Teaching Tuesday: Surviving Standardized Tests

Let me preface this by saying that although I believe all schools in our country need to have high standards and regular assessment of students, I am not a fan of standardized tests. I think any time students need to be taught HOW to take a test (rather than actual educational material), our educational system is screwing up. High stakes testing, wherein students, teachers and schools are judged by how kids do on multiple choice tests that last from a day to a week out of the school year, is a huge concern for a lot of people. You can check out Fair Test and the American Evaluation Association for facts, studies and expert opinions. 

Ironflower had only been in third grade for a few weeks when she mentioned the NJ ASK test, the standardized test kids take in NJ in third through eighth grades (which will probably be switched the the PARCC test next year, which is the standardized test that goes with the Common Core Standards). She was already nervous and the test wouldn't be until late spring.

Ironflower is nicknamed "Ironflower" for a reason; she looks like a delicate flower, but she's actually pretty tough. She also has an easy time with tests. She is never unnerved by the format or worried or tense. And yet, there she was, expressing anxiety 7 months ahead of time. Apparently her teacher had already started talking to her class about how important the test was, how they would be prepping for it all year (!!!) and how it would be more challenging than other tests they had taken.

It was a great way to drain the self-confidence out of kids like Ironflower and probably scared the crap out of all the kids who aren't good test takers. Not that I blame the teacher; when you're going to practice for something all year, you need to explain why to your students. So what can parents do to help their kids survive standardized tests? Assuming they don't opt out of them, of course.

• Reassure kids that how they do on these tests has no influence on their college prospects, future jobs or lifelong happiness. 
• Explain that teachers and administrators make a big deal out of the tests because the school's test scores are used to measure teacher and administrator effectiveness.
• Make sure they get lots of rest and healthy breakfasts during testing. 
• Let kids know that test taking is a skill like scoring soccer goals or playing an instrument and that these tests are not a reflection of intelligence, kindness or diligence. 
• If your kids' school does a lot of preparation for the tests, don't push more of it at home. A burned out kid isn't going to do any better than an unprepared kid. 
• If your kid tends to rush, remind him/her to go back and look over questions and answers when s/he completes the test. 
• If your kid tends to agonize over uncertainty, encourage him/her to skip frustrating questions and go back to them after completing the rest of the test. 
• If your kid is really nervous, give him/her a lucky bracelet or shirt or something to wear during testing. 
• Even if your kid is generally terrible at taking tests, express confidence that s/he can do well on this test. Confidence really is half the battle. 
• Send in an extra special snack on test days. Even if your kiddo doesn't normally get to snack in school, they might allow it on test days. 

Whatever the outcome, remember that the test is just one (small) indicator of how your kid is doing academically.