Watching TV isn’t just a pastime for William Wirt Middle School students, reports the Washington Post: For an hour every Thursday, that’s how their teachers prepare them for this month’s Maryland School Assessment tests. The televised session, better known as the MSA Jumpstart Jaguar program, is a 10-week course designed to improve student scores on the standardized tests in reading and math, said Brenda Davis, who chairs the school’s Language Arts Department. The teachers say they aim to keep the learning fun: Between segments of the hour-long program last Friday, students could hear "Don’t Stop the Music" by Rihanna and "Good Life" by Kanye West. "Most kids watch TV and learn the music," said Princess Waritay, 13, of Riverdale, Md. "One teacher put math into a rap, and by the end of the day, kids were walking around the halls rapping the math lesson."

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