Using PBIS to Improve State Testing

1. Using PBIS to Improve State Testing Laura A. Riffel, Ph.D.

2. Study your history • What have been your strengths in the past? • What have been your needs? • Look at your data

3. How do we communicate the test to students? Do the teachers talk positively about the test? Do parents understand the importance of: Sleep Good breakfast Does the office communicate the importance of testing by: Refraining from interruptions Making announcements that are positive about the test

4. Even though the testing itself is academic- the motivation is a behavior issue. Student motivation to do well on the test

5. PBIS MODEL TEACH IMPRINT PRACTICE PRAISE Celebrate Success Use data to make decisions Use your data to determine where you need to put your efforts Teach and practice Good test taking strategies Reinforce

7. Why don’t the students do well? Stress???? Hopelessness???? Distractions??? Anxiety???? No Ownership???

8. Why don’t the students do well? Stress????

9. Writing Activity • Research: • Writing about worries eases anxiety and improves test performance • January 13, 2011 • Students can combat test anxiety and improve performance by writing about their worries immediately before the exam begins, according to a University of Chicago study published in the journal Science. • Researchers found that students who were prone to test anxiety improved their high–stakes test scores by nearly one grade point after they were given 10 minutes to write about what was causing them fear, according to the article, “Writing about Testing Boosts Exam Performance in the Classroom.” The article appears in the Jan. 14 issue of Science and is based on research supported by the National Science Foundation • http://news.uchicago.edu/news.php?asset_id=2210

10. Writing Activity • Use the penagain.com pencil- it’s number 2 lead

11. Science Improves Test Scores • Go to bed early the night before. Sleeping only six hours instead of eight increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol by 50%, and sleep- deprived people score 30% lower on memory tests.

12. Science Improves Test Scores • Don’t skip breakfast. Students who eat breakfast score higher on tests and report less test-related anxiety. Best bets? Eggs for brain-boosting choline, and oatmeal for a calming increase in serotonin levels.

13. Science Improves Test Scores • After your healthy breakfast, treat yourself with a little dark chocolate. It boosts memory, alertness, and concentration, and its special chemicals even decrease anxiety.

14. Science Improves Test Scores • Pop a stick of gum. In one British study, the act of chewing was found to activate the hippocampus, the brain area responsible for memory, improving recall by 35%.

15. Science Improves Test Scores • Mint scents increase alertness, leading to fewer mistakes.

16. Science Improves Test Scores • Put a bit of fresh rosemary in your pocket on test day—it’s a proven memory booster! In fact, in ancient Greece, students wore sprigs of rosemary in their hair on exam day.

17. Science Improves Test Scores • Use this acupressure trick: Press the spot on your wrist about two thumb widths down from the base of the palm. Acupuncturists believe this signals the heart to slow to a more soothing rhythm.

18. From www.braingym.com - Carla Hannaford says, “Drink” …Water comprises more of the brain (with estimates of 90%) than of any other organ of the body." Having students drink some water before and during class can help "grease the wheel". Drinking water is very important before any stressful situation - tests! - as we tend to perspire under stress, and de-hydration can effect our concentration negatively.

19. Science Improves Test Scores • Bring a bottle of water with you to the test. Even the slightest dip in hydration levels can lead to stress, memory loss, and a drop in mental functioning.

20. From www.braingym.com - "Brain Buttons “ This exercise helps improve blood flow to the brain to "switch on" the entire brain before a lesson begins. The increased blood flow helps improve concentration skills required for reading, writing, etc.Put one hand so that there is as wide a space as possible between the thumb and index finger.Place your index and thumb into the slight indentations below the collar bone on each side of the sternum. Press lightly in a pulsing manner.At the same time put the other hand over the navel area of the stomach. Gently press on these points for about 2 minutes.

21. From www.braingym.com - "Cross Crawl “ This exercise helps coordinate right and left brain by exercising the information flow between the two hemispheres. It is useful for spelling, writing, listening, reading and comprehension.Stand or sit. Put the right hand across the body to the left knee as you raise it, and then do the same thing for the left hand on the right knee just as if you were marching.Just do this either sitting or standing for about 2 minutes.

