Summer break is coming to an end. Kids are heading back to school, with some schools already in session and others starting soon. This year, perhaps more than ever, parents must add standardized testing to their list of worries.
If you’ve been watching your kid’s test scores, and those of their classmates, over recent years, you’re already aware that, on average, they’ve dropped precipitously since COVID-19. It’s also why many colleges paused using standardized test scores to determine admission eligibility.
However, that respite is over; if this is the year your child will start applying to colleges, it’s time to start helping them prepare.
The COVID Testing Pause
COVID-19 threw a wrench into the works of education. Schools shut down to reduce the spread of the virus, and there were outbreaks where schools delayed shutting down or reopened too quickly.
Schools had to choose between an awkward and unprepared transition to remote education that first year or simply halting the school year early. When the new year resumed with remote classes, the system was more prepared,. However, kidsstill struggled, especially when technology and infrastructure issues, learning disabilities, or other complications were added to the mix.
States scrambled in 2020 to pass legislation allowing skipping the annual standardized testing, and scores fell when it resumed.
Meanwhile, colleges couldn’t exactly demand scores from 2020 testing for admission since so many students hadn’t taken one, so they adjusted admission standards to account for the change.
Test Scores Remained Low
COVID-19 may not be gone, but the restrictions that came with it are, for the most part. Schools are open, kids aren’t required to wear masks or be tested for the virus, and classes and testing are back on schedule.
Some states and individual districts report that test scores are beginning to improve in 2024, but these results are not universal or consistent, and improvement is a low bar. Last June, NPR reported that math and reading scores across the U.S. were the lowest in decades. They also showed an increased disparity by race and gender.
That means that all these kids will have a more challenging time making the grade for college admissions, and that Black and female students will experience this more than their peers.
Colleges Are Moving Forward
Whether students are ready or not, colleges are ready to start utilizing test scores again for admissions.
It must be emphasized that ignoring standardized test scores does not mean colleges overlook academic performance. Instead, they’ve been using other measures, like grade point average, which may integrate test scores but doesn’t center solely on them.
It’s also important to note that not all colleges have been excluding test scores from the equation, and some were doing so even before COVID-19. Around 200 universities questioned whether test scores were really the best measure of academic success.
Now, though, they’re reverting. DownBeach reported:
“Harvard is among other elite institutions in the United States—including Yale, Dartmouth, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of Texas at Austin—that have re-embraced standardized tests.”
Institutions of higher education report that when they made submitting test results optional, the students who did not submit them tended to perform more poorly and that they’re concerned “grade inflation” is making a 4.0 GPA less of an accomplishment than it once was.
How Can You Help Your Child Prepare?
Most of the advice for preparing kids for standardized testing will sound like the actions you’re already taking to support their academic performance. Scholastic, for instance, recommends making sure your child is well-rested, has had a good breakfast, and is at school on time for test day. They also recommend helping your child study concepts causing a struggle.
Some practices, though, will be specifically valuable for test-taking.
Reading Practice
For instance, encourage your child to read various types of text. They should practice reading instructions, magazine articles, short stories, and answering questions about their reading.
Teacher Voice also recommends practicing “endurance reading.” Children who struggle to sit and read for more than ten minutes straight will have trouble reading one passage after another to answer questions.
On the other hand, a child who doesn’t mind reading for long periods will typically score better.
Math Practice
There are portions of standardized tests that allow calculators, so your child should practice using it correctly. They should also practice looking at the answer to see if it makes sense before marking it. (If 500 divided by 5 produces an answer that is four digits, your child should know to question the result and test it again.)
Your child should also review the math concepts they know and ask teachers questions if they’re unclear about something.
It’s Okay To Take A Break Or Skip Questions
Remind your child that it’s okay to leave a question blank and return to it, especially if it’s stressing her. Assure her that it would be better to end up leaving the troublesome question blank, if time runs out, than to leave everything after it blank because she got stuck there.
Also, help your child remember that if she’s stressed out, it’s okay to stop, close the test booklet, close her eyes, take some deep breaths, and resume when ready. On a side note, if the test will be taken on a computer rather than paper, check in advance whether your child will be allowed to turn off the monitor or close a laptop to physically separate from the material for a break.
Encourage Careful Reading & Critical Thinking
It is so easy to skim a question too quickly and answer what you thought it asked instead of what it asked. Your child should be encouraged to practice reading every word of a question and asking himself, what am I being asked?
Your child can also utilize critical thinking skills to eliminate unrealistic answers and narrow down options, and to consider whether an answer choice or a piece of information included in the question is a red herring, intended to throw him off.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Check whether practice tests are available in advance!
For instance, an SAT practice test is available here, via the Princeton Review. The College Board also offers SAT prep materials, including sample questions. There’s also prep material for digital SAT testing at Khan Academy, which is free and has lessons and video tutorials for a wide range of math concepts, so if something is stumping your child, it’s easy to search for help on the same site.
If your child is still in lower grades, rejoice! They should think of the tests between now and the SATs as opportunities to practice and exercise those test-taking skills so they’ll be ready to knock it out of the park at college admissions time.
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