When testing a student, what should you do if the student responds incorrectly?

When a student responds incorrectly during testing, it is important to record the incorrect response and continue testing to gather more data on the student's understanding and skills. This approach allows the tester to maintain a comprehensive view of the student's performance across a range of items. Continuing the assessment helps to identify patterns in understanding, such as whether the student struggles with specific concepts or types of questions.

Recording the incorrect response contributes to a thorough data set that can inform future instruction and interventions tailored to the student's needs. This is essential in a behavior analysis context, where understanding the nuances of a student’s performance contributes to developing effective teaching strategies.

In contrast, simply ending the testing after an incorrect response misses the opportunity to gather valuable information. Ignoring the incorrect response fails to document the student's needs. Changing the question to make it easier might not provide an accurate assessment of the student's abilities, potentially leading to an incomplete understanding of their skill level. Therefore, recording the response and continuing the test is the most effective practice for assessing and supporting student learning.