper SAT. Today's SAT is digital, section-adaptive, and delivered in College Board's Bluebook app, with a combined Reading & Writing section and Desmos built into math — so a modern rebuild is where I would focus next.
I would rebuild practice around the adaptive digital format; replace static link banks (many now dead) with a maintained resource hub; convert print worksheets into interactive, auto-graded practice; add a cohort score dashboard for live tracking; and use AI tooling to generate differentiated practice items and give students faster, individualized feedback.
Capabilities demonstrated
- Needs analysis
- Curriculum design
- Instructional design
- Train-the-trainer
- Facilitator enablement
- Assessment alignment
- Program management
- Stakeholder partnership
- Learning measurement
Training materials
SAT Reading & Writing teaching decks, an anonymized in-class practice test, and the instructor coordination memo.
Program details anonymized · Taif, Saudi Arabia · 2015 – 2020
All case studies