De-Stress the Test: Brain-Friendly Strategies to Prepare Students for High-Stakes Assessments (Your

The test. Students dread this phrase, whether it refers to chapter tests, finals, standardized achievement tests, Advanced Placement exams, the ACT and SAT, or other testing experiences. In De-Stress the Test, author Martha Kaufeldt details actionable steps you can take throughout the school year to alleviate student anxiety and create brain-friendly classrooms full of focus and learning.

Leverage brain-based learning to boost student self-efficacy and relieve the pressure and stress that accompany high-stakes testing:

• Understand the negative effects tests can have on students, teachers, and parents.
• Help students develop social-emotional learning skills and a growth mindset.
• Use formative assessments to accelerate learning and build students' confidence.
• Implement mindfulness strategies in the classroom to mitigate student stress and anxiety.
• Learn long- and short-term practical methods for ensuring students' mental, emotional, and physical readiness for tests.

Contents:
Acknowledgments
Table of Contents
About the Author
Introduction

Part 1: The Culprits--High-Stakes Tests and Stress
Chapter 1: High-Stakes Tests--Anxiety, Pressure, and Stress for Students, Teachers, and Parents
Chapter 2: The Biology of Stress

Part 2: Stress Prevention and Management Strategies
Chapter 3: Less Stress--Creating Body- and Brain-Friendly Classrooms and Testing Environments
Chapter 4: Student Agency, Self-Efficacy, and Mindsets--Developing Confidence and Perseverance
Chapter 5: Mindful Moments--Classroom Practices to Reduce Stress and Increase Attention and Focus

Part 3: Preparing Students for High-Stakes Tests
Chapter 6: Feedback to Feed Forward--Formative Assessments, Feedback, and Failures
Chapter 7: Academic Vocabulary--Learning the Language of Tests
Chapter 8: Test Prep--Navigating 21st Century Exams

Epilogue
References and Resources
Index