Exam Day: I Will Survive

Essential Test-Taking Tips

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Lesson Objectives

• Try out these strategies while you're still in high school, and by the time you get to college, you'll be a test-taking expert. *

Before the Test

• What is the Purpose of the TAKS test?– 1. Students in the third through 11th grades take the TAKS each spring.

TAKS measures student performance in statewide curriculum in reading in grades 3 through 9; in writing in grades 4 and 7; in English language arts in grades 10 and 11; in math in grades 3 through 11; in science in grades 5, 8, 10 and 11; and in social studies in grades 8, 10 and 11.

– 2. Passing the Exit TAKS in high school is a requirement for graduation.As of 2005, students must pass the Exit TAKS to get their diplomas. The test covers four subject areas: English language arts, social studies, math and science. Students first take the Exit TAKS in the spring of the 11th grade and have several chances to pass if they fail in one or all of the subject areas. A Student Guide to Graduation from the Texas Education Agency explains the requirements.

– 3. Passing the TAKS is a requirement for promotion to grades 4 and 6.Third-grade students who do not pass the grade 3 TAKS in reading will not be promoted to the next grade level. Students have three opportunities to take the test: in March, April and July, and they receive remedial help if they do not pass. If a student is retained, parents can appeal to a grade-placement committee at the local school. As of the 2004-2005 school year, fifth-grade students were required to pass the TAKS in reading and math to be promoted to sixth grade. Beginning in 2007-2008, eighth-grade students will be required to pass the eighth-grade level TAKS to be promoted to ninth grade.

– 4. Students classified as limited English proficient follow a slightly different path.Students identified as limited English proficient (LEP) are permitted to take the TAKS in Spanish for up to three years. After that, those who are not ready to take the TAKS in English work closely with a grade-placement committee consisting of the school principal, their teacher and a parent to get on track.

– In 2005 Texas initiated Linguistically Accommodated Testing (LAT), which allows some students to take the math TAKS with language help. LAT applies only to students enrolled in grades 3 through 10 who are classified as exempt from the TAKS on the basis of limited English proficiency. Linguistic accommodations vary and can include the use of bilingual dictionaries to find definitions of difficult words, and reading assistance, in which test administrators read aloud words or sentences from the test.

– 5. The TAKS tests the skills outlined in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) learning standards.In 1998 the Texas Education Agency implemented these learning standards for each grade. The standards outline what students should learn in every grade in Texas. TAKS tests are designed to test the grade-level skills outlined in the standards.

– 6. Special education students take the State-Developed Alternative Assessment (SDAA) instead of the TAKS. Students enrolled in special education programs and students for whom the TAKS is deemed inappropriate take the alternative assessment. Qualified students take the version of the test that best fits their learning expectations as outlined by their admission, review and dismissal committees (ARD). The alternative assessment tests students in reading, writing and mathematics and is designed to measure annual progress.

TAKS Anxiety

• Beating TAKS anxiety– Stop, Drop, and Roll– Relaxation Strategies

Before the Test

• Eat well.– Studies show that you need good nutrition to concentrate and perform

your best. So eat healthy all day, prior to your test.

• Bring the right supplies.– Bring your paper, pencils, erasers, pens, rulers, compasses,

calculators, or whatever else you'll need on test day.

• Review the whole test before you start.– See how many sections and what types of questions are on the test.

Consider how much time to allow for each section, basing your decision on the point value of each. You don't want to spend too much time on a question that counts for only a few points.

• Jot down your first thoughts.– From your first look at the test, take quick notes on ideas you might

forget. For example, you may want to outline your answers to written response and essay questions right away. *

Eat Well

• THE SCIENCE BEHIND FEEDING THE BRAIN– New studies are confirming what parents have long observed - there is a

relationship between what children eat and how they think, act, and learn. Like every other system in the body, the brain needs good food. It uses 20 to 25 percent of the total energy a person consumes, and the better you feed the brain, the better it works. While most of this section is devoted to the nutritional principles that help children's brains learn and behave, these same principles affect how adults think, learn, and feel. Everyone in the family benefits from good food for the brain.

