No, this is not about test prep booklets and cramming. This is
about considering the whole child, and how we take care of physical and
emotional needs while testing the intellectual limits.
On MCAS testing days, students are invited to start their day in the
gym. They have relay races while listening to up beat music, and having
their peers and teachers cheer them on. Not only does this get the blood
pumping, and increase oxygen flow to the brain, it also helps students
feel good about themselves. It was impossible to capture in a picture
the power of starting the day this way (though we tried). We do think
this can improve our MCAS scores, but perhaps more importantly, we
believe that it creates an environment on these high-pressure days where
students feel they can be successful.