January 30, 2025 | Jeffrey Good
Test-taking anxiety is a common challenge for high school students.
So much so that “about 20% of high school students and young adults experience high levels of test anxiety, and another 15% struggle with moderate test anxiety,” according to College Board.
For many high school students, enrolling at Acceleration Academies allowed them to overcome their fears and not only pass tests but ace them and go on to graduate with their diploma.
Angelina Estrada, a graduation candidate at Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies, says that the crowded testing rooms and daily chaos of her former school got in the way of her demonstrating her hard-earned knowledge on exams.
Transferring to Acceleration Academies, she says, changed that. “It’s better because there aren’t that many kids. It’s a calming environment.”
Acceleration Academies — an alternative education program — partners with school districts nationwide to provide students like Angelina a flexible schedule, in-person support and an accredited online curriculum.
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In Florida, recent Escambia Counties Acceleration Academies (ECAA) grad Chase Nguyen echoed Angelina’s sentiment. “When you take big tests at a regular school, you’re in the auditorium or cafeteria with half the school,” he says.
At ECAA, by contrast, he was able to take test in a quiet room with only a small group of classmates. “The teachers don’t have to use microphones or yell across the auditorium.”
Acceleration Academies learners say academy teachers and mentors also pave the way for testing success by patiently going over subject matter in a way that helps them not only understand, but also retain, the information.
“I didn’t pass that many tests until I got into Acceleration Academies, then I started passing more and more,” says ECAA student Landen Carstens. “They understood the way I was trying to process it.”
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Gracelyn Rouleau, a student at St. Lucie Acceleration Academies in Florida, said social and academic anxieties led her to leave her former, traditional, high school. In addition to the sometimes confusing swirl of personalities in the hallways, she yearned for more personal support.
“It was never one-on-one so I never understood what was going on,” she says. At SLAA, by contrast, educators like social studies coach Orlando Ashah take as much time as she needs to help her master the subject.
“I don’t get history at all and he breaks it down into small pieces,” says Gracelyn. And he’s not the only helpful one. “If you think you need more help, you go to that teacher, ask them to help you — and then take the test when you’re ready.”
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Gracelyn and other students say they appreciate the ability to take one course at a time. “My brain holds it better than if I had all those classes I had to remember stuff for.”
The support extends beyond testing in particular classes to preparing for the large, comprehensive exams many need to earn diplomas and apply to college. Academies hold regular “boot camps” and practice sessions and, when a student comes up short on an initial exam, invite them to take the test again.
That support, and the success it engenders, has made all the difference for students like Gracelyn. “I used to hate coming to school,” she says. “Now I love it.”