Test Prep is Just Good Teaching by Aliyah Hayes-Shepard

Don’t Fret About Test-Prep

Setting aside time for test prep can feel overwhelming for both teachers and students but if we embed the skills we want students to learn into our daily lessons, we don't even have to mention the fact that we're preparing for a state test. 

For example, high schoolers in NYS have to take the ELA Regents exam in 10th or 11th grade and it is very difficult for them to pass if they don't do well on part 2 which is the Argument Essay.  Developing claims, supporting them with evidence and identifying counterclaims are all skills students should fine-tune regardless of exams.  So pick any issue that has 2 or more sides from current events and have students discuss and write about them. 

Here is a possible list of steps:

• Present a topic (or multiple to provide choices) to your class.
• Have students develop preliminary claims based on their opinions.
• Then allow students to research the topic (with teacher support).
• After that students should identify the two most relevant differing perspectives.
• Then students can collect and analyze evidence for both sides using an evidence tracker.
• Have students choose a side by developing a thesis statement.
• Allow students to have a Fishbowl Discussion, Socratic Seminar or Debate to discuss their chosen sides using the evidence they collected to validate their arguments.
• Engage in the remaining steps of the writing process (outlining, drafting, revising & publishing).  At this point, students will have more than enough information to write their essays.
• When the test nears, congratulate your students on their brilliance and tell them they have nothing to worry about they've been doing the work all along.