Achievement test- Teacher and principal’s role

GUIDELINES FOR TEST PREPARATION AND ADMINISTRATION

The Teacher’s Role

Students will do their best on tests if they find an encouraging and supportive atmosphere, if they know that they are well prepared, and that with hard work they will perform well. To create a situation that will encourage students to do their best, teachers should

1. Attend workshops on test administration.
2. Develop an assessment calendar and schedule and share it with students and parents.
3. Prepare students well in advance for assessment by teaching test-wiseness skills independent of the subject matter being tested. Teach and review test familiarity that includes an understanding of how to use the test booklets and answer sheets, item response strategies, time management, listening, and following directions.
4. Develop a list of which and how many students will be tested and when. Determine which students will require special accommodations.
5. Develop a list of students who will be exempted from testing and the reason for the exemption. This list must be reviewed and approved by the principal or test administration committee. Parents must be notified and alternative assessments must be identified.
6. Develop plans for the administration of makeup tests for students absent during the scheduled testing period.
7. Prepare and motivate students just before the test.
8. Prepare to administer the test, with sufficient materials available for all students to be tested.
9. Prepare classrooms for the test. Arrange for comfortable seating where students will not be able to see each other’s test materials but will be able to hear test directions. Eliminate posters or other materials that may be distracting or contain information that could be used to help students answer test items.
10. Arrange for a separate supervised area for those students who finish early and may cause a distraction for other students.
11. Read the test administration manual carefully, in advance. Administer the test according to directions.
12. Meet with proctors and discuss their duties and responsibilities. Carefully and actively proctor the test.
13. Arrange for appropriate breaks and student stress relievers.
14. Follow the rules for test security and return all test materials to the test administrator.

The Principal’s Role

There are a number of things the principal can do to enhance the testing atmosphere in the school.

1. Inform both students and parents about what each test does and does not do, when and how it will be administered, and how the results will be reported and used. Indicate the importance of tests for students, staff, and the school. Stress the importance of school attendance on the scheduled testing dates.
2. Encourage the implementation of appropriate test-wiseness teaching and review. Teaching test familiarity skills should be independent of subject matter being tested. Discourage subject matter drill and practice solely for the test.
3. Let parents know about upcoming tests and what they can do to encourage their children’s performance.
4. Work with teachers to develop a building testing schedule. Attempt to maximize the efficiency of the building’s physical layout and resources.
5. Pay careful attention to school schedules during the testing period. Avoid planning assemblies, fire drills, maintenance, etc., during the testing period.
6. Develop a plan to keep tests and answer sheets secure before and after administration, and ensure that all are returned properly.
7. Arrange, where possible, for teachers to have proctoring help in administering tests. Ensure that tests are carried out according to ethical and legal practice.
8. Provide a handbook or policy statement such as this one to all involved with test administration spelling out proper and improper testing procedures.
9. Create a process to check out any suspicions or allegations of cheating. Document all steps taken.
10. Require detailed written explanations about why a student was not tested or the reason a score was not figured into a school’s average.
11. Encourage teachers’ participation in workshops and inservice sessions on assessment.
12. Ensure that all students are tested. Review all test accommodations, including exclusion, as a last resort, made for students with special needs. Ensure that accommodations/exclusions are consistent with specific testing program guidelines, and that appropriate accommodations are available as needed.
13. Ensure that there are no interruptions in classrooms during the testing period, including custodial tasks, intercom calls, delivery of messages, etc.
14. Work with the test coordinator and classroom teachers to schedule and staff makeup days for students who miss all or parts of the test. This might include bringing in a substitute or finding other ways to creatively use building staff to administer make ups in an appropriate setting.
15. Share test results with all staff. Staff members need to work together to ensure that the testing process is a smooth one. School improvement is a team effort.