Resources for Test Preparation

Regents Exams & SAT Preparation:

The following sites are resources that students can use to prepare for the Regents exam.  They are also powerful resources during the school year to reinforce learning.

Regents Prep from Oswego CSD:  The goal of this nonprofit site is to help high school students meet the New York State Regents requirements in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

Khan Academy:  The Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. We're a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere.  Content areas include math, science, finance and economics, humanities and SAT prep.  The Khan Academy's materials and resources are available to you completely free of charge.

SAT Prep:   WCSD Community Education offers a variety of study skills and test prep classes including SAT Prep throughout the year.  Community Education is currently offering SAT Prep, but exploring options for PSAT and ACT prep this fall.  Current classes are listed on the website above in the "academic" topic area.

Guidelines for Test Preparation

New York State has provided a resource for parents regarding the Grades 3-8 New York State Assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics. This resource can be found at www.nysparents.com. To go directly to the test information on the site click here.

What can you do to help prepare your student?

Before the test:

• Get a good night's rest.
• Eat breakfast the morning of the test, but don't eat too big a meal.

Encourage positive talk and problem solving strategies.  Examples include:

• If you're thinking "I'll never finish", change it to "I'll solve it one step at a time."
• If you're thinking "If I miss this, I've really blown it.", change it to "Some anxiety is inevitable, but I don't have to worry about it."
• If you're thinking "Help, I don't know the answer.", change it to "I'll skip this one and try it later."

Teachers will be preparing students by teaching concepts and strategies all year, assessing student progress, and teaching "test-wiseness".   Research suggests that practicing test questions is most effective 7-10 days prior to the test.  It also suggests the students who reach their highest potential are "test-wise".  

What does test-wise look like?

• Pacing oneself appropriately
• Understanding the purpose of the test and how the data are used
• Doing all of the questions first and checking once completed
• Learning how to make educated guesses by ruling out choices
• Being familiar with question structure by practicing 7-10 days prior to assessment

From Classroom Assessment for Learning,  Stiggens, Arter, Chappius, & Chappius

To learn more about the Webster Central School District profile which includes NYS testing information, click here.