All these things... got him off his game on test day.
As some have noted, test administration conditions may make a difference in a child's performance.
Combined with teachers being evaluated based on efficacy of teaching as reflected by higher pupil test scores on the Winter standardized tests as compared with the back-to-school test scores, there may be some incentive to provide less-than-ideal test administration conditions for the back-to-school tests.
Combined with a movement some have rallied behind, to create year-round schooling... the test score data may subsequently be used as "evidence" of summer brain-drain in sufficient degree to call for year-round schooling.
As in chess, some may look ahead to consider the impact of possible next moves. What might be the effect of year-round schooling on gifted kids (and all kids) who languish in the classroom but flourish in other environments? How might year-round schooling impact opportunities for gifted kids (and all kids) to gather with like-minded kids at camps, classes, libraries, museums, and volunteer opportunities which may help them explore an interest or future career?
Parents concerned for a potential summer brain drain may wish to:
- take kids to the library regularly over summer break,
- play educational board games including scrabble, yahtzee, chess, checkers, hi-ho-cherry-o, game of LIFE, etc
- purchase any of the summer learning fun books created by many companies, often in a themed coloring book / work book format, and provide these for their kids to enjoy on a car ride, while waiting for friends, or any other moments when a kid might look for a good puzzle or challenge to accomplish. These are readily available at grocery stores, office supply stores, discount department stores, etc.
All these ideas and more, can help support and encourage each child to achieve at his/her challenge level. Possibly eclipsing that, undertaking these initiatives as a family role models a growth mindset, a positive can-do attitude, personal empowerment, and taking joy in responsibility for one's own education, rather than learned helpless and waiting on the system to set the pace.
