With the highly charged atmosphere in education today, more schools and school officials than ever are being judged by student performance on state-administered skills assessment tests.
Tests and test guidelines vary from state to state - only Iowa and Nebraska have no statewide testing programs. Each state tests different skills in different subjects at different grade levels. However, you can be sure of one thing: unless you're an Iowan or Nebraskan, you will be taking one or more of these standardized tests at some point during your educational experience.
What is a standardized test?
Standardized tests provide a common measure of student performance. A standardized test contains the same set of questions and is given under the same conditions to different groups of people. The answers are scored in the same manner. These tests are designed by commercial publishers or state committees and use state curriculums as their foundation.
How can you prepare?
The first step is to get all the information. Talk to your guidance counselor or principal. Find out what tests you will face and when. Find out what subjects are tested. Next, research all of your options. Many districts offer schoolwide preparation programs for state tests. Inquire if there are any such programs at your school. In addition, there are several commercial preparation options for many state tests. Private tutors are very popular and test prep books are also available for a very limited number of state tests.
The key is to remain calm. Find out all the information and then begin to prepare yourself. State tests may be hotly debated, but they're not going away.
