Understanding the SAGE Report
Suggestions for Parents:
Helping Your Child Take Tests Successfully
All parents want to see their children do well in school and reach their full potential. Decades of research have reinforced what we already know: Parents play a significant role in children’s academic success. Children who hear their parents talk about the value of education and its important role in one’s future life tend to adopt those values themselves and tend to be better school achievers. We also know that parents who read to their children and/or set aside time for reading/homework, have children who are more successful in school.
One of the realities of education is testing. The (SAGE) End-of-Level tests, given at the end of each school year, is just one helpful feedback tool that tells us where your child is on his/her path to college and career readiness. SAGE also gives us an opportunity to measure and celebrate your child’s individual and collective growth. The Student Growth Percentile (SGP) tells us if they are headed in the right direction and, in many ways, is more meaningful than simply the proficiency score. We are not preparing your child for the SAGE tests. We are preparing him/her for college, careers, and citizenship.
Your child’s test results will be shared with you once the school has received them.
(For more information on SAGE reports, please refer to the video Understanding SAGE Reports.)
- Take an interest in the test. However, don’t be too outwardly concerned as to raise your child’s anxiety level.
- Explain that tests are not competitions with others, but are “opportunities to show what you’ve learned.”
- Encourage your child to listen to the directions to make sure he/she understands the instructions.
- Remind your child that it is okay to ask questions if the directions are not clear.
- Be positive and express your confidence that your child will handle the test well.
- Urge your child to do his/her best.
- Remind your child of the things he/she does well, remind them of past school successes.
- Show interest in your child’s schooling everyday, not just before the test.
Preparing for Test Day
The Night Before:
- Help your child get a good night’s sleep.
- Try not to introduce a new stressful element into his/her life.
- Mention the test to your child to show you’re aware and interested.
- Plan ahead so the morning routine goes smoothly.
The Morning of the Test:
- Get up early enough to avoid being in a hurry.
- Have your child eat a good, nutritious breakfast.
- Make sure he/she is dressed in comfortable clothing.
- Be positive about the test.
- Acknowledge that test can be hard but you are confident that he/she will do his/her best.
- Acknowledge that he/she may not know the answer to every question.
After the Test:
- Talk to your child about the test.
- Acknowledge their effort or trying.
- Discuss what was easy and what was hard.
- Talk about what your child learn from the test.