NATCHEZ &8212; At this point the only adults that have any real control over student performance on next week&8217;s tests are the parents, educators said.

Administrators and teachers have done all they can do. Community members can offer a pat on the back. But parents can control the variables.

First, students don&8217;t perform well on the Mississippi Curriculum Test if they aren&8217;t in school to take it. Parents need to take responsibility for getting their children on the bus or to the school each testing day, Superintendent Anthony Morris said.

Schools with poor attendance on testing days are penalized on state accountability rankings.

Second, they have to be on time.

Morris said testing will start no later than 8:30 a.m.

Because the first two hours of the day will be testing, students need full stomachs with substantial foods that will carry them through the morning, Morris said.

&8220;Steer them away from high in sugar foods,&8221; he said. &8220;Make sure they have something nutritious for breakfast.&8221;

And they need to be well rested. Stick to early bedtimes this week, Morgantown Elementary Principal Fred Marsalis said.

&8220;They have the skills, but we need to make sure they get a good night&8217;s sleep and eat healthy meals in the morning so their minds will be totally concentrated on what they are going to do,&8221; Marsalis said.

Parents also need to take responsibility to make sure students don&8217;t come to school with cell phones, pagers, video games or other electronic devices, test coordinator Charlotte Franklin said. All such devices are in violation of the state&8217;s testing regulations and can get the district heavily penalized if they aren&8217;t handled appropriately.

Students also cannot wear hooded garments or caps.

Then there&8217;s the mental game.

&8220;Parents need to be sure children are focused and serious about the test,&8221; Morris said. &8220;Emphasize that this is pretty much the point of validation of everything they have done this school year. Assure them that what they have done has been good up to this point. All they need to be able to do is identify it and put it down on paper.&8221;

Morris said parents need to remind students of simple test taking procedures they&8217;ve learned in school.

&8220;They just need to take their time, think about the questions and answer them accordingly,&8221; he said. &8220;If they don&8217;t know the exact answer, use the process of elimination.&8221;

With the teaching and learning part over, the key this week is to relax &8212; but not too much, Marsalis said.

Second- through eighth-graders will take the MCT Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.