Preparing Students for High Stakes Testing Professor Robyn Gillies Dr Mary Rafter

High Stakes vs. Low Stakes What distinguishes a high-stakes test from a low-stakes test is not its form (how the test is designed) but its function (how the results are used). Low-stakes tests generally carry no significant or public consequences—the results typically matter far more to an individual teacher or student than to anyone else—and scores are not used to burnish or tarnish the reputation of teachers or schools.

What causes you stress?

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Anxiety/ Stress – 4 components Heart rate Nausea Fear Replay Nervous Worried Apprehensive Avoidance Keep seeking Go signal Behavioural Emotional Physical Thought

Fear evolutionary learned can be unlearned

5 anxiety traps hesitation ruminating perfectionism criticism avoidance

Total Behaviour Concept Cognition (Thinking) Physiological reactions Action (Doing) Affect (Feeling) Feeling Action Thinking Physiology

Total Behaviour Concept: Student Responses Cognition (Thinking) I can do …… Physiological reactions More relaxed, calmer physiological reactions Action (Doing) …. experience Affect (Feeling) Feel more positive about … Feeling Action Thinking Physiology

Total Behaviour Concept Use the Total Behaviour Concept organiser on page 5 Identify an action you’re intending to take Complete the Total Behaviour Concept organizer Share your organizer with the person beside you [THINK PAIR SHARE]

The Glasser Model [students] must believe that if they do some work, they will be able to satisfy their needs enough so that it makes sense to keep working The road to a success identity begins with a good relationship with people who care

Relationship Building 7 Caring Habits 7 Deadly Habits Supporting Criticising Encouraging Blaming Listening Complaining Accepting Nagging Trusting Threatening Respecting Punishing Negotiating Differences Bribing or rewarding to control

5 Basic Needs Safety Belonging Power Freedom Fun

Key Constructs of Choice Theory We have Psychological Needs We have a Quality World we have constructed Total Behaviour Concept: Actions, Thinking, Feelings, and Physiological reactions We have choices and we are responsible for what we do

Reality Therapy Characteristics The Reality is that you can take Control of your life and make the right Choices. Basic needs are part of your Quality World – the world we would like to live in – personal Shangri-la. Perceptions filter how we see our world

The WDEP Plan for Behaviour Change What do you Want? What are you Doing to achieve your want? Is your current behavior helping you? (Self-evaluation) What are you going to do now? (Plan) (Robert Wubbolding)

Guidelines for Plans Simple Attainable Immediate Measurable Consistent Controlled by the planner Committed

Strategies to reduce stress Breathing Cognitive restructuring Plan for success Short, simple, small, slow 5-4-3-2-1 Realistic short term and long term goal Feedback Discourse Study buddy

Discourse “The readist way of working on understanding is often through talk, because the flexibility of speech makes it easy for us to try out new ways of arranging what we know , and easy also to change them if they seem inadequate. “ (Douglas Barnes, 2008; 5)

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How the Brain Learns

Teacher types Boss-Teacher Lead-Teacher Sets task and standards Talks (ignore students) Grades work – no feedback Uses coercion Boring Asks Student input What quality might look like Explores Resources Time Models Thinking Reflection Emphasises Self-evaluation Persistence

Effectiveness of Techniques (Dunlosky review, 2013) Effective Strategies Effectiveness of Techniques (Dunlosky review, 2013) Technique Extent and Conditions Practice testing Very effective in a wide array of conditions Distributed practice Interleaved practice Promising for math and concept learning * Elaborative interrogation Promising* Self-explanation Rereading Distributed reading can be helpful ** Highlighting & Underlining Not particularly helpful, but may help towards further study Summarisation Helpful only with training Key nmemonic Somewhat helpful for languages but benefits short lived Imagery for text Benefits limited to image friendly text * *but needs more research ** time better spent elsewhere

Strategies

Assessment Assessment FOR Learning Assessment AS learning Enables teachers to use information about students’ knowledge, understanding and skills to inform their teaching Teachers provide feedback to students about their learning and how to improve Assessment FOR Learning Involves students in the learning process where they monitor their own progress, ask questions and practice skills Students use self-assessment and teacher feedback to reflect on their learning, consolidate their understanding and work towards learning goals Assessment AS learning Assists teachers to use evidence of student learning to assess student achievement against learning goals and standards Assessment OF learning

Feedback ACTION EFFECT FEEDBACK

SOLO Taxonomy

Critical and Creative Thinking

References Assessment Reform Group, (2002). Assessment for learning: Research-based principles to guide classroom practice. http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/SBA/HKDSE/Eng_DVD/doc/Afl_principles.pdf Barnes, D. (2008). Exploring talk for learning. In N. Mercer & S. Hodgkinson (Eds) Exploring talk in schools. London; Sage. Black, P. & Wiliam, D. (2012). Assessment for Learning in the classroom. In J. Gardner (Ed.) Assessment and learning (2nd ed.) London: Sage Publications Ltd. Boyes, A. (2015). The anxiety toolkit: Strategies for fine-tuning your mind and moving past your stuck points. New York; Penguin. Brown, P.C., Roediger, H.L. & McDaniel, M.A. (2014). Make it stick; the science of successful learning. Cambridge, MA; Belknap Press. http://files.constantcontact.com/05ec20bd601/155539df-a8c7-462b-9865-7515b9cfaee3.pdf Charles, C.M. (2014). Building classroom discipline. (11th ed). Boston; Pearson. Dunlosky, J. (2013) Strengthening the student toolbox; Study strategies to boost learning. American Educator, 37 (3), p12-21. https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/dunlosky.pdf Gillies, R. M. (2016). Enhancing classroom talk: Blending practice, research and theory. London; Routledge. Hook, P. & Mills, J. (2011). SOLO taxonomy: A guide for schools. Invercargill; Esssential Resources Educational Publishers Limited Mercer, N. & Hodgkinson, S. (Eds). (2008). Exploring Talk in School. Los Angeles; Sage. Sousa, D. A. (2014). How the brain learns. (4th ed.). Moorabbin; Hawker Brownlow Education.

What questions do you have? r.gillies@uq.edu.au mary.rafter@uq.edu.au Thank You