As anyone who has ever taken a standardized test knows, the last step in preparing for the test is to sharpen your No. 2 pencil. That may not be enough, however, for those thinking about taking college entrance exams. Planning and preparation for the ACT/SAT should begin now for rising seniors. Here are some topics to consider as you establish your test-taking strategies.

Dr. Neal Lester, author and professor of English at Arizona State University, was honored with an achievement award for the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of West Georgia 36th annual Alumni Association Awards Gala. A native of Jefferson, Ga., Lester graduated from the University of West Georgia in 1981 with a bachelor of arts degree in English.

Having observed the failure of our education system by dumbing-down our children for the past 50 years, concern has to be expressed about the “new” Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI).

Just as schools in Ahwatukee are starting and finishing their spring testing of AIMS, incoming freshmen for next school year are beginning to wrap their heads around the idea of their familiar testing coming to an end.

Erin Andrews-Sharer, a graduate of Desert Vista High School and a sophomore at The College of Wooster, received the Elias Compton Freshman Prize and the Lyman C. Knight, Sr., Prize in mathematics and physical education at Wooster’s 43rd Annual Recognition Banquet.

Life is full of ups and downs — and the financial markets are no different. As an investor, you’re no doubt happy to see the “ups” — but the “downs” can seem like a real downer. Isn’t there any way to help smooth out the volatility in your investment portfolio?

Parents, teachers, education leaders and activists gathered last week at the State Capitol for an informational meeting that discussed the new Common Core state standards and the possibility of replacing AIMS testing.

Local volleyball coaches Ryan Tolman and Fred Mann are beginning the year with different outlooks.

C.W. Griffin is such a hoot ... clueless about what PERCENT means (“Right equates gun-control efforts with demands for universal gun confiscation,” AFN, Feb. 3).

The SAT and ACT are the main tests colleges use to determine if a student is “worthy” for admission into their school. These tests can be pretty scary if you don’t know what to expect.

Everyday after classes are dismissed at Desert Vista High School, engineering and robotics students stick around campus to test, build and design their robots.

We are pleased to see that Gov. Brewer has prioritized resources for the implementation of Arizona’s Common Core Standards in her fiscal year 2014 budget.

Grades seven through 12 at Horizon Community Learning Center in Ahwatukee Foothills will see changes in the school day next year, including a new eight-period block schedule and a learning lab to support the Common Core Standards.

Nearly a year after first talks of reducing the Kyrene School District’s Elementary Coaching Program enlisted help from a task force, cuts were inevitably made this school year to the program that supports teachers in math and literacy.

Among the usual suspects emerging in the renewed gun control debate is the veteran pro-gun propagandist, professor John Lott, author of the 1998 book, “More Guns, Less Crime.” According to Lott, gun-control laws are not merely futile; they are harmful. They do nothing to keep guns out of criminals’ hands; they only prevent potential victims from getting guns to deter predators.

A year after Abacus Inn shut its doors at the Ahwatukee Mercado shopping center, at the southwest corner of 48th Street and Elliot Road, a new Asian restaurant is open for business and hoping to bring customers back.

High school seniors, as well as sophomores and juniors, are invited to attend Future ASU STEM Devil Night at Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington St. in Phoenix. Students and their families will have an opportunity to meet with representatives from admissions, financial aid, and a variety of schools that focus on STEM-based careers.

High school seniors, as well as sophomores and juniors, are invited to attend Future ASU STEM Devil Night at Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington St. in Phoenix. Students and their families will have an opportunity to meet with representatives from admissions, financial aid, and a variety of schools that focus on STEM-based careers.

Age: 60

Parents around the Valley can learn about art and how to talk to kids about it tomorrow at the Phoenix Art Museum.

I’d like to talk to you today about math and politics.

The new power rankings system, now powered by MaxPreps, do not match the thinking of most of the state's media.

One Ahwatukee school is striving for student success through a principal mentoring program.

Not long ago, the Federal Reserve (Fed) announced that it plans to keep short-term interest rates near zero until late 2014. The Fed initially pushed rates to that level in 2008, in an effort to stimulate economic growth. Clearly, low interest rates have a wide-ranging impact — but what effect will they have on you, as an individual investor?

Keep income producers working hard, even when rates are low