{"id":23843,"date":"2024-09-05T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/?p=23843"},"modified":"2024-10-02T12:03:08","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T19:03:08","slug":"4-ways-to-address-test-taking-anxiety-with-special-education-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/2024\/4-ways-to-address-test-taking-anxiety-with-special-education-students\/","title":{"rendered":"4 ways to address test taking anxiety with special education students"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I am betting it is safe to say that most of us have experienced test taking anxiety at some point in our lives. Maybe in high school you put in a staggering amount of time studying for a very important exam but were so concerned about doing well that you couldn\u2019t sleep the night before or concentrate properly the day of the test. Maybe you had a stomachache during the exam or felt your pulse racing. Or maybe you sat down for the exam and your mind went blank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are all classic instances of test taking anxiety. And as difficult as these situations can be for students in general education, test taking anxiety poses significantly different challenges for students with disabilities. For example, when I was teaching, one of my students with ADHD found timed exams to be very difficult. When the test would begin, the idea of the clock ticking increased her anxiety, making it very hard for her to concentrate. Although she knew the material, the anxiety caused mental blocks that led to incomplete answers. The result was scores that didn\u2019t fully reflect her true ability, which affected her confidence and increased her anxiety for future tests. It was an awful cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing some of the problems kids with disabilities may experience can lead us to be proactive with solutions that we know work. Here are some strategies that have worked for me over the years with my students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Review the student\u2019s IEP<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This may seem obvious, but an IEP provides essential, individualized information<\/a> for any testing accommodations a student should receive. Some students may require additional time or a smaller group setting. Others may require text-to-speech tools that can read the test aloud to the student, or access to a highlighter to help them focus on key information. It will all be spelled out in the IEP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since students grow and change from year to year, their accommodations may change as well. This should be reflected in a student\u2019s IEP and is one of the many reasons it\u2019s so important to have an up-to-date IEP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Involve the student\u2019s family or caregivers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The school-to-home connection is a crucial one for students with disabilities. Involving parents and other caregivers to help explain the purpose of testing can go a long way toward ensuring a successful testing experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you test with MAP\u00ae Growth\u2122<\/a> in your school, know that the Family Report<\/a> is designed to be the centerpiece of important discussions like this. Parents and caregivers can speak with their kids about what the assessment is and how it fits in with their progress as a student. The following Teach. Learn. Grow.<\/em> articles can also help you strengthen communication:<\/p>\n\n\n\n