– Better eating builds better brains. There is a pecking order among the organs of the body. The most vital organs get first pick of the available nutrients in the bloodstream. Since a malfunctioning brain can take the rest of the body down with it, the brain gets VIP status when the body distributes nutrients. Here's how.

– The brain is composed of trillions of nerve cells, called neurons. Thought, memory, actions, and many brain functions you're not even aware of depend on speed-of-light interactions of one cell with another. From each nerve cell tiny feelers called axons and dendrites reach out to connect with similar branches on other cells. The system looks kind of like a map of the interstate highway system, with many roadways connecting different cities. To facilitate the transmission of signals across the gap from one cell to the other, chemicals called neurotransmitters act like biological bridges.

• Nutrition affects the brain in three ways: – The cell itself needs proper nutrition to carry on its

functions just like any other cell in the body. – The myelin sheath covers the axon of the cell like

insulation covering electrical wires. It speeds transmission of electrical signals along the axoms, the "wires" of the brain. Deficiencies of nutrients that compose myelin, such as essential fatty acids, delay nerve-impulse transmission.

– The neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, carry messages from one cell to the other and affect mood as well as thoughts and actions. Some of the nutrients in the food we eat become part of the neurotransmitters that help us think. Neurotransmitters are probably the biological explanation for the food-mood connection.

– Each one of these three parts needs specific nutrients to enable the whole circuit to function properly. If any of these areas are deficient in nutrients, the circuit, like a defective electrical wire, misfires.

Examples of a Brainy Breakfast

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Bring the Right Materials

• The school will have pencils and erasers for you, but you may bring a bottled water to your test room. Keep your brain hydrated for optimal performance!

• Also, you may bring peppermints which have been proven to stimulate brain activity.

Review the Whole Test Before You Start!

• If you listen closely to the directions that your teacher reads before the test, you will know exactly what to expect. It is important to take a few minutes to scan the test and get a good idea of what you are about to see. This will help to relieve some anxiety!

• Let’s practice scanning the test!

Jot Down your First Ideas!

• Your first impressions are important! You are all smart and well-taught students! Before you fill in any circles on your answer document, you should mark your answers on your test booklet. Go through and make an initial answer based on your first impression. Then, reread and take time to rethink. This will help you to make sure you have really thought through your answer!– Be careful of “easy” questions! They are often “trick”

questions designed to make you stumble!– Be sure to use the edge of your test to keep you in line

and answer all of the “bubble-in” answers on your answer sheet at once!

During the Test• Read the directions.

– Never assume that you know what the directions say. For example, some questions may have more than one correct answer.

• Make good guesses.– On most standardized tests, it’s better to guess at an answer than to

leave it blank. Cross off the answers you are sure are wrong. Then, go back and select the best one. Use the following code if you need to go back and review an answer:

• R=Review• O=omit

• Ask questions.– During the TAKS it is always okay to ask for the teacher to read the

directions to you. This may help you to think about what you need to do. Students who have oral administration may ask the teacher to read ANY question to them. This special option will not help you if you do not ask for the question to be read to you! If you are lucky enough to receive oral administration, take advantage of it!

((Continued on Next Slide…)) *

During the Test, II

• Identify key words. (Highlight or Underline in question)– This will help you focus on the main idea of challenging questions.

• Rephrase difficult questions.– To understand questions better, rewrite them in your own words,

but be careful not to change the meaning.

• Organize your thoughts before you write.– Spend some time organizing your responses to short-answer and

essay questions. You'll reduce the time you need to revise.

• Write neatly.– Be sure you don't lose points on answers the instructor can't read.

• Use all of the time you're given.– If you finish early, don't race out. Use the extra time to proofread

and edit your answers. *

After the Test

• Learn from your mistakes.– Don’t look at the grade and file the test away, always ask

“Why?” if you missed a question, odds are, you’ll see that type of question again.

• Take notes– After a test, take notes in the margins of the test about how

to get the correct answer, or similar questions that may be asked in the future. A test is not only for evaluation, but also a learning experience.

• File away old tests.– Old exams are perfect study materials. Not only do they

show you the teacher’s style of questioning, but they also show you what’s important to know. *

Practice

• We are going to spend the rest of the period practicing these techniques.