Standardized test scores decline with each passing hour of school
(HealthDay)—While the debate over the value of standardized testing continues, new research suggests that educators should also consider the timing of these tests.
The study found that students aged 15 and under suffered from mental fatigue as the school day progressed, and that their test scores dipped later in the day. The effect appeared to be the greatest on those who scored the poorest—a hint that tests later in the day might hurt struggling students the most.
But there's good news, too: Students seemed to get a brain boost when they took tests after a brief break.
The researchers said their findings support the idea of giving kids some time off during the school day.
"If policymakers want to have longer days, then they should consider having more frequent breaks," said study co-author Francesca Gino, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School in Boston.
The researchers also recommend that standardized tests be held at the same time of day, to avoid throwing off the results by making some kids take them when their brains are taxed.
The new study is unusual because it's so large and because it explores the role played by breaks during the day, Gino said.
However, the study was only designed to find an association between the time a test is taken and performance; it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
The study appears in the Feb. 15 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers reviewed results from about 2 million national standardized tests taken by kids aged 8 to 15. The children attended public schools in Denmark from 2009-2010 and 2012-2013.
The findings revealed that test performance decreased as the day progressed. As each hour went by, scores
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-standardized-scores-decline-hour-school.html#jCp
