Test day is rapidly approaching. Your test prep to-do list is a mile long, you’re feeling pressure from admin about getting your scores up, the kids are getting snippy with each other, you’re tutoring in and out of school, and don’t forget the daunting amount of parent contacts you need to make. No wonder you just want to lay down on the floor in the middle of the hallway after school. It’s exhausting. However, test prep doesn’t have to make you miserable.
These tips will help you get on top of things and feel a little more in control so you can prepare fun and engaging activities to prepare your students.
Get Organized
When your information – and sometimes even your desk – is clear, so is your head. Organization empowers us to think through the data and our to-do lists calmly and confidently. So clear off that desk and set yourself up with a tidy work space that doesn’t make your head spin. We’ve got some work to do.
Get a Handle on Your Student Data
You’ve undoubtedly had some sort of benchmark by this point in the year, and you’ve probably talked about that data with your admin until you were blue in the face. You might even be a little annoyed at the thought of looking at it again.
I’m sure you’ve already created an instructional plan for test prep review based on how your students scored overall on each standard. You already know what needs reviewing and what is going exceedingly well. I’m not going to focus on that because I can feel your eyes glaze over through the computer screen.
Instead, I want to focus on looking at each individual student in your class and ensure that we meet their specific needs.
Here are some things I like to look for and think about:
- Which students scored well below or above your expectations? Why do you think that happened?
- Has the student been brought to RtI? Do you need to schedule a follow up?
- What are the student’s strengths and weaknesses?
- Would a student benefit from certain accommodations?
- Does the student need tutoring or extra small group instruction?
I like to keep a student data sheet for each student that contains every bit of information about him/her that I collect throughout the year. I find that it’s helpful for parent contacts, and honestly, just to make sure I don’t let one “fall through the cracks.” However you choose to store your data, keep it organized and easily accessible.
Get Those Parent Contacts Over With!
Determine which parents you need to call and prioritize based your student data. Start by scheduling face to face conferences with parents of students who were unsuccessful on the benchmark. Then work your way up.
I don’t know about you, but I typically don’t have time for face to face conferences for every parent this time of year. If you’re one of those lucky teachers that has a full or half day out of the classroom built in for this purpose – kudos to you! Unfortunately, time constraints always required me to determine which parents just need a phone call, or sometimes, even just a quick email.
Keep the conversation positive. It’s helpful to focus on the plan for moving forward. Above all, communicate your desire to work together to help their child succeed.
Get Accommodations and Groupings Set
Double check that all necessary accommodations and modifications are documented and set for testing. Do not wait until the last minute on this one. You really don’t want to find yourself in a jam on this one a few weeks away from the test – or worse, on test day.
If you have students who receive small group administration as a part of their accommodations, you will want to share information about your students with whoever oversees creating those groups. Is your student easily distracted? Does he or she tend to take a lot longer or work a lot faster than the other students that are being pulled out? Etc.
In addition, if you are given the ability to decide which students test in your classroom vs. your partner teacher’s classroom, start thinking about those rosters now. I usually opt to keep the students who struggle either academically or emotionally with me. I’ve always had strong partner teachers that I respect and trust; it’s not about that. It just gives them a little extra comfort and support to be with the teacher that prepared them for that particular test on test day.
Take Note of Your Students’ Testing Behaviors
Observing your students’ testing behaviors during in class assessments helps you put an end to some bad habits and helps tremendously with creating a seating arrangement for test day that will maximize their performance.
Try out different environments for students who are prone to falling asleep during tests, such as close to, or far from the air conditioning unit. Who gets easily distracted? You don’t want them sitting near the door. Is there anyone that will need to take frequent breaks? They belong by the door. You’ve worked hard all year at getting to know your students and creating responsive seating charts and groups. Keep this know-how in mind when creating your seating chart for test day as well.
Getting all of this organized ahead of time keeps you from feeling unraveled closer to the test and helps you make sure no students fall through the cracks. It’s a lot to do, but take it bit by bit and mark it off the to-do list. Trust me, “future you” will be so grateful you did!
Find More Test Prep Ideas by Looking Through the Posts Linked Below.
This post is the first in a 5 part test prep series that has since expanded to more. See the linked posts below for ideas on activities, strategies, motivation, and stress relief.
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