JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Statewide Assessments tests are beginning for students in just a couple of weeks. Despite COVID-19 changing the face of schooling for many students and their families, the Florida Department of Education has determined FSA testing must be held in-person this year. With that, some families may have some butterflies.
Ginny Sekula is the director of Sylvan Learning in North Jacksonville and understands some parents and students may be nervous.
“The best advice I can give to parents is to relax and help your child relax about this test,” Sekula said.
Sekula says a big part of prepping your son or daughter for testing is helping them realize this is about what they’ve already learned during the school year. A lot of the prep work is already under their belt.
“You can only do what you know how to do,” Sekula said. “You want to remember and implement what your teachers have been teaching you and do your very best.”
Good strategies do come in handy. News4jax also spoke to a private tutor, Debbie Phillips. Phillips stresses helping your child master the process of elimination goes a long way.
“If it sounds like it doesn’t make sense, I have my students put an ‘X’ next to it,” Phillips said. “But if you’re wondering if the question might be, put a question mark next to it. That helps them eliminate those multiple-choice answers.”
If parents want to get hands-on, practice tests through the FSA website are available and free to download and print. The practice questions and answer keys are broken down by each grade.
Sekula says another great reminder for parents goes way back to the basics. Make sure your child gets a full night’s sleep and eats a good breakfast.
Sekula also says this test can be beneficial in the long run.
“If there are weaknesses, this test is going to help identify those weaknesses,” Sekula said. “So that you can work on them.”
Remember, parental encouragement is also key. If your student doesn’t score well on their FSA test, it could impact their promotion to the next grade. Especially in the high-stake grades, like 3rd grade. Sekula does want to stress other factors are involved in that area as well. Her advice there is to get with your student’s teachers about their daily grades and report cards, and what other methods can be used in determining promotion.
Standardized testing begins April 15 and continues through May 28 in Florida schools. For more information, click here.
