Test Rocker
Melanie Wendelberger
Background: High school students may perform well in all their classes and have an amazing list of extracurriculars, but their performance on the ACT and SAT also has a major impact on their success getting into college. Preparation is key, but not all students have access to quality tutorials and test prep tools to get them ready for test day.
TestRocker, a successful company in the private school realm both domestically and internationally, improves student performance by expanding access to student online tutoring training. It includes online, comprehensive, customized SAT and ACT programs, bolstered by a regimen of practice testing, that were developed by the founder, an expert private tutor with more than 15 years of SAT/ACT tutoring experience. Used as prescribed, TestRocker results in average score increases of 280 points on the SAT and 4 points on the ACT.
Solution: Ezell Consulting worked with TestRocker to research moving its expertise and tools from strictly private school students to Nashville public high school students. LEAD Academy charter schools, with the flexibility to move quickly and test the tool with its students, staged a trial in the summer of 2015. The trial demonstrated the challenges of working in the public high school arena and, for the moment, TestRocker continues its work with traditional client groups, hoping to return to Tennessee public high schools as they grow and develop as a company.
Product Information table border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; th, td border: 1px solid #dddddd; padding: 8px; text-align: left; th background-color: #f2f2f2; The Thermo Scientific Vari Mix Test Tube Rocker M48725 has been tested to specifications and is in very good condition with slight cosmetic blemishes. This versatile equipment features an adjustable-speed motor and an adjustable-angle mixing platform. It is suitable for uniform specimen suspensions and can be used at temperatures ranging from 39.2F to 104F, making it ideal for cold room use. The white silicon rubber friction grip pad allows for easy viewing of specimens and labels and can hold capped tubes up to 110 mm long. This Thermo Scientific Vari Mix Test Tube Rocker offers smooth mixing action and has a maximum load capacity of 1 1/4 lb. It operates at a voltage of 120 V, 50/60 Hz.
901890 - Apparatus based on the use of X-rays or of alpha, beta, or gamma radiations, whether or not for medical, surgical, dental, or veterinary uses, including radiography or radiotherapy apparatus
The Wave LED Battery Test Rocker Switch Panel features an illuminating rocker SPDT switch and bright LED display to monitor voltage of two batteries. Constructed of injection molded nylon. Installs with four #6 RH fasteners (not included). 14VDC.
The Rocker is calibrated by the manufacturer to record 50 1 swing cycles in 60 5 seconds on the plate glass surface of the leveling plate used by the manufacturer and when operated in accordance with the detailed instructions furnished with the instrument. The hardness rocker is very sensitive and may not give exactly the same readings on other plate glass surfaces even when cleaned in the same manner or when readings are taken in different directions on the same glass surface.
I know that recalling information is not always easy for everyone, especially in a high stress environment like a timed test that could potentially decide your higher education future. So when Test Rocker approached me to check out the ACT prep program I knew I had to see what it was all about.
When you first log into your account and begin your test prep, you will be asked to either take a 70 minute diagnostic test to assess your skills (preferred), or fill out the quick questionnaire. Since I have no need to actually take the ACT I chose the questionnaire. It was really simple, and basically just asked you to assess your own abilities in certain reading and math categories. Unless you have a very clear idea of your skill level, I would suggest taking the diagnostic so that the program can be tailored to address any weak areas you may have.
You also know right away if you are incorrect, at which point you can choose to watch a video explanation of why the answer you chose was incorrect and another was actually correct. The videos give great test taking tips and things to look for, so they are a really good tool to help you improve your test taking skills.
The quizzes and tests are more like a real life quiz or test in that you will not get the results until you are complete. You will, however, get to watch a video explanation going over any answers (correct or incorrect) so you can see where you went wrong and gain tips on how to improve.
The anti-icing and deicing industry has interest in the development of an objective, repeatable test procedure for the evaluation and comparison of anti-icing and deicing products. Pursuant to this goal, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) funded research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to investigate methods for evaluating deicing products, beginning in 2011[1]. Researchers at UNL developed the procedure for the Mechanical Rocker Test for Ice Melting Capacity (MRT or MRT-IMC) in 2014[2].
