Testing

 

As a part of regular course work, teachers may administer periodic tests at their discretion. Parents should do the same thing at home to ensure children are learning. These test may be formal and timed, or as informal as a simple question asked while in the car.

 

Please note that our educational model allows students to progress at their own speed without feeling left behind or held back. This is true for not only the broader educational level, but also for each subject. Some student's may excel in math and progress through the math curriculum so fast that by the time they are in 2nd grade they are working on the 4th grade math curriculum (or higher). Similarly, another student may be behind and take 2 years to work through the 2nd grade math curriculum before they grasp the concepts. We don't want students to fall too far behind, and we strongly encourage parents to spend extra time as needed at home on subjects that are troubling their child. Children have the tendency to work on subjects in which they excel to the detriment of other subjects. Parents and teachers should be on the lookout for this behavior, and ensure the child is not specializing at too young of an age. Through the 8th grade, the ultimate educational goal should be a well-rounded education. High School should be a time of trying a few things in depth and seeing which one the student enjoys most. It shouldn't be until college that true specialization takes place. As teachers and parents we need to ensure the student is following this path. With these ideas in mind, you can see how basic placement tests become less important. If a student joins the school and finds a particular subject too easier/hard, the parent (with the input of the teacher) can easily modify the point in the curriculum at which the student is working to a different point that better suits their immediate ability.

 

In general, students should be finished with ALL 4th grade curricula before they advance to the Logic classroom. A few exceptions can be made and it is up to the parents to discuss this with their child's teacher as appropriate.

 

Although IQ tests are not taken to determine a student's placement with peers of similar ability, an IQ test is recommended. These tests are used to ensure the child is developmentally able to do the rigorous work required at the School of the Seven Sages.  They also help parents and teachers plan individualized lessons catering to a student's strengths/challenges as revealed in the IQ test.  Similarly, a full psycho educational evaluation, while optional, has been helpful for many parents in achieving maximum effectiveness in their home school lessons.

 

The Stanford 10, SCAT, and SAT are used as a tool for parents and teachers to ensure basic learning is happening, and as a way for students to gain a level of comfort taking standardized tests. Good scores on the SCAT and SAT allow student's the ability to take summer classes/camps at elite universities for college credit. We require standardized tests and encourage parents to seek out college credit as early as possible as way to manage the burden of college tuition costs.

 

Optional tests recommended for admittance:

• A recent score for the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (5th edition) OR the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) version V is recommended. These tests are important for a few reasons. First, they provide a marker for the child's current level of ability. Future test will be able to demonstrate how, with proper training, the child's ability has improved over time. Second, they allow both the school’s teachers and the child's parents to understand areas where the child will excel, and where he or she will need to spend extra time. Combined with an optional psychoeducational assessment, parents and teachers will gain a better understanding of the best methods to develop that specific child into an independent, self-sufficient, and lifelong learner ready to overcome any problem they incur.  We recommend Kindergarten, 3rd, 6th and 9th graders take the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (5th edition) (OR the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children [WISC] version V) in the summer following their school year.

 

Tests required annually

• 1st-6th graders must take the Stanford 10 National Achievement Test annually.

           (One possible test vendor: http://www.homeschooltestingservices.com/  )

• 2nd-6th graders must take the School and College Abilities Test (SCAT) test annually.

• 7th grade and above must take the SAT annually.