Mississippi schools have wrapped up administration of the state Subject Area Test Program, the tests that assess proficiency in Algebra I, English II, Biology I and U.S. History. We at The Parents’ Campaign are grateful to the teachers who have prepared students well and we are grateful to the students who have worked hard to perform their best on these important assessments. Students must demonstrate their proficiency in these subject areas by passing the tests prior to graduation.

Next, all students in grades 3 through 8 will take the Mississippi Curriculum Test II. We wish them well! The MCT2 is used to help determine the quality of education being provided children in a given school and to give schools objective data to use to guide and improve instruction. School and school district accountability ratings will be based, in large part, on MCT2 scores.

Teachers, students and parents have important roles to play throughout the school year.

As we move through the testing season, there are additional things that we parents can do to ensure that our students do their best on these assessments. Parents can:

• Make sure their student gets adequate sleep the night before the test,

• Serve their student a good breakfast on test day,

• Send their student off to school with encouraging words, and

• Do whatever possible to ensure a stress-free environment for their student during test week.

It has been suggested that citrus, protein and peppermint help students remain alert and focused during testing. Many parents volunteer to send orange juice, cheese cubes and/or peppermint to school for snacks on test day. (Always check with the teacher first.)

Because schools are required to have a proctor in each classroom where state testing is taking place, another nice gesture parents can make is to contact the school principal to see if additional volunteers are needed. It only takes a few hours, and the school will appreciate your offer of assistance.

Nancy Loome

Executive director

The Parents’ Campaign

Jackson