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ATTLEBORO

Perennially, traditions tied to life in grade school have included show and tell, field trips and a celebration on the final day of school.

Now, add to that the MCAS rally and parental words of encouragement before a day of grueling test-taking.

In Attleboro, elementary schools last year mounted rallies on the day before the state's standardized tests to encourage third- and fourth-graders and defuse potential nervousness among young test-takers. Outside of class, parents showed up at PTO meetings and parent conference nights to ask how they can help their children improve their scores.

That's not surprising, said Carol Martin, the school department's director of teaching and learning excellence, as increasingly sophisticated tests measure children's reading, writing and math skills during four or more hours of tests spread over seven or eight days. "Taking these tests requires fortitude," Martin said. "They're challenging at every grade level."

On a recent evening, several parents turned out at a special information session at Studley Elementary School to learn what kinds of questions their children would be expected to answer, how much time the tests would require and how to help children prepare.

Some parents commented that their children seemed "stressed" by the prospect of so much testing.

Martin agreed that state tests, coupled with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, have added urgency to the need to improve each school's performance and that some of that urgency has "trickled down."

Studley Principal Jennella Porter told parents at a special "MCAS 101" session that the schools' objective is to ensure pupils are well prepared for the tests, while at the same time minimizing undue pressure and anxiety.

"We want our kids to take the tests seriously," she said. "But we don't want them to stress so much that they freeze."

The state education reform law paved the way for statewide standardized testing to measure students' learning and required that students pass the 10th grade MCAS test to qualify for a high school diploma. The state Department of Education this year raised the minimum passing score from 220 to 240.

This year's third- and fourth-grade reading and writing tests will take place March 19-29. Math tests will be held May 14-23.

Martin said preparation is a good way to balance out stress and minimize worries.

"We like to say that if you're doing your school work every day and you're conscientious about it, you should be OK," she said. In a handout to students and parents, Porter included several tips to help students get ready to take the MCAS:

Get a good night's sleep.

Get up early enough on test days to have a relaxed morning.

Eat a good breakfast.

Arrive at school on time.

Come to class with a positive attitude.

A word of praise from parents always helps.

Parents should advise their children to listen to directions and read instructions carefully before answering questions. Tests are not timed, so extra care can easily yield better scores.

Students should be encouraged not to be the first to complete their work and should always check it over to see that it is correct.