Safe Sitter Testing

Testing

	Do you have suggestions for completing Oral Testing on time? Can students use their Manuals for the rescue skills testing? What is the best way to grade written tests? How should I prepare non-Safe Sitter® Instructors to teach and test the rescue skills?
Q	Do you have suggestions for completing Oral Testing on time?
A	As with most problems, prevention is the best answer. Many sites find it necessary to have extra help during testing so that the students will be finished with testing in time for the Ceremony. This is especially important when you are using new Instructors who are very likely to test more slowly. It also helps to remind Instructors to pace themselves. If you know the number of students you need to test and the time you have to accomplish testing, then you can calculate the time you have to spend with each student. Testing is one segment of the class where it is particularly important to start on time. Although testing the students on Greeting Skills, Injury Management, and Behavior Management is ideal, occasionally you may feel you are unable to complete all parts of the Oral Testing in the allotted time. If this occurs, you may delete the Greeting Skills since this part is typically mastered in class. Instructors may also choose to test the students on Injury Management or Behavior Management, rather than both of these segments.
Q	Can students use their Manuals for the rescue skills testing?
A	Having an open book written test helps students recognize the value of having their Manuals with them on babysitting jobs to use as a reference. The test incorporates critical thinking. Students learn not only where to quickly find information in the Student Manual, but also how to use the information. We want students to succeed -- to love Safe Sitter® and love babysitting. People enjoy doing what they think they do well. It is important for students to do well in the class and during testing. Most students will be parents someday and success in Safe Sitter® empowers them to be better babysitters now and better parents in the future. Instructors should use testing as an opportunity to teach with appropriate praise ("What a good job you've done!") and correction of technique. Safe Sitter® does not recommend students use their Student Manual during rescue skills testing because the return demonstration simulates a real-life emergency situation. In a true emergency, there is no time for sitters to get their cards - they would just need to respond to the emergency. Using the rescue skills involves a "rhythm," and it would be difficult for the sitter to get "into the rhythm" by looking at the cards. Encourage your students to review their rescue skills cards before each babysitting job.
Q	What is the best way to grade written tests?
A	It works best if one Instructor grades all of the tests. Sometimes a student may write an answer which isn’t in the exact wording on the answer key, yet an Instructor would be able to determine whether the student understands the concept being tested. It saves time to first grade the tests without reading the essay. Then turn all of the tests with the essay page face up and read all of the essays at the same time. If a student’s essay is not satisfactory, have the student re-write the essay rather than taking points off. The Instructor grading the tests should write the correct answer next to the student’s incorrect answer. All students should have an opportunity to review their tests after being graded. However, the tests should be collected before the Ceremony. Although passing score is stated as 70, failure on the written test is left to the discretion of the Instructor based on the student’s ability to improve performance by answering the written questions orally. Since the test is an open-book test, it is acceptable for the students to grade their own tests and then have an Instructor read the essays if you are running out of time.
Q	How should I prepare non-Safe Sitter® Instructors to teach and test the rescue skills?
	Anyone who teaches or tests rescue skills in Safe Sitter® must be current in any CPR class that requires minimum of written exam and skills performance of Pediatric CPR and Foreign Body Airway Obstruction. (Examples are Heartsaver CPR Pediatric Basic Life Support by American Heart Association or Infant and Child CPR by American Red Cross.) In addition they are required to watch the Rescue Skills Video and read the corresponding sections of the Safe Sitter® Student Manual and Instructor Manual. The Rescue Skills Video is about 45 minutes long. The first 10 minutes are a welcome from Dr. Keener and an overview of the student class. Although it is most desirable to watch the entire video, only the last 34 minutes are required. Dr. Keener teaches this section and explains the modifications from the AHA, rationale of the variations, and how to use the supplies such as airway transparency. These requirements also apply to Safe Sitter® Instructors.