22. From www.braingym.com - "Hook Ups“ This works well for nerves before a test or special event such as making a speech. Any situation which will cause nervousness calls for a few "hook ups" to calm the mind and improve concentration.Stand or sit. Cross the right leg over the left at the ankles.Take your right wrist and cross it over the left wrist and link up the fingers so that the right wrist is on top.Bend the elbows out and gently turn the fingers in towards the body until they rest on the sternum (breast bone) in the center of the chest. Stay in this position.Keep the ankles crossed and the wrists crossed and then breathe evenly in this position for a few minutes. You will be noticeably calmer after that time.

23. Bubbling can be stressful • Every day have a question on the board (white board or smart board) • Have the students bubble in their answer to the question on the board • What do you have for pets at home? • Dog • Cat • Fish • Guinea Pig • Hamster • Rat • Snake Put in age appropriate questions- this is just an example

24. Why don’t the students do well? Hopelessness????

25. Hopelessness???? I Want YOU to do well on the test. Ask me how I can help you. YOU Can DO IT!!!! Students who rest well- do well on state testing. Start getting a good night’s sleep.

26. Hopelessness???? • Family Night: • Each family comes up to the school with all their children. • Each family chooses a game board design and creates it together. • Coloring, stickers, laminating etc. • Each family is given the following: • Flash cards appropriate for each grade level’s test review questions • Pawns • Dice

27. Hopelessness???? • Give each student their previous years’ test scores and have them determine which areas they want/need to improve: • Offer after school “clubs” for all of the areas: • Monday- reading • Tuesday- math • Wednesday- writing • Or • Mrs. Jones (Monday- Wednesday) 3rd grade reading • Mrs. Smith (Monday-Wednesday) 3rd grade math • Mr. Phillips (Monday- Wednesday) 3rd grade writing

28. Make Tests Fun in Practice Runs • Put test review questions on a ball and toss the ball around the students in a circle. Where their right thumb lands- that is the question they have to answer. • http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/what-is.html Share your lessons on I-pods (most students have one) $28.34- http://tinyurl.com/eggspert

29. http://www.jc-schools.net/tutorials/PPT-games/ http://facstaff.uww.edu/jonesd/games/index.html Website with games

30. Play More • Ten minutes of non-violent games quickens your thought processes. This lets you make decisions and see connections faster. • Bonus: • These games distract you from anxieties; which hampers quick thinking.

31. Teach Test Question Types Right There- the answer is right in the question. Think and Search- the answer is in more than one place. You and Author Questions- The answer comes from you based on what you read. Give examples and color code the questions – RED= Right There Questions TURQUOISE= Think and Search Questions YELLOW= You and Author Questions This will give students the confidence to tackle the test.

32. Teach Test Taking Strategies: • Teach students about story organization, compare and contrast, cause and effect, and other text structures that are important parts of both literacy training and test preparation. • Many test passages are written in a standard format. When students understand that format it will give them a head start in reading passages and locating answers. Students need to be efficient. We don’t want to waste time rereading passages until we come across answers. • Test Taking Tip: After reading a story passage with an obvious beginning, middle, and end, have the students guess which part will hold the answer to the comprehension question. These are the typical patterns: • The Beginning section typically holds information about when and where. • The Middle section typically holds the answers about the problem of the story. • The End section typically holds the clue to how the problem was solved. • Knowing this information will save students time and give them confidence to do well on the test.

33. Math Story Problems • Give all the students a tiny magnifying glass and send them around the school in pairs as “Super Spies” . • Have the students go around the school and write two math story problems from around the school. Give them a few examples. • Example: • “There are 3 classes of third grade. One class has 25 students, one class has 23 students and one class has 26 students. What is the average number of third graders in a class?” • Type up all the story problems and use them to teach the students how to work story problems.

34. Remember Dead Week????? • Remember Dead Week in College??? • No homework the week before • At my university during dead week life was dedicated to studying and no new homework. • Certain shops offered “dead week” incentives- donuts- coffee- etc.- Set up carts around the school after school for study sessions- study breaks. • Parents were given opportunities to send “goodies” to students away at school. Offer an opportunity to send notes to students during day at school.

