By Mrs. Kristi Dodson

A climber stands at the zenith of the mountain, exhilaration and pride beaming from his smile. He stands at the peak, celebrating the incredible view before him, reflecting on the hard work he’s put in to get to this moment, grateful for the tools he acquired and training he endured for such a victory.

As a mountain climber must seek the right tools and training for his climb to the peak, a student must seek the right equipment and training to be truly prepared for the Caaspp test coming this Spring.

Are you prepared to climb “Mt. CAASPP”? What tools do you need to reach that moment of success and victory—that moment you’ll finish the test and know without a doubt that you made it to the zenith and can feel proud of what you’ve accomplished?

As you climb the mountain to academic success, your hiking backpack contains all of your tools! Here are just a few:

Your map is your method of knowing where you’re headed when you approach each test question. The means using techniques like reading the question and possible answers before reading a passage or attempting a solution to a problem. Annotate, take notes, use scratch paper to navigate your way through each question.

Your compass keeps you from getting lost. Using process of elimination on test questions and narrowing down your options helps you to find the right path while taking a test.

Your water bottle keeps you sustained and well hydrated for the journey. A method of keeping yourself engaged and alert during a test is using context clues while reading. If you’re looking for them in everything from the passage to the directions to the questions, themselves, you’re giving yourself the fuel you need to read actively.

These are just a few tools we have available to you for your climb to the zenith of Mt. CAASPP! Your teachers will be providing you more tools through your classes and Homeroom or Teacher Facilitators each week as we approach the test this Spring. Have your backpack ready! Our journey is beginning!