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Text Checklist 1

This document provides a checklist for teachers to use to ensure they are adequately preparing students to take tests. The checklist includes analyzing testing environments, planning accommodations, simulating test conditions through practice, focusing on test-taking strategies, and involving other staff. Key aspects of preparation discussed are addressing conditions like temperature and noise; familiarizing students with test formats through sample questions; discussing test-taking approaches; emphasizing vocabulary, cognitive skills, and persistence; and collaborating as an interdisciplinary team. The goal is to make practice tests a learning experience and motivate students to do their best.

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52 views1 page

Text Checklist 1

This document provides a checklist for teachers to use to ensure they are adequately preparing students to take tests. The checklist includes analyzing testing environments, planning accommodations, simulating test conditions through practice, focusing on test-taking strategies, and involving other staff. Key aspects of preparation discussed are addressing conditions like temperature and noise; familiarizing students with test formats through sample questions; discussing test-taking approaches; emphasizing vocabulary, cognitive skills, and persistence; and collaborating as an interdisciplinary team. The goal is to make practice tests a learning experience and motivate students to do their best.

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Conderman, Pedersen / Preparing Students for Taking Tests   239

TEACHER CHECKLIST

Analyze the environment


Did we address conditions such as the setting, room temperature, materials (test booklets and answer sheets), light, technologies,
and noise?
Plan for accommodations
Did we schedule the room, coordinate who will be reading exams, gather necessary materials, and ensure assistive technologies
are available and in working order?

Did we use data to determine individualized testing accommodations?


Simulate test conditions
Did we familiarize students with the test format, complete sample questions daily, and provide opportunities for students to practice?
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Did we make practice tests a learning experience by discussing items
in detail with students?
Did we talk with students about how they approached questions, the self-talk they used, how they dealt with fatigue, what they did
when they did not know an answer, and how they paced themselves?
Day-to-day instruction
Did we place a premium on vocabulary instruction?
Did we incorporate all levels of cognitive operations into daily activities, assignments, class discussion, homework, and tests?
General test-taking strategies
Did we teach students to answer easier questions first and persist to the end of the test?
Specific test-related strategies
Did we teach mnemonic-based strategies that are helpful for tests but can be used throughout the curriculum?
Motivational Ideas
Did we use test results for developing individualized student goals?
Did we expect good results?
Did we focus on the concept of persistence?
Did we teach relaxation or stress-reduction strategies?
Involve the interdisciplinary team
Did we solicit the involvement and collaboration of interdisciplinary team members as well as community members and resource
personnel beyond the school campus to convey the importance of doing well on assessments?

Figure 1.  Checklist to be used by individual teachers or teams for reflection on test preparation practices.

head and neck rolling, and back and shoulder arching best rather than bribe them with rewards or place more
(Cizek & Burg, 2006). importance on the reward than on performance.

Incentives
Involve the Interdisciplinary Team
As part of an individualized motivation plan, special
educators may want to offer incentives that raise stu- Finally, remember that improving test scores of
dents’ awareness and enthusiasm for taking the test. students—as individuals and as a collective group—
Students may be motivated by earning incentives (cou- requires a collaborative effort involving the interdisci-
pons for food or merchandise from local stores, special plinary team. Involving members of the interdisciplinary
breakfasts, pizza parties, and movies) for good atten- team is included in the summary of suggestions noted in
dance or promptness on testing days or for meeting a Figure 1. This checklist can be used by individual teach-
goal. Educators need to remember the purpose of moti- ers or teams as they reflect on their current test prepara-
vational activities is to encourage students to do their tion practices for students with mild disabilities.

Downloaded from isc.sagepub.com at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on September 18, 2016

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