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The All-STAAR’s are a small team of 10-15 eighth grade students who experience test anxiety. The team will start meeting twice a month starting in February, until they take their STAAR exam.

The All-STAAR’s are a team of eighth graders who have been selected based on their current core teachers’ recommendation and performance on AISD’s curriculum assessments. In their respected subject, core teachers will be supplied with the students’ seventh grade final grade point average compared to the students’ STAAR exam score. With this data and teachers knowing their students’ personalities and learning abilities, teachers will be able to recommend students who will benefit from learning how to cope with testing anxiety.

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The Texas Administrative Code outlines the standards required for the School Counselor Certificate.

Standard II (3) Learner-Centered Skills: The certified school counselor applies the knowledge base to promote the educational, personal, social, and career development of the learner as outlined in The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs. The certified school counselor must counsel individuals and small groups using appropriate counseling theories and techniques in response to students' needs.

The All-STAAR's are a small group with a needs focus on test anxiety. Throughout the sessions, students are learning counseling theories and techniques to acknowledge and improve their anxiety.

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Category 1: Mindset Standards
M 3. Positive attitude toward work and learning
M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed
M 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes

Category 2: Behavior Standards
B-LS 4. Self-motivation and self- direction for learning
B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions
B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome barriers
B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills

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The All-STARR's will be given direct advice on a few techniques they can use to cope with test anxiety. The will be receive suggestions for strategies for handling their 'problems.' They will learn how to change negative thoughts into positive ones. For example, “No one thinks I am smart” can be changed to “I have an opportunity to prove the people wrong who underestimate my intelligence.”  They will learn the 5-4-3-2-1 and 4-7-8 techniques. And finally, students will learn how getting in comfortable clothes will help create a safe testing experience.

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Stage 1: Setting Norms/Building Trust
Norms of building trust, creating a safe environment, and confidentially will be established as a group. Students will learn quickly that everyone in the group experiences some level of test anxiety which will make it easier to discuss and work towards the similar goal to overcome the fear. Students will agree on norms and sign a promise to their norms and confidentially form.

Stage 2: Working Together to Accomplish Goals
Throughout the sessions, students will learn how to change negative thoughts into positive ones, techniques to reduce test anxiety, how to meditate, how to do yoga, and set up a routine leading up to the exam. Students will be given the opportunity to share their thoughts, opinions, perspectives, and new findings with other group members. Students will find students who share the same goals to encourage each other to continue using the techniques that work best for them!

Stage 3: Ending the Group
In the second to last meeting, students will determine their test routine. They will decide what they will wear on the day of the exam, what time they will be going to sleep the week leading up to the test, and the technique they feel is best for them to use during the test. They will have the chance to summarize everything they learned over the last few weeks.
In the last meeting, student will be given four pieces of paper and four envelopes. One letter is going to be written to themselves for them to read the morning of their first exam. The other three letters will be written to other All-STAAR members for them to read the morning of the other exams. The goal is for the students to be reminded of their friendships they made while being apart of the All-STAARs, the techniques they learned, and the progress they made. Students will be assigned who they are writing to and for which subject. Students will then pass their letters out to the corresponding member. Students will be given the opportunity to reflect on the friendships, trust, and progress they have made together.

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Tell the Group: Students and teachers will be informed of the The All-STAAR's purpose, goals, and learning objectives.

Ask the Student about Interest/Commitment: After students apply and teachers and parents recommend, students will be asked to meet with the school counselor independently to determine the students' interest and commitment to an open-mind/success.

Pick Members: Students will be selected based on their recommendations, data from STARR scores/district assessments/class averages, and their independent meeting with the school counselor.

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Ground Rules established prior to beginning the group:
1. Be respectful of others.
2. Be open-minded.
3. Confidentiality.

Rules 1-10 will be agreed upon on the first session of The All-STAAR's. Additional rules will be discussed and added as well. All rules will be established before signing the Ground Rules Form.

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Consent Forms will be sent home(to be signed and returned) with students once selection has been made.

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According to the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics, A.9.a. states "Counselors screen prospective group counseling/therapy participants. To the extent possible, counselors select members whose needs and goals are compatible with the goals of the group, who will not impede the group process, and whose well-being will not be jeopardized by the group experience."

The All-STAAR's are a group of students who score above an 85% on their class averages, but does not meet grade level on the state or district exams. Teachers and parents recommend students with who they think might experience test anxiety.

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The school counselor will lead with participative leadership. The participative leader will participate in the group and allow input from other group members (Cherry, 2022) Group members feel more engaged in the activities and become more motivated when their leader is actively participating (Cherry, 2022). As the leader, I will take part in all activities and make myself vulnerable to the students.

This will be beneficially to our students as they will have the opportunity to realize that even adults can experience negative thoughts or anxiety. Adults are also learning new coping mechanism to overcome their anxiety. We are all just human, trying to build each other up, and be the best version of ourselves!

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Parents: Flyers will be sent home with information regarding The All-STAAR's purpose. If a parent believes their student experiences test anxiety, they will be encouraged to recommend their student.

Students: Flyers (with a QR code to apply) will be hung around the school encouraging students to sign up if they believe they would benefit to learn about coping mechanisms for test anxiety.

Teachers: Teachers will be sent a google form recommendation form for students who they belief experience test anxiety.