• Do your teaching methods promote retention? Students must remember what they have been taught to be successful on high-stakes tests. When students are engaged in hands-on exploration, retention increases. Topics that are presented with real-world connections or ones that have a high interest level are also most likely to be retained.
• Do your assessment methods prepare students for high-stakes tests? Assessments should be challenging, and should frequently reflect the format of an upcoming standardized test. Students should have practice with both multiple-choice and open-ended items. Provide time to review incorrect answers, and help students understand where mistakes occurred.
• How involved are your students in their own learning? Students must feel comfortable working with science content on their own. Provide multiple opportunities for students to solve problems in the classroom and laboratory with minimal help from you. Teach students to review their notes daily and weekly, rather than waiting until the night before a test.

Student Attitude Affects Performance
High-stakes tests can make students feel anxious, which can lead to decreased performance. Positive mental preparation can help students succeed in a stressful situation.

• Can you provide information about upcoming tests? Knowing what to expect increases student confidence. Learn about the test dynamics, and share details about test format, number and type of questions, and time constraints with your students.
• How do you communicate with students about high-stakes tests? Students will be interested in your opinion of the test, making it crucial that you model a positive attitude. Tests provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned during the year. Express positive expectations about their ability to perform well.

Test-Taking Skills are Important
Knowledge of science content is crucial for achievement on high-stakes science tests. However, confidence in taking standardized tests will give your students an important advantage.

• Do your students get enough problem-solving practice? Science tests will require students to solve a variety of problems. Provide practice in quickly defining relevant information for structuring and solving problems.
• Are your students comfortable working under timed conditions? Students can hone their time-management skills with practice. Conduct timed activities, such as giving students a limited amount of time to solve a problem or write an answer to an open-ended question. Make testing situations timed events at various times during the year.
• Do you work with your students on general test-taking skills? Regardless of the specific content, some general skills are applicable to all testing situations. It is particularly important on science tests that students try to answer every question, regardless of its difficulty, make educated guesses by eliminating known wrong answers, and check their work.

Online Resources Can Enhance Preparation for Science Tests
Working through sample items can build confidence. It can also alert students and teachers to areas where additional preparation is needed. Many state department of education sites offer a variety of resources online. See what is available in your state, and consider the sites listed below.

• Regents Exam Prep Center, Oswego City School District, New York
  http://regentsprep.org
  This site offers review of important science concepts, multiple choice questions, and entire Regents Examinations from past years.
• EDinformatics
  http://www.edinformatics.com/testing/online.htm
  This site has links to states that have released past tests or sample questions. It also lists states and agencies that provide tests or sample questions that can be answered and scored online.
• Get Smarter
  http://www.getsmarter.org
  This animated, interactive learning site offers timed tests for all science disciplines that are administered and scored online.