March 2023 STAAR Exam Dumps

Preparing for board exams can be an extremely stressful experience for students. It requires intense focus, dedication, and hard work. However, by developing a comprehensive plan, setting realistic goals, and staying organized, students can reduce their stress levels and maximize their chances of success. Here are 10 tips to help students prepare for board exams without stressing:

A Positive Mindset to Achieve Your Goals

Motivation and a desire to succeed are important qualities that you can’t develop overnight. When you have a positive mindset, you can achieve your goals. It takes more effort than just trying hard and working harder. It’s a mindset and it’s something that you must train yourself on from the day you start studying for your exams until the day you take them.

Create a Study Plan According to Your Interest and Schedule

It is the best way to ensure you are covering all the Topics you need to learn in time for the exam. Break down you’re studying into manageable chunks and use the plan to keep yourself on track. Whether you are sitting for the first time or are a returning candidate, creating a study plan and sticking to it is key. With the right preparation, you can maximize your energy and minimize stress so that you can do your best during the exam and deliver yourself the best possible shot at scoring well.

Take Regular Breaks and Stay Hydrated

Taking breaks during a study session and staying hydrated helps to ensure that you are in the right mood to retain the information you have just learned. Take regular breaks, eat well, and drink plenty of water during your study sessions. Even if you do not feel like studying you should still try to show up at least half an hour prior to the exam start time so that your mind is rested and ready.

Exercise 

Exercise regularly to stay physically and mentally fit, which will increase the chances of you remaining focused when it comes to board exams. It protects your body from illness, prevents diseases, and treats minor illnesses. It boosts your immune system, which keeps you healthy throughout the year. There is no single way to prepare for a board exam, but we do know that regular exercise is key. 

Take a Balanced & Nutritious Diet

Eating healthy will also help you have less stress when it comes to exams. Implement a healthy lifestyle; eat less processed foods and more organic food, drink plenty of water, get eight hours of sleep every day, and exercise regularly to keep your body energized. Students should also avoid junk food, coffee, and tea as these no good for their health and always affects their concentration.

Take Mock Tests to Assess Your Level of Preparedness

The best way to ensure you are prepared for the exam is to take a mock test so that you know how much time and effort it will take. Take practice exams along with, or as part of studying for your Board exams. The only way this can be done effectively is by taking several practice exams and working with a mentor who has taken the same Topics before. 

Get a Good Night Sleep to Stay Focused

The successful preparation for the exams requires not only a good study plan but also adequate time to relax, sleep and eat enough. Aim to have 8 hours of sleep as much as possible each day. Get plenty of sleep the night before your exams. A good night’s rest will make you feel refreshed and your brain will be in peak condition. 

Use Mnemonics and Memory Aids 

It is hard to remember everything you need to know before your board exam, especially when you learn it at the last minute. Before you start studying, you should create your own mnemonics and memory aids to help you learn difficult topics. The best way to remember information for board exams is to create memory aids or mnemonics – words, groups of words, or images that help us learn. A popular mnemonic is the acronym BITE (as in big idea, tiny example) which helps to remember which Topics are most important (big idea) and helps us practice learning material in bite-sized pieces.

Work on Your Strengths and Weaknesses

When you are preparing for the board exams, it is important to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Identify what areas need further study, and then decide so that you can overcome these weaknesses during exam time. With everything that needs to be done and the pressure of having to perform well under time constraints, it can be difficult to stay organized and remain mentally focused. By listing all your strengths and weaknesses, you can identify which areas of study need improvements in order to achieve your goals.

Reward Yourself for Completing Tasks.

Do yourself a favor and avoid stressing about studying for the exam. And for that, make sure you start with a routine and stick with it. Whenever you get bored, take a break and reward yourself for completing the tasks you set out to do. There are always a ton of things to do, and the more you focus on preparing, the harder it is to find the extra time! But you’re not alone with this problem — most students feel the same way. Staying positive and rewarding yourself for completing tasks will help keep you on track and make sure you stay motivated throughout your studying process

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The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Feb 14, 2023 (The Expresswire) -- "Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) Market" Research Report 2023 Provides a Basic overview of the Industry including definitions, Company profiles of the Important thing individuals working within the international market, Key players profiled in the report are [TUV Rheinland, TUV SUD, Applus, Eurofins Scientific, Mistras, Lloyd’s Register, Dekra, TUV Nord, Bureau Veritas, Element Materials Technology, Intertek, SGS, UL, DNV GL, ALS] and others. The Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) market report provides information regarding market size, classifications, applications, growth, industry chain structure, share, trends, competition, cost structure, global market landscape, market drivers, challenges and opportunities, capacity, revenue and forecast for 2028.

