Integrating Test Prep in Your School’s Curriculum: Strategies for Teachers

Standardized tests play a significant role in the academic journey of high school students. As a result, teachers face the challenge of incorporating test preparation into their already packed curricula.

Striking the right balance between covering the required content and adequately preparing students for these assessments is essential, specifically as nearly 80% of teachers report feel pressure to have their students perform well on these assessments.

Let’s explore some effective test-prep strategies for teachers at the high school level can employ to make time for standardized test prep without sacrificing the overall educational experience.

1. Understand the design of the test.

Understanding the format, content, and expectations of standardized tests is crucial for effective preparation. Spend time reviewing past test materials, such as sample questions and practice tests, to gain insight into what students will encounter. By doing so, you can tailor your instruction and allocate appropriate time for relevant topics.

2. Assign warm-up exercises or entrance tickets.

One way to get students equipped with the confidence they need for test day is to have them complete a practice item pr daily warm-up exercise on a consistent basis where they answer a sample question. Then, you can review the question as a class. Rather than dedicating separate entire class periods solely for test prep, this approach allows you to weave test-related skills and strategies into your regular classroom activities. Incorporate critical thinking, analytical reading, and problem-solving exercises that align with the test format, so students can build their test-taking abilities while engaging with core content.

At MasteryPrep, we offer Bell Ringers, or five-minute exercises that teachers can use to bolster students college readiness skills and prepare juniors and seniors for test day. Bell ringers, which teachers can display on smartboards at the front of their classroom, take a scaffolded learning approach with easy-to-follow explanations for every test item, to be administered throughout the school year. What does our scaffolded learning approach look like? Essentially, each week focuses on a specific skill, and questions gradually increase in difficulty. Our goal with Bell Ringers is to make learning fun.

Another option is to start and close each period with an entrance/exit ticket combination to differentiate instruction, measure progress, and remove dead time.

3. Align your curriculum with test objectives.

Identify areas of overlap between your curriculum and the test objectives. This may include modifying lessons to incorporate concepts and skills that are commonly assessed on a specific test.

By aligning your teaching with the test requirements, students will gain exposure to the necessary material while still achieving broader educational goals. This approach ensures a balanced learning experience. At MasteryPrep, our test-prep curricula and tools are designed to align with state standards and ensure students are prepared to succeed on a high-stakes assessment, whether it’s a state end-of-course exam or a national assessment like the ACT.

4. Implement timely practice sessions.

Another suggestion is to designate specific class periods for focused test practice throughout the academic year. These sessions can be incorporated into the regular class schedule or as after-school workshops. Utilize sample questions, practice tests, and online resources to simulate the test environment. Encourage students to practice time management, develop effective strategies, and build familiarity with the test format. Regular practice will boost their confidence and minimize test anxiety.

5. Take a data-driven approach.

It’s important to measure student progress throughout the school year to understand how they are progressing—to understand where they started and where they need to get to. That’s why we designed our end-to-end solution from a data-informed lens.

With our suite of products, students can take a diagnostic pre-test at the beginning of the school year as well as a diagnostic post-test just before their exam. In between, teachers can leverage Bell Ringers and our Online Course to measure student progress in the MasteryPrep platform while integrated test-prep into their curricula.

6. Adopt a cross-disciplinary approach to test prep.

Work collaboratively with other teachers to share the responsibility of test preparation. Coordinate efforts across disciplines to incorporate test-related skills and content in various subjects. By adopting a cross-disciplinary approach, students will encounter test-related concepts from multiple angles, reinforcing their understanding and increasing retention.

7. In addition to content, focus on time management and test-taking skills.

At MasteryPrep, we designed our Curriculum to align with the “Master What Matters” framework. This means that we not only cover Content Mastery (70%), which refers the types of questions and content that will appear on a given assessment; we also focus on Test Mastery (20%), where students learn techniques and strategies that help them master the required assessment, as well as Time Mastery (10%), where students engage with timed practice and pacing techniques.

Maximize Strategic Test Prep for Teachers with MasteryPrep

MasteryPrep bundles provide districts with access to a suite of standards-aligned test-prep tools and resources that can be implemented over the course of the school year. We partner with schools and provide test-taking strategies for teachers so your students can score college-ready on their assessment.

Learn More