If you’re an educator, the weeks leading up to state testing are likely some of the most stressful and demanding days in your year. You’re focused not only on test preparation, but also on each student’s specific needs. That might mean juggling students who have test anxiety while supporting others who have varying levels of understanding and comprehension—all while fielding questions from parents and administrators. Phew!
At Edmentum, it’s our goal to put educators first in everything we do. One of the ways we do this is by working hard to make teachers' lives easier during the busiest times of the academic year. The toolkit below is packed with practical resources full of new approaches and best practices to help educators at all grade levels prepare their classes for upcoming state tests. We believe that when test day rolls around, students’ scores should reflect their content knowledge—not their ability to decode the test itself.
1. Assessment For Learning
We know that educators at all levels are responsible for making big decisions based on student evaluation outcomes. This workbook helps you make the best decisions for yourself and your students—whether you’re a district administrator, principal or teacher. We walk you through the process of distinguishing between various assessment types, building goals, identifying best practices around your assessments and analyzing your data to make lasting instructional decisions throughout the year.
2. 10 Tips for Testing Success
In this 10-minute on-demand webinar, we guide you through essential steps that can help schools, parents and students prepare for testing. Highlights include how to create a positive school culture around testing, the best ways to partner with parents and suggestions for utilizing available funding.
3. Marzano-Validated Best Practices for Online Practice
Edmentum was honored to have Marzano Research peer review a research project we conducted for our classroom practice and assessment program, Study Island; Marzano confirmed the effectiveness of using Study Island for online practice. Read our blog to learn about our research, as well as approaches that help students get the most out of their online practice.
4. Ace the Test with Study Island
One of the best ways to minimize the stress of testing season is to have a test preparation plan in place now. In this on-demand webinar, we outline five simple steps to prepare students for testing with Edmentum’s Study Island. Built specifically from state and Common Core education standards, Study Island has a fun and easy-to-use interface that’s proven to produce significant academic growth outcomes in math, ELA, science and social studies with just 30 minutes of practice a week.
5. Study Island New Game-Based Group Sessions
This video explains how to bring excitement to classroom test prep, and engage your students in a live quiz game with Study Island’s new group sessions. Students will have a blast competing with their classmates and racking up points for correct answers, speed and winning streaks while preparing for state assessments and deepening their understanding. At the same time, you’ll gain formative assessment data to inform your instructional decisions. This exciting new feature is coming to Study Island classrooms in February 2019!
Edmentum is currently running special pricing on Study Island for new customers. Get your students the practice they need for upcoming testing.
6. How Teachers Can Help Students Cope with Test Anxiety
Students know that a lot is riding on state exams, and inevitably, students who experience test anxiety feel the extreme pressure to do well. How do you take the fear out of testing day? In this blog post, we’ve compiled seven of our favorite tips to keep anxiety at bay.
7. Student Performance Improves on State Assessments
When Minnesota principal James Sonju realized his school was not on track to make adequate yearly progress (AYP), he turned to Study Island. With real-time reporting on student achievement, teachers quickly identified learning gaps as they correlated to state standards. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards on the MCAs has increased in math and reading, and the school has made AYP each year since implementing the program. What’s more, the use of Study Island has helped students feel confident about the assessment.
Read the success story from Lincoln K-8 Choice School in Rochester, MN.
8. Making Your School Culture Pay Dividends During Testing Season
A lot of time and resources go into creating a learning environment that helps both students and staff thrive. The stress associated with state testing can put those investments to the test. This blog post highlights three easy tips that can help you boost your school culture during test time, so all the hard work and energy pay off.
9. Creating a Personalized Learning Environment at Penn High School
In this video you'll hear from administrators, teachers and students about how Indiana’s Penn High School uses technology to personalize instruction, differentiate learning and drive student achievement.
10. Three Classroom Strategies to Support English Language Learners
English Language Learners (ELLs) are eligible for accommodations during annual high-stakes testing, but those accommodations vary from state to state and often are confusing to even seasoned educators. Avoid confusion on test day by preparing these students in the weeks leading up to the exam. This blog highlights three of our favorite strategies and tools that will put students on the right track.
11. Elementary and Secondary Test-Taking Tips
Test-taking is a skill; small reminders on how to correctly take a test can improve scores dramatically. These reference sheets have tips to help students identify strategies to use if they find themselves stumped.
12. Preparing YOURSELF for Testing Season
Educators have a lot of things to juggle during testing season, from making sure students are familiar with testing procedures, to focusing on critical content, to keeping student stress levels in check, to keeping parents in the loop. It’s important for you to remember to take of yourself as well. In this blog post, we highlight a few ways to keep yourself healthy and sane during assessment season!
State testing can be a whirlwind for even the most seasoned educator. We hope the resources in our toolkit will help as you start to prepare your students and yourself.