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): How severe the exam stress is and how deeply it is affecting the children is evident by the fact that a girl student committed suicide before the beginning of her exams in the city two days back. About 500 students call Helpline number of MP Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) everyday to know how they should overcome stress.

The CBSE Class 12 and 10 examinations began on Wednesday. Practical exams for MPBSE Class 12 and 10 exams also began on Wednesday while the theory exams will begin in March. The helpline number (18002330175) has received 10,000 calls since January 1 this year. Most callers want to know how to keep exam stress at bay.

The MPBSE Helpline director Hemant Sharma told Free Press that the helpline had received 1.17 lakh calls last year. The number of calls shot up almost four times after exam dates were announced. Before announcement of exam dates, the number of calls was 50 per day. It began growing since then and is now around 500 calls per day.

The subject-specific queries are diverted to experts concerned. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Pariksha Pe Charcha had urged students to observe digital fast. Many students want to know how to do it,” Sharma said.

The helpline is open from 8am to 8pm all seven days a week including holidays. Eighteen counsellors are available in three shifts of six hours each to answer the queries of the students. Parents also call up to know how children can stay away from stress.

What students ask

* I am feeling stressed. What to do?

* I don’t remember what I learned.

* How to keep away from electronic gadgets

* Where can I find exam timetable?

* How to prepare for tough subjects

* Blueprint of question papers

* How to manage time

Counsellors’ suggestions

* Do yoga

* Take proper, balanced diet

* Make timetable

* Meditate

* Sleep for 8 hours a day

For parents

* Maintain peace at home

* Don’t pressurise children for marks

(If you have a story in and around Mumbai, you have our ears, be a citizen journalist and send us your story here. )

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Sadie VanAllen thought she was giving her kids a shot at a better life when she moved from a two-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom house on Yakima’s west side. The new place had separate rooms for her two growing children and a fenced yard for play. Conveniently, it was only about a seven-minute drive from Whitney Elementary School, where both of her kids were enrolled in the Yakima School District’s deaf education program.

But the move put VanAllen and her children outside of the Yakima district’s boundaries, and school district officials told her she could no longer keep her children enrolled in its deaf education program. They would have to transfer into the West Valley School District, which does not have an equivalent program and contracts with a third-party company for interpreters.

For weeks, VanAllen tried to figure out a solution with Yakima officials, who agreed to let her children stay for the rest of the school year. But the experience left her and her children shaken and at times uncertain how long they could continue to access the education resources the kids need.

“It's been a roller coaster,” VanAllen said. “I feel bad for my kids. I feel like I set them up for failure.”

Under different circumstances, VanAllen’s children may have been able to enroll in the district’s program even while living outside its boundaries. But the district has one deaf education teacher covering two elementary classrooms and has not been able to find a qualified teacher to help carry the load, said Nancy Smith, executive director of special education.

Yakima County and Washington state face a scarcity of qualified deaf education teachers and American Sign Language interpreters. The state also has limited options for training people to enter those specialized roles.

Some districts have found success with “growing their own” workforce by helping people obtain their deaf education or interpreter endorsements.

Camille Tree, a deaf education teacher in Sunnyside, is an example of that process. Her family is learning sign language after her daughter was identified as hard of hearing, and Camille eventually became a teacher.

“I tell people that deaf ed kind of found me,” she said.

The shortage

Several local school district officials and educators involved in deaf education noted that Yakima County is not unique in its shortage of deaf education teachers and interpreters.

Taralynn Petrites, the American Sign Language program coordinator for Central Washington University, which offers a bachelor of arts degree in deaf and sign language studies, said it’s a nationwide issue.

Shauna Bilyeu, superintendent of the Washington School for the Deaf, said in an email that even her school faces problems recruiting qualified deaf education teachers. When the school has an opening, it generally conducts a nationwide search. She has heard from educators at similar schools in other states that several of their positions remain unfilled.

“It is extremely concerning that we see our field shrinking,” Bilyeu wrote. “These students are some of the most vulnerable in terms of language deprivation and delays. It is imperative that they have good language models and teachers that are knowledgeable in differentiation.”

Multiple Yakima-area school districts report difficulties finding qualified teachers and interpreters for deaf students.

