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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW A Q & A with Schneider interim director Scott Malbaurn ... Four & Twenty Blackbirds Bakery takes flight to new roost ... Inner Peace: You can change your self by reworking your ego ... A Q & A with Schneider interim director Scott Malbaurn ... Four & Twenty Blackbirds Bakery takes flight to new roost ... Inner Peace: You can change your self by reworking your ego ... TEACHER'S TIPS Teacher's Tips: Spring! Time for standarized testing Comment By Paul Huard DailyTidings.com By Paul Huard Posted Apr. 27, 2015 at 6:51 PM By Paul Huard Posted Apr. 27, 2015 at 6:51 PM » Social News Spring is in the air — so it must be the season for standardized tests. High-school students prepare to take Advanced Placement examinations and Scholastic Aptitude Tests. Students throughout the school district face state tests. It’s safe to say American school children are some of the most tested students in the world, and Ashland is no exception. The stakes are high. Everything from high-school graduation and college admission to school administrators’ careers in some way rely on how well students perform on these tests. Standardized tests have their strengths and weaknesses. I definitely do not believe they are the best measure of what a child learned during the course of a school year. I have deep concerns about the state of Oregon’s Smarter Balanced Assessment. But for better or for worse, they are — for now — part of the academic lay of the land. Here’s my advice on how parents can help their students navigate the landscape of standardized tests. Parents, you matter. According to a study by the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 90 percent of the difference in eighth-grade mathematics standardized test scores can be attributed to parent decisions about three things: school attendance, varied reading materials at home and regulated television watching. If you have worked hard to make sure your child remains in school, maintains an active mind outside of the classroom, and avoids becoming electronically lobotomized by cable television (or game apps, social media and cell-phone use), he or she stands better chance of doing well on any standardized test. Urge your child to attend student review sessions for the various Advanced Placement examinations. Many AP teachers (myself included) volunteer time during evenings or weekends before the Advanced Placement exams to offer content review and test-taking tips. This is an excellent way to jog the memory of students who are a little hazy about material or want to put polish on what they already know. Help the child understand time management. Most standardized tests are timed tests. Even students with accommodations that grant them additional time because of a disability face a deadline. Urge your child to keep an eye on the clock. If they are old enough to use one, buy the student an old-fashioned wrist-watch with hands. That kind of watch usually isn’t banned in a test-taking room — and it will help him or her keep track of the time if a clock is not readily visible. Strike a balance between nonchalance and anxiety. I advocate parent involvement and parent concern regarding standardized tests, particularly state testing. You should know what the tests are, what your rights are and what your options are as a parent. However, anxiety is contagious and does your child no good. Try to find the happy medium between “This test could determine your entire future!” and “Don’t worry yourself one bit, dear.” Here’s what I told my own children: “Be there to take the test and do your best.” After all, what more can we ask of the children we raise and we teach? A former reporter who covered politics and government for newspapers in California and Oregon, Paul R. Huard teaches social studies and English courses at Ashland High School. The opinions he expresses are his own.   By Paul Huard DailyTidings.com By Paul Huard Posted Apr. 27, 2015 at 6:51 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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