For many high school students, the final weeks of school are filled with a tremendous number of high-stakes assessments. From end-of-year state tests; to End-of-Course (EOC) exams that all students are required to take at some point for graduation; to Advanced Placement (AP), AICE Cambridge, and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams for students who have taken rigorous college-level coursework; to industry certification tests for those on career-centered pathways; to SAT or ACT tests for those wanting to sit for a test administration before summer–these weeks can be filled with intensity and stress for students and teachers. And the outcomes of these are often key metrics for individual student, school-level, and district-level evaluations of success. 

Students do better when they view tests as an opportunity to display the content and skills they have mastered through their learning and coursework, rather than focusing on the potential consequences and outcomes of the tests. Maintaining this perspective, however, is often incredibly difficult for administrators, teachers, and students as most are acutely aware of the weight they may hold. In order to create a healthy and supportive testing environment for students, districts and schools can use the weeks leading up to testing season to communicate and encourage best practices for all stakeholders. 

Encourage Review Over Time Rather than Cramming:

Too often, students leave content review and practice until just before the test–when cramming in an overwhelming quantity of material is nearly impossible. Districts can use centralized communication channels to remind students, families, and educators to begin reviewing material now, doing a little bit each week, at a much more manageable and functional pace. Districts and schools might create webinar or in-person review sessions during the weeks leading up to different tests to help support students in scheduling this regular cadence of studying and also provide explicit guidance specific to each test. 

Introduce Testing Formats to Students Well Ahead of Time:

Even if students have fully mastered the content that will be tested, being confronted with a time limit and a format that looks different than they are used to can create major challenges for students to be successful on the testing day. Through their academic departments, districts can encourage teachers to go over testing formats several days before the test, talking through time limits and strategies to help students during the testing experience. Whether it is practicing bubbling scantron sheets or becoming familiar with an online testing platform, offering these experiences prior to when students actually sit for the test can make a meaningful difference on students being comfortable and able to do their best on the testing day. 

Make Sure Students are Taking Care of Basic Needs:

‍Students–especially busy high schoolers–often sacrifice things like sleep, exercise, connecting with friends, and eating regularly when they are feeling intense stress. Administrators can use district and school reminders to emphasize that having a healthy sleep schedule, eating balanced meals, taking time to work out or be outside, and just spending a little time with family and friends is critical to ensuring their overall wellbeing and will actually significantly positively impact their success on the test. This message can sometimes be counterintuitive to teenagers and adolescents. 

Have Schools Test Technology Necessary for Large-Scale Testing:

‍Many of these high-stakes tests have transitioned to digital formats in the past few years. In fact, the SAT has undergone digitization and this coming year will be the first year Advanced Placement tests are all done online. It is crucial that schools and districts test their system with the full load of students who will be taking the test at a given time. Not doing so beforehand can result in technical difficulties on the day of the test which can be incredibly distracting and unsettling for students, negatively impacting their performance. 

Encourage Administrators to be Cognizant of Other Scheduling:

Many students during high school end up having multiple of these high-stakes tests within a given few weeks. This time of the year also often has end-of-year culminating events, celebrations, and activities. Though scheduling all of these is a massive challenge, district administrators can encourage school principals and staff to try to not schedule these events on the day before a large number of students will be doing testing. The district might create a comprehensive calendar of the testing dates that are determined by external entities and make note of testing windows that are determined by school sites to use as a reference and reminder for school-based staff. 

Students are Not Just Test Scores

It can sound trite, but it is true–students are so much more than a test score. The test is simply one measure of a student’s performance on a given day. Reminding students of this fact in the midst of stressful testing periods can help them find some perspective. Sharing with students that many of these tests can be retaken, if needed, can alleviate some of the pressure associated with the test administration. 

Oftentimes, the days and weeks leading up to the tests are filled with content review and test practice. Districts and schools can promote holistic wellbeing by building in some short mindfulness activities or sharing district resources for students and families that include tools to use at home or where to turn for help if their student is overwhelmed by stress or in need of academic support. Proving a more balanced approach to test preparation will lead to healthier, happier, and more successful students and educators.