Fetner Hope is not a strategy: Coaching Teacher Candidates in standardized test taking

23/Th 8:00 AM Newman

Type_Presentation: 60-minute Concurrent Session

PresentationTitle: Hope is not a strategy: Coaching teacher candidates in standardized test taking

ProgramStrand_Primary: Learning and Study Strategies

ProgramStrand_Secondary: Learning Assistant Center Management

Presentation_description:

Teacher candidates in many states take some form of standardized test that evaluates skills in math, reading, and writing as part of licensure. Due to the test’s high personal relevance, students often seek help. This session will review a test coaching program that includes general test taking, test familiarization, practice with sample test items, motivation and encouragement, and content review, and participants will discuss the elements of test coaching that suit their student populations.

I. Purpose of this presentation

Coaching teacher candidates in standardized pre-licensing tests can alleviate some of their concerns created by such high stakes tests. As part of the services offered by the Center for Student Learning at the College of Charleston, individual appointments are provided when a student seeks help or is referred by the school of education student services coordinator, specifically for Praxis review.

This session is designed for learning assistance professionals who prepare students to take standardized tests. As well, learning center directors considering the addition of this service to their offerings may be interested. We will examine sample test items that students tend to misread and will discuss methods for teaching students to be test minded and less anxious. Preparing students who have previously experienced test taking difficulties to successfully complete pre-service standardized tests has become a necessary service in order to admit or retain students in schools of education. Generally, students who present themselves for help in test taking skills

have negative reactions to standardized testing

possess feelings of self-doubt about their abilities to do well on tests

have a goal to “get it over with”

are generally not concerned with acquiring long-term, transferable knowledge

; respond to individual, personal assistance

II. Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of the session, attendees will be able to

• identify elements of test familiarity, content, and test wiseness

• consider test coaching methods and how to structure a test prep session

• promote test preparation as a learning center service

III. Outline

1. It all starts in your head

A. Test familiarity

B. Test content

C. Test wiseness

2. My position on campus

A. Study skills

B. Teacher connection

C. Learning center administrator

3. Test content

A. Reading

1. Main idea/primary purpose

2. Supporting idea

3. Vocabulary in context

4. Organization

5. Inference—looking for the hidden message

6. Evidence, or when truth isn’t necessarily the correct answer

7. Assumption is okay as long as there’s a basis

8. Fact/opinion

9. Author’s attitude—can you feel the emotion?

10. Extending/prediction

11. Conclusion

12. Application

B. Mathematics

1. Number and operations

2. Algebra

3. Geometry and measurement

4. Data analysis and probability

C. Writing and grammar

1. Parts of speech and usage

2. Sentence structures—junior high review

3. Mechanics

4. Word choice—it takes experience

5. Essay writing

4. Techniques for helping students

A. Guessing takes work

B. Eliminating answers is a strategy

C. Using answer choices as clues

D. What is the answer questioning?

E. Watch out for familiarity

F. Multiple solutions to math

G. Shortcuts that save time

5. Student success and satisfaction, or you are in charge of your life

A. Keep appointments

B. Relearn content needed to be an educated teacher

C. Pass the tests

IV. Significance to the field and relevance to CRLA members

Standardized tests are a necessary part of a student’s life and can, in fact, be great learning tools, providing opportunities to practice important critical reading and reasoning skills that are useful in other situations. Standardized tests require familiarity with content and structure that can be learned through practice analysis. To this end, learning assistance professionals are committed to helping students capitalize on learning strategies.

The audience will look at test items to determine traps for test takers and will brainstorm methods for coaching students. We will also examine test anxiety symptoms and checklists for students to reduce anxiety as they prepare for tests. Attendees will discuss designing a comprehensive student test prep plan for repeated visits. Handouts include planning for coaching sessions, standardized test taking techniques with sample items, and student test anxiety checklists. Copies of test preparation books will be available for browsing.

V. Presenter’s Experience As a long time certified classroom teacher and administrator, I naturally developed an affinity for prospective education majors who requested test prep help in the college learning center. Over the past eight years, I have worked with the general college population in helping them develop study strategies and, most specifically, with teacher candidates in Praxis preparation.

VI. Bibliography

Allalouf, A. & Ben-Shakhar, G. (1998). The effect of coaching on the predictive validity

of Scholastic Aptitude Tests. Journal of Educational Measurement, 35(1), 31-47.

Bruner, M., Artelt, C., Kraus, S., & Baumert, J. (2007). Learning and Instruction, 17,

111-122.

Flippo, R., Becker, M., & Wark, D. (2000). Preparing for and taking tests. In R. Flippo &

D. Caverly (Eds.), Handbook of college reading and study strategy research. (p. 221-

260). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kulik, J., Bangert-Drowns, R., & Kulik, C. (1984). Effectiveness of coaching for aptitude

tests. Psychological Bulletin, 95(2), 179-188.

Millman, J., Bishop, C., & Edel, R. (1965). An analysis of test wiseness. Educational and

Psychological Measurement, 25, 707-726.

Sapp, M. Test anxiety: applied research, assessment, and treatment intervention.

Lantham, Md.: University Press of America.

Equipment_Requests_Other_desc:

PresenterBio: As a long time certified classroom teacher and administrator, I naturally developed an affinity for prospective education majors who requested test prep help in the college learning center. Over the past eight years, I have worked with the general college population in helping them develop study strategies and, most specifically, with teacher candidates in Praxis preparation. I am the associate director of the learning center, as well.