Moms Talk: CRCT Stress and Prep

It’s that time of year again. Our Moms Council wants to know how you help manage your child’s stress level for the upcoming CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests).

Kristi Vinson: My children have been taking the CRCT test since it was implemented in the spring of 2000. I understand the information is used as a gauge reflecting Georgia’s performance standards of academic achievement, so there is pressure put on our teachers and school systems to achieve the desired result. As a mom, of more importance to me is how the information is used to measure individual strengths and weaknesses of my child. That’s something I’m concerned with daily, not just one week in the spring. I make it standard practice for my child to get a good night’s sleep on school nights, and eat a good breakfast. CRCT is like picture day, a snapshot of their year. I don’t want to look back 15 years later on a school photo that does not reflect an accurate representation of my child because I dressed them differently for picture day. I want my child to be himself and strive to do his best always. For us, it’s status quo. No extra pressure here. I want to prepare my child for what lies ahead in his test-taking future, and CRCT is just one component. Be prepared, but do not be stressed for tests.  

Vanessa Aguilar: For my oldest, nothing stresses him more than making sure he is prepared for testing week. He listens to the teachers and stresses about going to bed at a decent time. He stresses in the morning to make sure he has a healthy breakfast. He wakes up extra early because he stresses he will miss the bus. I think you get the idea: the test week is stressful for him (and, of course, me now). My youngest is a different story; he just goes with the flow. He does not worry, does not understand what the big deal is, it is just a test. The only way to keep things sane in my house is not to change very much at all. My children are fortunate to have a healthy breakfast every morning. I make them go to bed at a decent time every night. So, even though I have two different children with two different attitudes, I keep things sane by keeping things normal. 

Brandi May: I agree with Kristi, my boys are on a strict schedule of rest during CRCT week. We adjust their bedtime schedule to 7:30. I also make sure they are served a large breakfast and that they have a positive attitude when they head off to school. So, being prepared for the CRCT is not too much out of the ordinary. I make sure that each of my boys knows that they are to do their very best and that’s all that we ask of them. I have been very lucky in that my boys seem to be fairly stress-free when it comes to testing. So, for my family, we try to keep it stress-free and low-key.