Standardized Testing: 5 Tips to Make This Your Easiest Year Yet

I know what you may be thinking, “Being a Building Test Coordinator during standardized testing season is a non-school counseling task!”  And you would be right!  The unfortunate reality is that many of us do have to add testing responsibilities to our already full plates.  In this post we hope to share 5 things we think you can do to make this your easiest standardized testing season yet.

Step 1: Decorate!

Before the big standardized test, use these posters to encourage your students to do their best.  Being a building test coordinator may not be in our job description, but encouraging and inspiring students definitely is!  Also, put a few posters in the packet of information you’ll be distributing to your test administrators.  These signs should let passersby know that you’re testing.  Having these signs printed and in their stack of info will make you seem together and on top of it!

Click above to download our free poster.

Step 2: Motivate!

This one needs to be done a few weeks before standardized testing.  Teachers spend the year meeting as many standards as possible so that students learn the academic content, but there are a few standardized testing tips we, as school counselors, can teach them.  We have 2 lessons that we think are SUPER cute.  One follows the bee theme that our posters have.  The other one has been super interesting to students as it combines shark facts with testing tips.  We did a fun room transformation using this theme.  Amazon has a light that made it feel like we were underwater.  Our speakers played underwater sounds as the students entered the room.  We also hung up those blue party tablecloths you can get for $1.  Hanging them over the fluorescent lights tinted the room blue. We cut fish shapes out of black construction paper and put those fish cut-outs in the blue “light covers.”  It made it appear that we were swimming under other fish!  It really wasn’t a lot of work and it totally set the ambience for a memorable lesson.  And when you’re talking about standardized test taking tips, memorable is exactly what you want!

Step 3: Delegate!

In most standardized tests you will need test administrators, hall monitors, and possibly proctors.  There are different requirements for each of these.  Check with your state regulations, but in most places test administrators must be certified teachers.  The rules with hall monitors and proctors may not be as stringent, but it’s important to check before making assignments.

Talk with your principal to determine who is available to be your test administrators, hall monitors, and proctors.  These people need to be trained to know what their role involves.  You may also be required to get them to sign an ethics agreement.

Step 4: Communicate!

In preparing this post I asked several teachers, “What do you need most during standardized testing season?”  The resounding answer I received was communication.  I’ve broken this down into 3 sections: pre-test, mid-test, post-test.

Pre-test

• Communicate with teachers step by step what they need to do before and during standardized test administration.
• Make sure you give them a schedule so they will know exactly which standardized test to administer on which day.
• Do they need to turn in their electronic devices?
• Will you be printing testing tickets?
• Where and when do they need to come to pick up their testing materials?
• How will they communicate absences with you?
• What about your exceptional learners?  Give test administrators a list of which students need to test individually.  Who needs the test read aloud to them?  Which students will be testing in a small group?
• Also, give them anything that you can ahead of time.  Seating charts, for example.  If they’re testing the same group of students each day, have them fill out a seating chart.  Then make a copy for each day they will be testing.  They’ll think you’re the best for saving them work each day.  You will be working smarter, not harder!
• Something else you can distribute ahead of time is this cute poster. Having one poster for each test administrator will make you look prepared!

Mid-test

• What script should they follow?
• Make sure you have scratch paper and pencils along with any other documents the students need.
• What do they do in the event a student gets sick?
• Keep up with who needs to take which make-up test on which day.

Post-test

• This one is simple.  Communicate the results with the teachers!  As my husband, an educator, puts it, “In school we are taught to get tests and other grades back to the students as quickly as possible so that they don’t worry about their grade.  Why wouldn’t we do the same with our standardized test scores for teachers?”

What other information needs to be communicated pre,mid, and post-test?

Step 5: Celebrate!

Once standardized testing is over, take some time and celebrate! In the past we have found sparkling grape juice on clearance for 25 cents! We have given them out as gifts to the teachers as a way of celebrating the completion of another year of standardized testing.
Make sure you have any materials like testing tickets, testing booklets, seating charts, scratch paper, pencils, etc. Keep them organized until you return the documents.

We won’t blame you if you take a personal day or two!

Let us know your favorite tip for standardized testing season. We all learn from each other!