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Somebody Needs You

Simulated Test Days Are Key

This strategy for improving student test performance is one that Larry Bell includes in the “Twenty Correctible Errors Made By Loving, Caring Administrators That Totally Annihilate At-Promise Students’ Chances of Passing a Standardized Test” section of his “Closing the Achievement Gap Workshop -- Part 2.” See the sidebar for more information about this workshop and others.

One of the biggest mistakes that school administrators make is to allow people to be surprised on the day of the state tests. Unless there is something completely unforeseeable or unknown to the administrator, this should never happen. Surprises on test day are sure to devastate test results.

If an administrator knows, for example, that on test day some students are going to have to report to a specific person or a certain place for the test, those students should know that from the very first day of school in August or September.

Yet I have walked into schools on the day of the big test and seen upset students who have been pulled away from their group to test separately -- and they had no idea that was going to go on. They practice-tested with their class and their teacher, but when it came time for the actual test they were pulled out.

Meet Larry Bell Larry Bell is an award-winning educator and in-demand speaker. His inspirational messages have keynoted numerous conferences, including the national conferences of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the National Association of Multicultural Education. Larry travels America and the world presenting his "Closing the Achievement Gap" and "The Power of a Teacher Through High Expectations" seminars, which focus on practical ideas for improving test scores and helping at-promise students achieve success. Check Larry Bell's Web page to see if one of those workshops is coming to a city near you, to learn about his book, 12 Powerful Words That Increase Test Scores and Help Close the Achievement Gap, or to directly contact him about coming to your school district.

The same goes for teachers. I have seen teachers on test day who are surprised by something about which they should have been aware. It is very disconcerting to teachers to believe that a certain procedure is going to be followed and then, on test day, to have the rug pulled out. When teachers get flustered, everyone is going to get flustered, especially those who are most vulnerable -- your at-promise students.

Situations such as those are costing big points on standardized test results.

Some administrators make the mistake of allowing parents to be surprised too. All year long a certain procedure is in place -- even on practice-test day. Then it comes to the state test days and there are whole different sets of rules.

I contend that administrators and administrative teams must get together with teachers starting in August and September to discuss everything that is going to go on when test day rolls around later that year. When anything new comes down the pike, administrators must gather the staff and inform everyone about the change at the same time. Put news of the changes in your parent newsletter too. And make the students aware of changes right away. Even if it’s news no one will like, at least no one will be surprised. No one ends up frustrated. It’s hard for students to pass a test when they are frustrated. SIMULATED TESTS, NOT PRACTICE TESTS

It is critical to have a solid and clear plan for that major test day. There should be no surprises. One excellent way to ensure that there are no surprises is to plan simulated test days throughout the year. Notice that I’m not saying practice test days. I don’t think you should call them practice tests. When you say practice, many students and even some teachers don’t take them seriously. When you get all the stakeholders involved in a simulated test day, they have to play their respective roles the exact way they will do them on the actual test day.

Parents should be fully informed about simulated test days too. Notes should be sent home to announce that you’re “going to have a simulated test day on October 22.” Let them know well in advance so that they can plan doctors’ appointments or anything else around that October 22 date. That note should go home in August or early September. As the date draws closer, remind parents how important it is that their child arrives at school on time because you’re simulating test day.

I contend that schools should plan and hold simulated test days four times a year. I know a lot of schools where simulated test days are held throughout the year, and it never fails that they learn of a number of procedures or guidelines they need to correct before the actual test date rolls around.

As principal of the school, you don’t get on the PA system during the annual state test days, so you shouldn’t get on the PA system during the simulated test day.

Students who might not be testing must be quiet in the hallways on actual test days, so they must be quiet in the hallways on simulated test days.

And here is the most important part: At the end of the simulated test day, the entire staff must come together. Administrators must share everything they saw. Teachers must share everything they saw. They must share the good things and the bad things. They must take notes.

But that’s not all.

The next day, every class must take at least 10 minutes to debrief about the test. What was good? What was bad? What helped? What hurt? What could we have done better as a school?

It is critical that you do these things so no one is surprised. You never want to surprise at-promise kids when they have to take a standardized test. By planning simulated test days, you work out the kinks and kids know what to expect. Doing several simulated test days during the school year make students familiar with the procedures and processes. They know what to expect. When the actual test day comes around, they can relax and focus on the job at hand: doing the best they can possibly do on the test.

My friends, somebody needs you.
Larry Bell

Article by Larry Bell
Copyright © 2007 Education World®

01/03/2007