When Systems Falter, Educators Lead: Experience of Dinara Erkenkizi

As educational landscapes worldwide evolve to meet the changing needs of students, one thing becomes increasingly clear: the future of learning may lie with independent, agile institutions that can adapt and lead where traditional systems sometimes struggle.

One such institution is the Boston School in Kazakhstan, founded in 2018 to address the widening gap between students' evolving needs and the limitations of national education systems. Its students have consistently secured placements at top-tier global universities and leading schools in Canada — a testament to the school’s academic excellence and global relevance. More than just responding to this void, it has actively redefined educational standards in the region. Its founder, Dinara Erkenkizi, developed the proprietary LexWise Mastery methodology, which has helped students improve their Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores by over 350 points. Dozens of schools and universities across Kazakhstan are now adopting it.

We spoke with Dinara, a CELTA-certified international English instructor, Oxford International Education Group agent, and winner of the 2024 International Pedagogical Olympiad, about how private education models can genuinely thrive, especially in moments when national systems are under pressure.

Shallow Language Instruction and Declining Critical Thinking

American educators are increasingly concerned about declining literacy depth and critical thinking among students. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, many students exhibit «fragmented and distracted thinking, ” struggling to process texts or accurately restate information. The issue has worsened post-pandemic, and critics argue that test-focused instruction—centered on short excerpts and narrow analysis—undermines students’ ability to engage deeply with complex ideas. Reversing the trend may require a return to rigorous, holistic language instruction that fosters thoughtful reading and interpretation.

This challenge is all too familiar to Dinara Erkenkizi. When she first began preparing for the GRE—a demanding exam requiring advanced reasoning and linguistic depth—she grappled with the same issues: fragmented comprehension, superficial vocabulary knowledge, and a lack of tools for deep textual analysis. But instead of accepting those limitations, she set out to solve them.

«I realized that GRE texts weren’t just paragraphs to read—they were puzzles to solve,» she recalls. «Once I began approaching them like problems, everything shifted. I built a method that trains the brain to decode, interpret, and respond critically.»

LexWise Mastery, developed by Dinara in 2017 and continuously used and refined over the last eight years, was born from that personal struggle. The name itself reflects its core philosophy: Lex (from lexicon, representing vocabulary and language knowledge), Wise (symbolizing intelligence, strategic learning, and deep understanding), and Mastery (capturing the goal of achieving a high level of proficiency). Built around the study of Latin and Greek roots, her methodology integrates etymology, deep reading, logical schematization, and academic writing to create a comprehensive and enduring learning process. Through layered vocabulary learning (from 200 to 5000 words), historical and literary text analysis, and tools for structuring arguments, Dinara’s students go beyond test prep. They develop the ability to think, reason, and express themselves in English with the fluency and nuance of a second native language—skills essential for success at top global universities.

Inequities in Test Prep and College Admissions Resources

U.S. educational inequality is sharply reflected in standardized test prep and college admissions. A 2023 Harvard study found that students from the top 1% of families were 13 times more likely to score 1300+ on the SAT or ACT than their low-income peers. Wealthier students benefit from private tutoring, multiple test attempts, and expert admissions counseling—advantages often unavailable to lower-income students. As economist David Deming noted, these disparities reflect «the accumulation of unequal opportunities over 18 years, ” turning standardized tests into a proxy for privilege rather than potential.

Dinara Erkenkizi understands this divide as someone who has helped students cross it. When she began working with learners from different socioeconomic backgrounds, she saw firsthand how unequal access to high-quality instruction created barriers that had nothing to do with a student’s ability. Determined to develop a system to level the playing field, she founded Boston School — an independent educational center based in Kazakhstan, not affiliated with the city of Boston or the state of Massachusetts, but named after the city where Dinara herself once studied — and built a curriculum to close those gaps.

«You can’t fix inequality overnight—but you can start by giving students the tools that privileged schools take for granted,» Dinara explains. «LexWise Mastery gives structure, clarity, and depth to every learner, not just the elite.»

