4 Easy Ways to Boost Test Scores for STAARHere are some helpful tips that will help your students train for the “marathon” of high-stakes testing.

Look into seated stretchingHave you ever sat in your classroom desks? If you have, you know that stretching can offer some serious relief to tired students. Spend some time researching effective stretching while seated, like this video from the Mayo Clinic, and then share the techniques with your kids. Not only will they thank you at the end of testing week, but they will also thank you with improved focus and (hopefully) higher scores.

Create a culture of positivity before the testAs Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.” Start getting the kids thinking about what will happen when they meet their testing goals. Perhaps squeeze in a quick writing assignment asking the kids to picture themselves in honors classes next year/graduating/going to college/having a cool job. The mind is a powerful weapon and has a unique gift for making things happen that don’t seem possible.

Add “catering manager” to your resumeIt may seem outside your responsibility, but a lot of research has been done on the effects of food (specifically, lack of food) and test performance. You will want to make sure your students are well fed before testing starts every day. In low Socioeconomic Status (SES) schools and neighborhoods, that might mean stocking up on granola bars and other snacks before testing week. In my district, the local McDonald’s restaurants offered a free breakfast for kids on test days. Look into offers like that and make sure the kids know about them. You might also want to try some peppermint, apparently.

Practice makes perfect: Use a proven STAAR test preparation program As the old saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” Make sure you are giving your students the practice they need to succeed on upcoming high-stakes tests. When choosing a provider, make sure their standards mastery and test preparation programs are explicitly designed to help your students master the content specified in TEKS and proven to improve performance in core skill areas.

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Study Island STAAR Preparation and Standards Mastery Programs

The key to individualizing instruction is understanding where each of your student’s strengths and weaknesses lie. Diagnosing student proficiencies in relation to the TEKS is an essential first step to ensuring TEKS mastery.

Study Island’s STAAR preparation and standards mastery programs are specifically designed to help students master the TEKS. Study Island’s STAAR diagnostic tests evaluate students’ knowledge and identify academic strengths and weaknesses. This valuable feedback helps educators differentiate their instruction based on their students’ individual academic ability levels.

■ 2nd grade through high school diagnostic test available for all STAAR content areas, including end-of-course subjects (EOC)

■ Each 30-question test gives a high-level measure of where students stand in relation to the grade-level academic content

■ Real-time reporting quickly and efficiently identifies strands in which students are excelling or need additional practice

■ Teachers have the flexibility to assign diagnostic tests at any time throughout the school year