When one of the Yakima School District’s deaf education teachers left last year, the district immediately began to look for a suitable replacement. But months later, the district still has not found anyone to fill the position, Smith said. Two of the three applicants did not have backgrounds in American Sign Language, or ASL.

Currently, YSD has two deaf education teachers, one who teaches elementary students and one who handles the upper grades. The sole elementary teacher stepped up to cover two classes worth of students, Smith said. But with resources stretched thin, Smith said she could not in good conscience add students from outside the district to that class.

Yakima and Sunnyside are the only districts in the county with self-contained deaf education programs. They are the largest districts in the county.

Smaller districts have a few options for how to serve their deaf students. If it is available, schools can contract with larger districts to send their students to them. The child’s home district would pay for the services, and contracting out is generally more expensive than teaching in-house.

Yakima does not offer this option given its already strained resources, but has looked into it, Smith said.

Sunnyside allows other school districts to contract with it, special services director Cody Gardiner said. Though it does not have any contracted students this school year, in the past the district has worked with students from Grandview, Granger and Toppenish.

Educational Service District 105 is a regional support hub for schools in Yakima, Kittitas and parts of Klickitat and Benton counties. As part of its work, it provides specialized services for districts that may not be able to offer them in-house. But it no longer offers deaf education services, said executive director of special services Dana Floyd.

“That's not for lack of trying,” she said. “We just cannot find highly qualified staff in our region.”

Floyd said sometimes job openings went two years without any qualified applicants reaching out.

Schools can also turn to third-party companies to provide interpreters for deaf or hard-of-hearing students if they cannot hire their own. The West Valley School District faced struggles finding interpreters and contracts with ASL Professionals to provide them, special education director Lucas Jaeger wrote in an email.

But even those third-party companies are struggling to find people willing to work in-person and can sometimes only provide virtual interpreters, Floyd said. Students can access remote interpreters through school-issued Chromebooks.

Families feel the squeeze

When VanAllen learned that her move outside the district’s boundaries threatened her kids’ chances of staying in the YSD’s deaf education program, she considered moving back to central Yakima. But she thinking about the financial toll of such a move.

She spoke with her landlord about moving to a different house he managed within YSD’s boundaries, but it did not meet her needs. It was two stories, which would separate her from her kids, had fewer bedrooms and no fenced yard. The size of the house was a central issue. VanAllen is pregnant and she and her partner anticipate getting custody of his two children soon. That will quickly bring the number of kids in the house up to five.

VanAllen said her kids tried being in a general education class during part of the pandemic, but it went poorly. Her kids fell behind academically and her daughter would have outbursts in class. She didn’t want her kids to go through that again.

Her children are currently enrolled in YSD’s program despite the move. VanAllen spoke with several district officials trying to find a solution and felt frustrated by their communication. But she received permission from the district to keep her children enrolled through the end of the school year.

Next school year, she will send her son to the Washington School for the Deaf’s residential program in Vancouver. He’ll stay at the school during the week and come home during weekends. When her daughter is old enough, she’ll do the same. Though the idea worries her, VanAllen thinks she’ll feel better once her kids are both there.

“I think it'll be a relief because I know that my kids are getting the education they need to be successful,” she said.

Limited training options

With families, educators and school districts struggling to find resources for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, it’s clear there’s a need to expand the workforce of deaf education teachers and interpreters. But in-state options for training that workforce are sparse.

The only collegiate educational interpreter training program is at Spokane Falls Community College. It’s been around for nearly 45 years. The program takes two years to complete and only accepts 25 new students a year.

Program lead Corrine Morrow said about half of their students already have a higher education degree of some kind but chose to come back to college to train as interpreters. The program is available in-person or online and attracts students from across Washington as well as other states.

The college wanted to make its program accessible to working students and parents, people who could not pick up their lives to move to Spokane.

“In order for it to fit whoever is wanting to come and become an interpreter, we had to be flexible,” Morrow said. “It was what was best for them and our community because we need more interpreters.”

The program includes classes on ASL, deaf culture, ethics and preparation for the interpretation exam that students must pass in order to work as educational interpreters in Washington. The program has also worked with Spokane Falls Community College’s Spanish language department on occasion to prepare its trainees for trilingual communication. Several local school districts and educators for the deaf said some students who come from Spanish-speaking households require these sorts of services.

Students get experience interpreting in the field before graduation, Morrow said. SFCC staff work to connect students with practicum opportunities close to them, generally working with local nonprofit groups.

