High Stakes

Our 4th graders started a high stakes writing test today. On the surface it seems like a very simple test. The students each write a personal narrative story on a given topic. We collect their papers, send them to the state to be scored and wait anxiously for the results.
The tricky part... we have to have at least 63% of our kids score above the state cut score (which will not be determined until all the papers have been scored). If we don't reach that magic number, than the whole school automatically fails to pass AYP.
Knowing the stakes of this test we have been practicing for more than a year. Every day for 45 min. our 4th graders practice writing to a prompt. We teacher them exactly what to do. They learn how to fill in a story frame. They practice starting with a hook, including words from the prompt in their first paragraph, and looking up the spelling of unknown words. After so much practice, they know EXACTLY what to do.
But just in case that isn't enough - we add some lucky charms. We play Motzart while they write and provide them with an endless supply of "smart mints" (peppermint has been shown to stimulate brain growth).
Never the less, I was pretty nervous as I read the prompt to my students and watched them get to work. With the winter Olympics looming, I started to think of how a coach must feel as they watch their athlete preform. Months or years of practice, all for one moment in time. One chance. One performance. You do everything in your power to ensure that they are prepared but when the moment comes it is just them. You have to stand back and watch.
The test will continue tomorrow (they have 40 min. on 2 consecutive days to complete their story). Since I have snuck a peek at their work thus far, I will likely be slightly less nervous tomorrow but I am sure it will still be stressful to watch.
And if it is stressful for me to watch, I have to wonder what it is like for my students to actually be preforming.