From 2017-2019, NDOT evaluated the MRT-IMC procedure for validity and suitability as a standard test procedure for assessing deicer performance. NDOT also explored opportunities to improve the procedure that could improve precision. This included testing temperature, freezer configuration, timing critical steps, rocking effect, ice-cube breakage, and the effect of settleable solids. Following exploration in these areas, the MRT-IMC was modified to minimize error. NDOT first validated the MRT-IMC and determined an intra-laboratory, single operator precision. NDOT then shared the modified procedure with three collaborating labs to conduct an inter-laboratory study for further validation of the MRT-IMC.
NDOT initiated round-robin testing of two NDOT approved deicing products (D1 and D2) to establish a single-operator and multi-laboratory precision and bias in accordance with ASTM C802, Standard Practice for Conducting an Inter-laboratory Test Program to Determine the Precision of Test Methods for Construction Materials[3]. A precision statement was developed in accordance with ASTM C670*, Standard Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements for Test Methods for Construction Materials[4]. Two individual testers from NDOT (L1, L2) and four testers from three independent labs (L3, L4, L5, and L6) participated in the inter-laboratory study. Each lab tested 29 samples of each D1 and D2 for a total of 58 samples. Engineers at NDOT analyzed all 58 samples and established preliminary precision and bias. The MRT-IMC yielded a single-operator Coefficient of Variation (CV) of 2.66% and a multi-laboratory CV of 5.65%.
The results of this validation study indicate that the MRT-IMC is a valid and repeatable standard test method for assessing ice melting capacity of a deicing product. NDOT validation of the method included the modification of the procedure by shortening time windows that ice is exposed to the ambient temperature in the lab.
A total of whitewater helmets have been rated using the STAR evaluation system. Our impact tests evaluate a helmet's ability to reduce linear and rotational acceleration of the head from a range of whitewater and paddle sport head impacts. Helmets with more stars provide a reduction in concussion risk for these impacts compared to helmets with less stars.
For the Buyer's Guide and Spring Bike Special, we test bikes extensively (think 20-some testers and dozens of rides per bike), but it can feel like speed dating, with not enough time to really get to know a bike. So I've hung onto a handful of compelling products for ongoing testing. What follows is the first installment of the Six Month Test, in which I'll present a more comprehensive review of a product's nuances, durability, and personality.
Given the Gear Junkie's recent mention of Gates Carbon Drive CenterTrack belt, it seemed appropriate to start with the Spot Rocker SS ($3,600 complete; $1,400 frame only), which is the first production bike to employ the technology. As a steel hardtail, single speed 29er, the Rocker SS is retro on paper, but the truth is that the design cues and belt technology make it as modern as the sleekest carbon full-suspenion trail bike. I found this out first hand in the last half year of riding this bike around New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona.
For those unfamiliar with them, belt drives replace a bike's chain and chainrings with a carbon fiber belt (much like the ones used in your car) and pulley system. The advantages: belt drives are clean (no chain lube), they're quiet (no metal-on-metal grinding), they're simple, and the transfer of power feels immediate. The drawbacks: Since belts can't be disconnected and put back together like chains, they require special frame designs that allow the rear triangle to open up for the belt to be installed (which means more cost, fewer frame options, as well as the potential for added flex in the frame), and past belts were finicky in their set-up and prone to slipping and alignment problems.
One important disclaimer: I am not a single speeding masochist. I have ridden single speeds in the past and owned a couple over the years, but I generally prefer at least a few gears to ease the burdens of steep ups and downs. However, the longer I had the Rocker SS, the more often I found myself opting for the one speed instead of gears. That's partly because of the belt drive: the simplicity, the immediacy of power transfer, and the silence on the bike make this technology, to my mind, the ultimate solution for single speeding.
There's more to the Rocker SS than just it's drivetrain, though, from the uncomplicated finishes to the freedom of riding fewer, good solid parts. It's an experience that took me back to my earlier days of biking, when I didn't have to worry over derailleur complications and sag measurements but could just grab the bike and go. In that sense, the Rocker SS transcends the questions of technology and puts the soul back into riding.
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