Boston School, launched in 2018 with the mission to democratize high-level exam preparation, has since become a springboard for ambitious students from underserved backgrounds. Her LexWise Mastery system offers a structured, affordable path to top-tier test performance—without relying on expensive tutors or elite private schools. Many of Dinara’s students come from public schools with limited academic support. Yet, with this system, average SAT scores rose from 1050 to over 1400; IELTS scores increased from 6.0 to 7.5; and TOEFL iBT scores jumped from 80 to 100. Her students have also won first-place diplomas at national essay competitions organized by the International Academy of Pedagogy.

At the heart of LexWise Mastery is a deep linguistic approach. Built around Latin and Greek roots, the program teaches students to understand the structure and meaning of modern English words from the inside out. Vocabulary is introduced contextually, using visual associations and word connections that make complex terms like buttress or elucidate intuitive and memorable.

Academic writing is another pillar of the methodology. Students are guided to meet international educational standards, mastering advanced vocabulary, precise syntax, and natural, sophisticated sentence formation. Through extensive reading of classic British literature in the original language, they learn to internalize the style and rhythm of formal English.

Conversely, topic-specific vocabulary modules covering art, technology, education, and global issues are paired with quizzes to reinforce comprehension. Writing assignments are carefully reviewed to refine punctuation, word choice, and grammar, ensuring every essay meets the highest standards of clarity and coherence. Students also build vocabulary tables that encourage synonym mapping, original sentence creation, and critical analysis of words across disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, sociology, and historical literature. These results prove academic potential and show what’s possible when strategic, high-quality instruction is accessible to everyone, regardless of background.

The Test-Optional Revolution: Fairness and the Future of Exams

The pandemic-era shift toward test-optional college admissions has sparked debate about fairness and the future of standardized exams. By 2024, over 1,800 U.S. colleges no longer require SAT or ACT scores. Advocates argue this promotes equity by reducing barriers for underrepresented students. Yet critics warn the trend may deepen inequality: Wealthier students still take and submit scores to gain a competitive edge, while low-income students opt out—potentially hurting their chances. Some institutions, like MIT, even reinstated testing, citing its value in identifying talented applicants from less-advantaged backgrounds. As colleges recalibrate, balancing fairness, access, and academic rigor in admissions remains the core challenge.

Dinara Erkenkizi has watched this debate unfold with caution and clarity. While she acknowledges the good intentions behind test-optional policies, she also recognizes that standardized exams—when approached correctly—can serve as powerful equalizers, especially for students whose transcripts or schools may not reflect their true potential.

«The test itself isn’t the problem,» Dinara says. «It’s how we prepare students for it that makes the difference. A strong score can still be a key that opens doors — especially for those who don’t come from elite backgrounds.»

Ms. Erkenkizi embraces standardized tests not as barriers but as opportunities for empowerment when used pedagogically. Her method begins with the SAT, transitions into IELTS/TOEFL, and culminates in GRE-level analysis. By front-loading linguistic complexity, students build cognitive endurance and verbal agility to navigate any academic setting. To support this progression, Dinara authored the LexWise Mastery textbook—a comprehensive, structured guide through her methodology. The first volume, registered with KazPatent, distills years of classroom insights into a step-by-step system that blends etymology, reading strategy, and argumentation practice. With the textbook now in use and a complete seven-part series underway, Dinara is expanding her impact through an upcoming online school, bringing LexWise to students across Kazakhstan and beyond.

Toward a New Educational Ethos

The questions we face today—about literacy, equity, and the purpose of standardized testing—demand more than policy tweaks or political gestures. They call for a deeper reimagining of how we teach, what we value in students, and where we look for solutions. Educators like Dinara Erkenkizi show that thoughtful, student-centered innovation can happen outside elite institutions and beyond traditional models. If there is one clear takeaway, meaningful change in education begins with those who dare to question assumptions and are willing to build something better. Whether in Kazakhstan or California, these educators—and the communities that support them—will shape future classrooms.