Each year, The Christ School administers standardized testing in the Spring to all students in grades 1-8. We use the Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP Online), a test used by many other private schools. Testing for some grade levels begins the week of April 8. Grade levels will be testing only in the morning on specific days. Classwork assignments and homework will be reduced during the testing days to alleviate any undue stress. Your child’s teachers will communicate specific information for the days your child is testing. Please help your child understand that they have been learning throughout the year and there is nothing more they need to do to prepare for this test. A general testing schedule is listed below:
CTP Online Assessment per Grade Level
2nd, 6th: April 9, 10, 11
7th, 8th: April 9, 10, 11, 12
1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th: April 15, 16, 17
How does TCS use standardized testing results?
The CTP is just one way that we measure student progress and the effectiveness of our curriculum resources. Standardized testing results provide us with distinct snapshots representing a child’s educational growth, and we use both the individual and group data to reflect and plan our day-to-day instruction and curriculum development. The CTP Online subject area tests align with our objectives (what we expect our students to know and be able to do) and yield useful results. Children and parents are encouraged not to stress unnecessarily over the results of the testing.
The skill areas assessed for each grade level are listed below:
1st Grade: Auditory Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Word Analysis and Math Skills
2nd Grade: Auditory Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Word Analysis, Writing Mechanics and Math Skills
3rd Grade: Auditory Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Writing Mechanics and Concepts, Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Math Skills
4th-8th Grades: Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Writing Mechanics and Concepts, Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Math Skills
How can you help prepare your child?
Parents play an important role in helping children do well by making sure their child gets a good night’s sleep and has a nutritious breakfast. Here are some additional tips to help your children do their best:
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Be sure students are on time each day. The classrooms are open at 7:50 a.m. and students are encouraged to use the window of time prior to chapel to settle in for the day. Children who rush in to class at the last minute often feel less confident in successfully completing the tasks for the day.
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Assure your child that he or she is very capable and well prepared; encourage them to give their best effort.
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Students may need to remain quiet while others finish. Help your child select a good book to read when they are finished testing.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS: Remind your child to charge their Chromebook each night. They will be using their Chromebooks for testing and need a full battery charge. Students should bring their charger in case they need to use it during testing.
IMPORTANT NOTE: To ensure the integrity of the testing environment, parents and/or students will not be admitted into the classrooms once testing has begun. Please ensure your child arrives to school on time. Any student who arrives after testing has begun will need to sit in the office and wait until a break in the testing session to join their class. The opportunity for make-up of missed tests is very limited. Our priority will be to provide make-up sessions for students who missed school due to a medical emergency or illness. All make-up tests will need to be completed during our testing window (April 8-18).
When will you receive your child’s CTP scores?
A copy of your child’s test scores will be sent home with the final report card the first week of June. In addition, we offer one-to-one parent meetings during the summer months to go over the individual student report. A sign up form will be sent out in June.
If you have any questions regarding the CTP, please contact
Mrs. Amber Lail, Director of Academics and Student Programs.