Principals in the district encourage parents to help students work through their nervousness before test time and to offer words of encouragement. Teachers are reminding students they have learned a lot during the school year, and they should pace themselves and do their best. Teachers also have taught students strategies for taking the TAKS test.
Other helpful advice:
• Get plenty of rest. Students need at least eight to nine hours of sleep the night before the test to be completely rested.
• Have a successful attitude. Students need a positive attitude and confidence in their ability to accept this challenge and to do their best.
• Eat a good breakfast. Studies show that children who eat breakfast perform better on tests and have more endurance.
• Students should arrive to school on time. Being tardy gets the child off on the wrong foot – especially on test day.
• Illness. If your child wakes up sick the morning of any of the testing days, please call the school as soon as possible to let the staff know the reason for the absence.
• Students will have the entire day to complete the TAKS. Parents are encouraged not to schedule any appointments on those days until after 4 p.m., so students do not feel they have to rush to complete their test.
• The use of cell phones during testing is not permitted. Please encourage your students to leave cell phones at home on TAKS testing days. If a student uses a cell phone during the testing period, his or her test will be invalidated, and the student will be subject to discipline consequences according to the Student Code of Conduct.
By law, all eligible Texas public school students are assessed in mathematics in grades 3–10 and exit level; reading in grades 3–9; writing in grades 4 and 7; English language arts in grades 10 and exit level; science in grades 5, 8, 10, and exit level; and social studies in grades 8, 10, and exit level. Eligible students may meet testing requirements with Spanish versions of the TAKS assessments, available in mathematics at grades 3–6, in reading at grades 3–6, in writing at grade 4, and in science at grade 5.
The TAKS test is designed to measure the extent to which a student has learned and is able to apply the defined knowledge and skills at each tested grade level.
To be eligible to receive a diploma from a Texas public high school, a student is required to pass a total of four subject area tests: English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
The law further specifies that certain content must be assessed on the exit level tests.
• The English language arts test must include English III and writing.
• The mathematics test must include Algebra I and geometry.
• The science test must include biology and integrated chemistry and physics.
• The social studies test must include early American and U.S. history.
The exit test assesses a student’s level of academic preparation for graduation from high school as well as his or her readiness to enroll in an institution of higher education.