Demand for interpreters is high and Morrow said sometimes the college has to turn down requests for their students’ services. Program faculty member Judith Throop said they direct organizations toward other interpreter services that may be able to fill that gap.

Upon completion of the SFCC program, students can continue their schooling, but many students connect with school districts and begin work as interpreters, Throop said. This gives students needed in-field experience, especially those who did not score high enough in their interpreter exam and are working to Excellerate that score.

Closer to Yakima, CWU in Ellensburg has the first deaf studies program in the state. It covers not only ASL, but an emphasis on understanding deaf culture. The university is building a foundation for programs that would train people who want to work with deaf people, whether as interpreters, teachers or audiologists, Petrites said.

A grant proposal presented to the Legislature would have given CWU $200,000 to establish an interpreter program that would provide free training for students, as long as graduates of the program committed to working as educational interpreters in Washington for at least two years. But that proposal fell through, Petrites said. She’s hoping it will gain more support in future years.

Washington currently has no in-state deaf educator training programs. According to the PESB website, Washington State University in Pullman and Whitworth University in Spokane offered training programs at one point. But neither university’s current websites make any mention of the option. A representative from WSU confirmed the college no longer offers deaf education endorsements.

One mother’s approach

With such difficulties finding qualified educators for the deaf, many schools have looked to embrace a “grow your own” model, where they partner directly with people who are training as interpreters or teachers. Parents of deaf or hard-of-hearing students make particularly strong candidates for this because they understand what it takes to support these types of students.

YSD’s Smith said she’s begun asking parents if they’d be interested in obtaining teaching certificates to work within the deaf education program. The district also offers ASL classes in its high schools and hopes to encourage some of them to pursue deaf education.

The grow-your-own model has seen some success in Sunnyside, where Camille Tree is one of the district’s deaf education teachers. 

When her middle child Maya, now 9, was in kindergarten, she was identified as hard of hearing. Immediately, the Tree family began to learn sign language. The family still takes free signing classes offered by the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth via Zoom. Tree also took her daughter to events for deaf people around the area to immerse herself in the culture.

When a deaf education teacher position opened up in Sunnyside, one of Tree’s friends urged her to apply. Initially, she was hesitant as she had no teaching background. But her time spent researching deaf culture and learning sign language would serve her well.

“I kind of had this 'aha moment' where I was like, ‘Well, I’m really good at advocating for her. I can do this for other kids, too,’” she said.

The district hired her as its deaf education teacher. Since then, she has met up with other deaf education professionals across Washington. They have been a supportive resource, but Tree, who is Latina and speaks Spanish, said she would like to see more diversity within the field.

Tree is working toward getting her National Board Certification for deaf education. She takes online training courses for it and the district reimburses some of the cost, but the process will still take two to three years.

In the meantime, Tree works to deliver deaf and hard-of-hearing students an engaging school experience. In December, she helped organize a Signing Santa event, where a graduate of the district’s deaf ed program dressed up as Santa Claus and communicated with her students in ASL. Her love of her daughter motivated her to help deaf students get opportunities they deserve.

“I started for my daughter, and I continue to stay for my daughter and these kids who need it. They need the support here,” she said.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — North Carolina continues to lead the nation in numbers of teachers who have earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, with 486 additional teachers earning the endorsement during the 2021-22 school year.

Data released last month by the teaching standards organization show that North Carolina now has a total of 23,858 teachers with the respected credential, offered by the Arlington, Va.-based non-profit organization. The national certification is a way to recognize the accomplished instruction that is practiced in classrooms in North Carolina and other states while also helping teachers strengthen their knowledge and skills.

The certification process is based on high and rigorous standards that evaluate teaching practice through performance-based assessments. The ultimate result is improved performance and achievement for North Carolina’s students.

North Carolina also ranks first nationally in the percentage of all teachers who have earned board certification, with nearly one quarter (23 percent) of all teachers in the state holding the certification.

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said the national board certification is a testament to high quality instruction provided in schools across North Carolina.

“This credential is a tremendous accomplishment that demonstrates classroom and content mastery,” Truitt said. “I want to congratulate these teachers for pursuing career advancement that benefits not only their students, but teachers across the state in elevating the profession.”

Nationally, a total of 130,493 teachers have earned board certification, with North Carolina accounting for nearly 18 percent of all nationally certified teachers.

