Addressing Test Anxiety in a High-Stakes Environment: Strategies for Classrooms and Schools

This fascinating, well-researched book makes a wonderful contribution to the field. It provides helpful information on what test anxiety is and what we can do about it. This topic is as important today than ever due to education reform initiatives across the country.

-James Kelleher, Assistant Superintendent
Scituate Public Schools, MA

The book offers answers to the most important question of all: If test anxiety can hinder our ability to make accurate inferences and good decisions for kids, what can we do to ease students’ fears? As it turns out, researchers have answers, and the authors present helpful ideas for all of us-parents, educators, and students themselves.

-Linda Wacyk, Trustee
Grand Ledge Board of Education, MT

What can we do about test anxiety that will help our students?

Testing is expanding at every level of education and into every corner of social and vocational enterprise, and test anxiety can have devastating effects on students’ test scores, confidence, and motivation to learn. Testing has become more extensive and more consequential at every level. The higher the stakes on tests, the greater the concern about the presence and effects of test anxiety.

Addressing Test Anxiety in a High-Stakes Environment provides straightforward explanations, practical suggestions, and reasonable recommendations for addressing test anxiety. This practical resource offers:

An overview of the concept of test anxiety

A glossary of assessment and measurement terms

Current research findings on test anxiety and which students it is most likely to affect

Information on the prevalence, correlations, and effects of test anxiety

Situations in which test anxiety can be helpful

Suggestions for preventing and reducing the effects of test anxiety