Dealing with Testing Hysteria

From the Marshall Memo #424

In this Education Horizons article, California teacher Anna Martin describes the frenzy her school goes through each year before standardized testing – intense test prep, trying to push the “bubble” students over the top, and arguing about the efficacy of teaching to the test. “The hoops we end up jumping through are enough to drive us crazy,” says Martin. She believes that standardized testing can be kept in perspective by following these guidelines:

• Plan the whole year. Work backwards from testing dates and create a detailed calendar so the required content units (and test preparation) fits comfortably before testing time, without a last-minute rush. The calendar should also include non-traditional assessments and fun culminating projects, especially after state testing is finished.

• Reduce anxiety and increase confidence. The goal is for students to feel in control when they open up their test booklets. It helps to pick a few test-taking strategies, model the thinking behind them – for example, how to eliminate incorrect answers in multiple-choice items, and give students a chance to practice the strategies in a non-stressful environment. Another helpful activity is having students write their own test questions and try them out on each other. And test preparation can be fun – using cooperative groups or having students go to the four corners of the room according to their answer choices, and music.

• Teach relaxation techniques. There are many tips that students can learn, including tracing the sign for infinity with their fingertips, tapping the right and left sides of their body with the opposing hand, chewing mint gum, and taking short mental breaks during testing. Students can also visualize successful performance on a test through guided meditation. Special-needs students need to have all accommodations in place and be familiar with them. Finally, it’s helpful if the teacher is calm, which is easier if you’ve looked over testing procedures and are comfortable with them.

• Assess learning holistically before, during, and after testing. “Do you have a dream of creating a class museum for all the history topics studied that year or having students write a newspaper, design a dream house, or conduct an experiment that requires feedback?” asks Martin. “Do you want students to produce a play, read in literature circles, or teach a lesson to the class?” She believes that testing time, and the weeks afterward, are perfect for these higher-level activities and assessments. Students should get the clear message that there are many ways to demonstrate learning.

“Four Tips for Surviving Standardized Testing” by Anna Martin in Educational Horizons, February/March 2012 (Vol. 90, p. 25-27), http://www.edhorizons.org