On the second day of the school district's Professional Development Institute, StudyBuddy attended Dr. Lorraine Monroe's six-hour workshop. There was some parental attendance through this very valuable day, and that was much appreciated by the presenter and her associates.

The aim was for us all to face the fact that standardized tests are not going to go away and we need to collaborate on finding exactly what helps students facing them.

We were asked to say what we had seen in students who do well. The group came up with key attitudes and key preparation-strategies we had seen in those students who really engaged with acing the test.

We were then asked, based on our experience of last year's results, what percentage of improvement we thought we might really shoot for.

We were given an action list of items, starting with diagnostic testing in the second week of school. Privately, a teacher might make a list of those students who probably couldn't pass the standardized test, at their present level of achievement, were they to face that test tomorrow.

The next step is to isolate items the students do poorly on. Then, as teachers, we have the facts to create a calendar to teach, drill, practice, test, and re-teach these specific items. Since student success can only be achieved as part of a home-and-school collaboration, we also need to communicate key calendar dates to parents, and get specific on how they can help. As parents, we then have the information we need to support and reinforce the learning and testing that is happening at school.

We broke into small groups to use a tool called a BLAP: Building Level Action Plan goal setting worksheet.

Paraphrased column headings are:

• What do I want to Achieve?
• What actions will I take? Who/What will help me?
• When will each action be completed ?
• What will I see that shows completion?

I filled it out separately for each of StudyBuddy's special ed students, and then for the summer groups we're doing in San Bruno. It made the time-frame for completing tasks, in every case, clearer and easier.

Lastly there was a very useful short section of this workshop delineated specific test-taking skills: analyzing questions, apportioning question-weight, using the process of elimination, pacing oneself.

Dr. Monroe suggests we create a lot of fanfare in the community about successful testing, enlisting mentors who will help the students individually: the community will love it when the students become a hometown success-story!

For more information on the Lorraine Monroe Institute see http://www.lorrainemonroe.com/.