North Carolina school districts also continue to rank among the top 25 districts nationwide by numbers of new teachers holding national certification, with six districts making the list:

• 2nd – Wake County Schools (85 new certifications)
• 4th – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (59)
• 17th – Guilford County Schools (tie, with 16)
• 17th – Pitt County Schools (tie, with 16)
• 21st – New Hanover County Schools (tie, with 14)
• 21st – Union County Public Schools (tie, with 14)

Teachers in North Carolina who achieve certification receive a 12% salary supplement to their regular pay. They also are awarded eight continuing education credits (CEUs).

Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. today announced a significant expansion of SUNY’s policy on Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) that awards academic credit for learning that takes place outside of the traditional classroom, including on-the-job training, military experience, apprenticeships, industry certifications, and more.

Earning college credits for demonstrated knowledge and skills can be a powerful incentive for adult learners to continue their education and reduce the amount of time necessary to complete a degree or credential. The SUNY Board of Trustees today approved the updated PLA policy, which will boost SUNY’s capacity for faculty to evaluate and award credits and emphasizes the importance that SUNY places on strong implementation to support students across the state.

“We know many New Yorkers have amassed knowledge and skills throughout their lives outside the classroom setting that can, and should, be applied to a degree,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “With this updated policy, we are committed to expanding SUNY’s recognition of this important reality and helping more students earn degrees and advance in the workforce. SUNY campuses will be better prepared to assess each student’s unique experience, and help put them on a path toward completing the academic credentials they need to succeed.”

Examples of current prior learning pathways that will be expanded and can be replicated as a result of the new policy include:

• An individual completing the required education at the Mohawk Valley Police Academy plus necessary agency field training results in a NYS certification as a police officer, and can earn up to 17 academic credits toward a Criminal Justice associate degree at Mohawk Valley Community College.
• Required instruction and on-the-job training in the Brewer/Distiller New York State Registered Apprenticeship can equate to up to 18 credits toward the Craft Beer Brewing certificate and associate degree, or the Craft Spirit Distillation certificate and associate degree at SUNY Schenectady.
• An MC Petty Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard could receive academic credit for military training and for language courses taken overseas at SUNY Empire State College. Under the revised policy SUNY is committed to expanding the use of the American Council on Education’s Enhanced Military Guide and Joint Services Transcript evaluation.

SUNY Board Trustee Stanley S. Litow said, “A college degree is essential to career success. Lifetime earnings of someone with a college degree is over a million dollars more than those entering the workforce without one. Data is clear, a SUNY degree not only improves a student’s chance for success, but contributes to economic success for us all. Today’s common sense policy change opens up the opportunity to receive credit for life experiences enroute to a degree. It saves students money, increases academic success, and both college completion and college enrollment. It respects and recognizes real world knowledge gained in the school of life.”

Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, Chair, Committee on Higher Education said, “Expanding SUNY’s Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) will enable more students to have skills and knowledge acquired outside the classroom to count towards their degrees. Students’ pathways towards achieving their dream of earning a degree can look different, and today’s decision underscores why flexibility is key to helping more students complete their postsecondary education. Not only will this step save students time and money, it will help advance their careers and ensure they’re ready to join the workforce post-graduation.”

State Senator Joe Griffo, Ranking Member, Committee on Higher Educationsaid, “I am pleased that SUNY will be expanding its policy on Prior Learning Assessment and awarding academic credit for skills that have been acquired outside of a traditional classroom setting. This expansion will help many New Yorkers continue their education, earn a degree or credential or advance in their careers while also opening doors for new and additional opportunities.”

Assemblymember Robert Smullen said, “It should never be viewed as too late for an adult to pursue higher education. We, as legislators, should encourage adults to chase the goal of earning a degree because so many careers in our country require advanced learning. As a veteran and now a member of the Assembly, I understand how difficult it is to completely change career paths. Thank you to SUNY for expanding this program that will break down barriers and allow individuals to receive their degree, even if it is not in the traditional classroom setting.”

According to the National Student Clearinghouse, as of the 2020/2021 academic year, 39 million adult learners—two million in New York alone—had some college but had not a completed degree or certificate.

Adult learners can save on average 9 to 14 months toward earning a degree when awarded credit for prior learning, according to a 2020 report by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education. Those students also have the potential to save between $1,500 and $10,000 through the process.

Individuals with military experience or learners who have taken published career exams or have years of experience are encouraged to ask campuses about their process to evaluate credit for prior learning. To learn more about how to apply to SUNY campuses, visit https://www.suny.edu/attend/apply-to-suny/.

About The State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.3 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

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