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Accountability
has always been an important priority for public schools in terms of
fulfilling their mission to nurture students to improve their skills
and reach their potentials. But never before has accountability focused
so exclusively on test scores.
We hear testing proponents contend that tests will lead to increased
accountability and measurable results. We hear opponents argue that
average scores on high-stakes testing do not indicate how far a given
teacher or school has taken a group of students from where they started
and show the progress that was made for the individuals. We also hear
of strong political support and mounting grassroots boycotts. Clearly,
there is controversy.
Nonetheless, tests right now are the only game in town. They are required
of all schools and students in our state, and there are rewards and
sanctions depending on the average outcome. Test-taking is more a part
of the educational landscape that it has ever been in the past.
Some young people are “naturals” at test-taking. They can
sail through tests without stress. For many others, the taking of national
and state standardized tests can be a time of high frustration and anxiety.
A publication titled “Principal Communicator” recently outlined
four “Rs” that can help parents help their children feel confident
about tests throughout their school career.
The first behavioral “R” is being “Receptive.” Parents
can help young people develop a receptive attitude toward school in
general and testing in particular by making sure they understand it
is merely part of the learning process. Parents can remind them that
a test is a measuring stick for how much they have learned — not
how much they have NOT learned. Sometimes attitude is everything.
The second “R” is for “Relaxed.” Anxiety can block
the best-prepared student from doing well on a test. It’s important
to help children avoid getting hung up on how hard a test might be,
or the negative consequences of doing poorly. Remind children about
the satisfaction of trying their best when preparing for the tests and
taking them. Make sure your child knows you think he or she will do
well, but that your approval of your child as a person does not depend
on a test score.
Next comes “Ready.” Tests measure a child’s knowledge
at a given point in time. Help make sure your child has completed the
daily schoolwork that the test will measure. Get informed about the
testing at each grade level and pay special attention to times when
children take standardized state and national tests. Ask how the school
prepares students for these tests and what support a parent can provide.
Finally, the fourth R is “Rested.” Make sure your child gets
plenty of sleep the night before a test and a good, nutritious breakfast
that morning.
Receptive, relaxed, ready, and rested: These four “Rs” have
helped many a student succeed.
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