35. Tips on answering multiple choice questions • Read the question before you look at the answer. • Come up with the answer in your head before looking at the possible answers, this way the choices given on the test won't throw you off or trick you. • Eliminate answers you know aren't right. • Read all the choices before choosing your answer. • If there is no guessing penalty, always take an educated guess and select an answer. • Don't keep on changing your answer, usually your first choice is the right one, unless you misread the question. • In "All of the above" and "None of the above" choices, if you are certain one of the statements is true don't choose "None of the above" or one of the statements are false don't choose "All of the above". • In a question with an "All of the above" choice, if you see that at least two correct statements, then "All of the above" is probably the answer. • A positive choice is more likely to be true than a negative one. • Usually the correct answer is the choice with the most information. http://www.testtakingtips.com/test/multiple.htm

36. Test Your Memory: Now You See It: Now You Don’t • Set up a table in the classroom and put 20 objects on it of varying interest. • Have all the students look at this for 30 seconds- then cover it up with a sheet. • Have the students list everything they remember seeing. • This will improve their brains in using their visual and language areas. (Shelley Carson, Ph.D. 2011)

37. Why don’t the students do well? Anxiety???? Physical: rapid heart beat- feeling sick at stomach- muscle tension-difficulty concentrating

38. Anxiety???? Walk around the track 60 bpm music Relaxation techniques

39. How Does Your Engine Run???? • http://www.alertprogram.com/

40. Test Taking Strategies to Help with Anxiety Hughes, C., Schumaker, J. Deshler, D. and Mercer, C. (1993).The Test-Taking Strategy. Lawrence, KS; Edge Enterprises, Inc.

41. PPrepare to SucceedWrite name on test and put the word PIRATES on top of the testPreview the TestRank the sections of the test from easiest to the hardestStart the test within 3 minutes that it was given • IInspect the InstructionsRead the Instructions SeparatelyUnderline what to do and where to respond • RRead, Remember, ReduceRead the entire QuestionRemember what you studied Reduce your choices; eliminate obvious wrong answers • AAnswer or AbandonAnswer the QuestionAbandon the Question for a moment • TTurn back, go back and answer any questions that you skipped • EEstimate your answerAvoid AbsolutesChoose the Longest or most Detailed ChoiceEliminate Similar Choices • SSurvey to ensure all questions are answeredSwitch an answer only if you are positive it is correct

42. Be a Smart Cookie…. • Answer all the easy questions first in the test section. • Knowing you know something raises your confidence to handle the ones you aren’t quite sure about.

43. Crank up some lively music • Upbeat songs increase levels of dopamine. Being in a good mood inhibits parts of the brain that are “negative and critical”. (Shelley Carson, Ph.D. 2011) • You will be better able to come up with creative solutions if you are in a good mood.

44. It is easy being green…… • Show 7 minutes of images of land, sea and sky. Nature’s restful effect can enhance memory and attention by 20% ( University of Michigan study)

45. Why don’t the students do well? No Ownership???

46. No Ownership??? Self-Affirmations

47. Self-Affirmations • I am good enough to ace this test. • I deserve to pass this test with flying colors. • I will do well on this test. • I am capable. • I am awesome. • I’m dependable. • I will get enough sleep before the test. • I will eat a good breakfast on the day of the test. • I will hydrate my body so I do well on the test. • I will exercise my brain, so I do well on the test. • I will practice my breathing so I am cool, calm and collected for this test.

48. Self-Affirmations I will study. I am capable I can do it! I will be well rested. I am awesome I will be well fed. I will be relaxed

49. B A • Play “Four Corners”- (hang signs in the corners of the room) • Ask questions like this: • There are _____ feet in a mile? • 4,365 • 5,280 • 5,365 • 1,000 • Students go to the corner of the right answer- fun way to practice bubble tests. D C

50. B A • Have students take their other tests as bubble tests to practice taking bubble tests. • Spelling: Which is correct? • Sunnshine • Sunshine • Soonshine • sunshin D C