Dear Merryhill Parents,
Each spring our school administers a standardized test to all students in grades kindergarten and up. In past years, we used the Stanford 10 Achievement Test (SAT10) to measure student learning against a nationally normed sample group, and our students have scored consistently well. The SAT10 is now being phased out by the publisher, so starting this spring we will begin using standardized tests published by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB).
The ERB is a well-established and highly reputable test commonly used in college preparatory private schools and highly regarded public school districts throughout the U.S. This sample will give us a better basis of comparison for our scores going forward. Another advantage of the ERB is that it is an adaptive test taken on an iPad or computer. The test questions adapt to students’ responses. If a student answers a question correctly, he or she is given more difficult questions. This type of assessment will provide us with significantly more data on student’s strengths and potential areas of further growth and challenge.
The ERB will be conducted during April through early May. We will provide you with dates for each grade as we get closer to that time. The specific assessments are as follows:
Kindergarten: Admission Assessment for Beginning Learners (AABL). This test
consists of two main sections: reasoning (verbal and quantitative) and achievement
(early literacy and mathematics). The test takes 30-40 minutes to complete.
Grades 1 and up: Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) assessments will be
administered over four 45-minute sessions. The four test sections are verbal
reasoning, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning and mathematics.
We want to assure you that this change to the testing instrument we use does not signal any change in our philosophy about standardized tests. We pride ourselves on approaching each child as an individual, and we do not teach to a test. Standardized tests are only one tool that we use in conjunction with projects, participation, quizzes and classroom tests to assess your child’s progress and particular learning needs. Standardized tests help our school make informed, data driven decisions about our effectiveness in implementing our curriculum so that it is relevant for each child. These tests also help our national education department to continuously improve our curriculum, support materials and professional development programs.
We are enthusiastic about making use of the rich information that our ERB standardized assessment program will provide. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Sincerely,
Theresa Gotay, Principal
Merryhill Elementary School – Summerlin
2160 Snow Trail
Las Vegas, Nevada 89134
702-242-8838
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April Newsletter
Dear Merryhill Parents,
Each spring our school administers a standardized test to all students in grades kindergarten and up. In past years, we used the Stanford 10 Achievement Test (SAT10) to measure student learning against a nationally normed sample group, and our students have scored consistently well. The SAT10 is now being phased out by the publisher, so starting this spring we will begin using standardized tests published by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB).
The ERB is a well-established and highly reputable test commonly used in college preparatory private schools and highly regarded public school districts throughout the U.S. This sample will give us a better basis of comparison for our scores going forward. Another advantage of the ERB is that it is an adaptive test taken on an iPad or computer. The test questions adapt to students’ responses. If a student answers a question correctly, he or she is given more difficult questions. This type of assessment will provide us with significantly more data on student’s strengths and potential areas of further growth and challenge.
The ERB will be conducted during April through early May. We will provide you with dates for each grade as we get closer to that time. The specific assessments are as follows:
Kindergarten: Admission Assessment for Beginning Learners (AABL). This test
consists of two main sections: reasoning (verbal and quantitative) and achievement
(early literacy and mathematics). The test takes 30-40 minutes to complete.
Grades 1 and up: Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) assessments will be
administered over four 45-minute sessions. The four test sections are verbal
reasoning, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning and mathematics.
We want to assure you that this change to the testing instrument we use does not signal any change in our philosophy about standardized tests. We pride ourselves on approaching each child as an individual, and we do not teach to a test. Standardized tests are only one tool that we use in conjunction with projects, participation, quizzes and classroom tests to assess your child’s progress and particular learning needs. Standardized tests help our school make informed, data driven decisions about our effectiveness in implementing our curriculum so that it is relevant for each child. These tests also help our national education department to continuously improve our curriculum, support materials and professional development programs.
We are enthusiastic about making use of the rich information that our ERB standardized assessment program will provide. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Sincerely,
Theresa Gotay, Principal
Merryhill Elementary School – Summerlin
2160 Snow Trail
Las Vegas, Nevada 89134
702-242-8838