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Sunday, April 06, 2008

Secrets of Standardized Testing


Tomorrow we start our AIMS, which is Arizona's Standardized testing. *sigh*


Secret#1 - Read the questions first. Even better - read the questions and answers first. Then you don't panic about the questions because you will know the questions and the answer choices.


Secret #2 - It's multiple choice:THEY GIVE YOU THE ANSWER!!!!! You have a 25% even if you just guess. (Forget the old thing about the "C" answer as a guess, that was back before they had computers mix up the answer choices.) Actually, if the questions and answers are read carefully the answers become obvious.


Secret #3 - This may sound hokey but it absolutely does work; imagine that you GET TO TAKE THIS TEST! Seriously, this does work. Your subconscious mind does what you tell it, and if you think something will be awful - bingo! it will be awful. If you think you get to do something it puts it in a whole new, and postitve light.


Secret #4 - After having taught for 30 years I can tell you that people who do well on tests use the above secrets. They know not to get stressed because that is self-sabotage. I promise, if you don't do well on a test no one will take you out back and shoot you.


Secret #5 - No matter how well I prepare my students, the scores are always a shock; some do far better than I hoped and some seemed to have not brought their brains along. Testing is a bigger crap-shoot than anything Vegas ever came up with. Nothing can be done about the teachers and students who cheat either, except that it always catches up with them eventually, and yes, there is a lot of cheating. (Statistically it is nearly impossible for an entire class to make unbelieveable gains in one year, but a blind eye is turned to that. Oh, well.)

4 comments:

Joy said...

Can you please move closer to your daughter and teach my kids?!! We are very fortunate to have tremendous teachers at my kids school but I'm not sure they have given out the secrets. I will print these out for my kids.
thanks Liz

Liz said...

Joy, please share my secrets. The testing companies DON'T want kids to know about this stuff because then the kids will start doing better and then the testing companies (all 5 of them for the whole country!!!!) will have to reformulate thier tests which will cut into their egregiously large profit margin!

Joy said...

I will share your secret with all the kids I know. :)

Liz said...

Hooray! another conspirator joins the ranks!