Academic Testing

We regularly assess students in a variety of ways, including standardized testing to measure progress and provide a benchmark for our curriculum. The issue of the value and validity of standardized testing in educational circles has been cyclically controversial. While the debate is a valid one, at this point standardized testing is a reality of life that is part of the educational experience of all students through graduate school and even beyond. As such, whatever our philosophical stance on the issue, it is our responsibility to help students sharpen that particular skillset.

Our goals in administering the Comprehensive Testing Program V in grades 2-7 are to provide information about each child’s verbal and quantitative skill development, to inform instruction, and to give our students ample opportunity throughout their elementary school years to practice taking standardized tests.

There are many tests available on the market. The choice of the CTP V is very common in independent schools because the test compares independent school students to independent school students (i.e. a typically high-achieving norm group) and also because the test is considered to be one of the more challenging ones. In addition, the skills tested on the CTP V are verbal and math skills that we want all of our students to hone and master. Therefore, this is not a test that involves “teaching to the test.” The results of the CTP V test inform instruction, but the test itself does not drive our curriculum. Finally, the CTP V is an achievement test, not an ability test. This means that the information we receive only tells us how a particular student’s verbal and quantitative skills are developing, not how innately bright that student is, which is what an IQ or ability test would determine.

The CTP V classifies each question the students are asked into three categories called Depth of Knowledge (DOK). DOK 1 questions assess a student’s recall of facts, terms, and definitions. DOK 2 questions assess a student’s basic application of skills and concepts and require some mental processing beyond the habitual response. DOK 3 questions assess a student’s strategic thinking and require reasoning skills and the use of evidence.

Each year in January, parents are invited to attend a meeting scheduled to help them find out exactly what the CTP V assesses and how to interpret their child’s results. This meeting goes into further detail and gives parents the opportunity to ask general questions about this assessment tool.

To view the most recent CTP results, please click the link below.

In grades 7 and 8, students can take the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), which competitive secondary schools use as a part of their admission process. The performance of Buckley students on these tests has been outstanding.