A Bright School education is a personal experience for each child and family. The use of standardized testing at multiple times throughout the year helps teachers provide even more one-on-one attention to help meet student needs.

Bright School is adding two more testing periods during the year that will give teachers real-time data to inform changes to instruction for an entire grade or classroom and individual students.

For many decades – even during the days when founder Miss Bright was head of school – Bright School used assessments from the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). More recently, the school used the Comprehensive Testing Program, 5th edition (CTP-5) in the winter. This year, Bright School is adding fall and winter Milestone assessments from ERB and shifting the CTP-5 assessments to March.

Kendra Reasor, assistant head of school for instruction and curriculum, gave a presentation to parents about standardized testing at Bright. Historically, assessments were for measuring mastery of skills, were reactive in purpose and taken at the end of the year, she said. More recently, there has been a shift in purpose to provide teachers with more accurate data earlier in the year to gauge how students are doing and make changes to instruction as needed.

This year, third, fourth and fifth graders will take Milestone assessments on reading and math in September and January. Second, third, fourth and fifth graders will take CTP-5 assessments in March.

Milestones assessments, which are only 40 minutes per subject, cover:

• Reading Comprehension

• Mathematics

The CTP-5 assessments cover:

• Reading Comprehension (2-5)

• Mathematics (2-5)

• Word Analysis (2)

• Auditory Comprehension (2-3)

• Writing Mechanics (3-5)

• Writing Concepts and Skills (3-5)

• Verbal Reasoning (3-5)

• Quantitative Reasoning (3-5)

• Vocabulary (4-5)

“Our testing program allows us to personalize instruction and meet students’ needs,” Mrs. Reasor said. “The Milestones are a great addition to our program and will provide a snapshot of data for our teachers.”

Teachers will share the results of the Milestones at parent conferences in September and then again in February. CTP-5 results will be mailed to parents in the spring.

Mrs. Reasor said teachers will prepare students for taking multiple choice tests and using iPads and Chromebooks for testing. There is no preparation for material that will be on the tests in an effort to keep the testing period as stress-free as possible.  “Teachers will make test days feel like normal days,” she said.