Since the passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and the subsequent Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), high-stakes testing has become a reality in our learning environments. Today, K-12 students at almost every grade level are required to take standardized tests in specific areas and in specific subjects. Districts and schools receive accountability reports every school year relating to those test results that often lead to strategic changes in budget, personnel, curriculum, instruction, and programs.
Additionally, schools make important, data-informed decisions that directly affect students. These decisions might include requiring some students to repeat a grade, preventing some students from graduating from high school, mandating certain curricula and instruction based on prescribed interventions/remediation, and rewarding or sanctioning schools.
When students don’t achieve sufficient results, they are often required to participate in targeted interventions before retaking the tests until they successfully pass them or are exempt for specific reasons. One of these high-stakes test is the STAAR/EOC for students in grades third to high school.
Needless to say, many are the stressors faced by students and teachers when dealing with high-stakes testing.
In an effort to understand how teens experience and are impacted by stress, the American Psychological Association (APA) surveyed teens ages 13 to 17 living in the United States. Respondents reported stress levels far above what the researchers viewed as healthy, and on average, teen-reported stress levels higher than adult-reported stress levels (APA, 2014).
Understanding the impact of this stress on the learning environment, employing motivational coaching for school leaders, teacher and leadership coaching, encouragement, and support tactics to help teachers and students overcome test anxiety is critical to achieving success. Specifically, combining standards-aligned, engaging, and rigorous instruction with regular practice tests and/or benchmarks can help students and teachers work together to tackle the effect of any learning disruptions, develop and practice test-taking strategies, and manage test anxiety/stress.
It is crucial for teachers to be intentional when encouraging and motivating students before and after testing – not only for the students' sake! Teachers work tirelessly all year long. Knowing that testing results will be used in part to assess teachers' performance, the benefits of quelling student test anxiety are extensive. Coaching teachers in effective, time-tested standardized test preparation techniques, stress management ideas for students, and self-care methods for themselves, will provide rewards in successful student test results and pride in their personal education achievement.
Students are also aware of the realities of how testing results will be used as a yardstick to measure their academic performance and to make decisions about their educational future. So, while providing students with high-quality instruction and appropriate and timely interventions is important, it is equally important to motivate, encourage, and celebrate students before and after testing.
Motivating both teachers and students requires creating a supportive environment that promotes open communication throughout the school community. Potentially stressful situations such as an impending standardized test offers opportunities for growth rather than panic-inducing challenges when approached through positive thinking patterns. Encourage them to visualize success and remind themselves of their capabilities and strengths.
In addition to fostering positive mental attitudes, offering helpful resources such as study guides or interactive learning tools via websites or apps is invaluable in preparing for exams successfully. Experienced teacher coaches may provide personalized coaching sessions specifically aimed at preparing new educators for managing standardized testing effectively.
What are your favorite ways to motivate students? Share with us on Twitter!