Here are some tips for improving test scores based on research from the National Center for Educational Statistics. Check out these tips for improving test scores, then follow the links to read more and find out what surprising things actually make no difference in the test scores.

First, my opinion – be sure that in the ever present push to get through each standard on the state mandated curriculum, that children are learning why they need to know the information. Understanding the facts may help them pass a test, but understanding how that information is applicable to their lives is priceless and will ultimately result in better educated adults. It may also be worthy of note to reduce test stress.

Here are research-based specific things that teachers can do to ensure higher test scores.

To Improve Elementary Reading Test Scores:

1. Make reading a fun and enjoyable activity. Research shows that students who preform well on standardized reading tests enjoy reading and find it fun.
2. Focus on building student vocabulary.
3. Provide time for silent reading

Read more tips on improving reading test scores.

To Improve Elementary Level Math Test Scores:

1. Spend 3-5 hours on math. While this may seem simple, it provides teachers the amount of time necessary to teach each skill.
2. Avoid excess homework. Research shows that an excess of 15 minutes of math homework each day might actually hinder the goal of improving test scores.
3. Ability grouping is helpful as well, providing teachers the ability to focus on a single level of student ability at a time and really bring up the skill set of each group.

Read more tips on improving math test scores.

Teach Middle or High School level? Here are some tips for you on improving reading test scores:

Raising Middle School Reading Test Scores

Raising High School Reading Test Scores

Related posts:

1. Preparing for State Testing
2. Changing the Focus of Education
3. Understanding Disbility Test Results

With this understanding comes a bit of confusion, though, as teacher performance begins to play into teacher salary. While it is true that student assessment demonstrates teacher effectiveness, it is not true that a standardized test can demonstrate the overall effectiveness of any one teacher, school or school district.

When the proper tools and ample amount of teaching time is provided to teachers, all students should learn. Unfortunately, though, all students cannot be expected to learn at the same rate. Even two students in the same grade cannot be expected to learn at the same rate, and expecting teachers to have all students passing the same test at the same time is ludicrous.

Instead, teachers should be held responsible for student learning. If John knows 50% of the information on a test prior to instruction, that teacher should be held responsible for Johns increase in knowledge to, say, 80% on the same test. The problem is, without knowing what the student starting level is, there is no way to hold teachers properly responsible for student growth.

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Be sure to make notes of any of the following behaviors immediately following the completion of a running record:

• The use of a finger to read
• How choppy or smooth the reading is
• How expressive and fluent the reading is

If the selection was timed, the teacher can figure out the fluency rate. For information on how to figure out fluency, read Understanding Fluency.

It is also possible to determine what skills need to be focused on through the data provided from a running record. For example:

• A child may consistently mess up the beginning of words, indicating that work in initial sounds is needed
• A child may consistently mess up at the end of a word, indicating that the child does not read through the whole word and needs to be reminded to slow down and read all the letters.
• A child may consistently mess up the middle of a word, indicating that the child is focusing only on the initial and final sounds. Vowel sounds and blends are likely needed to be worked on.

Look for patterns in mistakes, and pay closest attention to meaning changing mistakes. Making mistakes in names is not as important because that does not change the meaning of the text.

Using cues to when reading to children can be very helpful in teaching children to be strategic readers. Here is a great list of cues to use: Helping Children Become Strategic Readers

Learn how to use running record data to determine student instructional reading level.

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1. How to Do a Running Record
2. Teach Reading by Teaching Writing
3. Understanding Fluency

What is a Running Record?

A running record is a verbatim record of how a child reads aloud, including all mistakes and corrections.

Supplies to Take a Running Record:

• Stop watch (if you want to determine reading rate)
• Blank or lined paper (I prefer blank)
• pencil or pen (I prefer pencil)
• clip board (not required, but it makes it easier to hide notes from the child)
• Book or story for child to read a portion

How to Take a Running Record:

The point of a running record is to understand what mistakes a child makes when reading and find out where the child needs additional instruction. The school or county requirements may provide additional reasons including grades and other data points, but the bottom line is that a running record provides teachers with the necessary information for future instruction.

With this in mind, a simple dash or check mark will suffice for correctly read words. When the student misreads a word, there are a couple of ways to document this:

1. Write the word that the child said (spelled phonetically) with the correct word written underneath (draw a line separating the two like a fraction)
2. Simply write the phonetic word the child said. If you don’t have time to write the correct word, you can count correct words on your record later to go back and find the word later.
3. Write the correct word and make phonetic changes to it
4. For words that are started and repeated before completing the word, notate that as a mistake: S-/Sing-/sc (see below for notes on SC)

When the student inserts a word not in the text, use a carrot and write the added word.

When the student omits a word, there are a couple ways to notate it:

1. Write the correct word and cross it out
2. Write the correct word and put it in parenthesis
3. Write an x or a dash (something other than the correct word mark) to indicate a missing word

When a student self-corrects a mistake, put a slash next to the notation of the incorrect word and write the letters “SC”

When a student attempts a word several times there are a couple of ways to notate it:

1. If the word is correct and simply repeated, write the word and draw a squiggly line under it (squiggly line under squiggly line for multiple repeats)
2. If the word is incorrect and repeated several times the same way, use the same squiggly line
3. If the word is incorrect and repeated with changes, draw a separating line between each attempt and phonetically add each attempt. If the student ends with the correct word, add SC to the end.

Learn how to use running record data to determine student instructional reading level.

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While it is a time consuming task to write individual comments on report cards, it is important to not resort to cliche comments that mean little to parents. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

1. Whenever you use a negative comment on a report card, include a tip or suggestion for improving the skill.
2. Always pair a negative comment with a positive comment
3. Specific comments are more valuable than generalities

Read more information on report card time.

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Could the focus on tests and scores be misplaced? While schools are focusing more on test scores, some parents are choosing to “unschool” their children, an extreme version of homeschooling that has drawn criticism from many. While unschooling does have its downsides, namely, that students may not learn the necessary information to compete with their peers, the concept behind it may be closer to true education than the public school option.

Perhaps taking the focus off of tests and scores and objectives would allow teachers the option of focusing more on educating students – not imparting knowledge but helping students learn how to learn. Read more about Unschooling America’s Children.

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Use measurable objectives instead of vague ones. For example, having students “understand” or “learn about” does not allow for assessment but having students “state” or “list” provides a measurable objective.

When writing your lesson plans, start with the assessment. Then move onto writing the objective. Once you know what you want your students to be able to do at the end of the lesson, you will be able to write an effective assessment.

To read more information on how to write an effective lesson plan objective, see this article.

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