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Standardized tests - which one?


EmilyGF
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I've been wanting to do standardized tests with my kids but haven't been able to set aside the time. I just realized their closest friends are out of town for the next three weeks before we go on vacation, so, if I can get a test, this is the time to do it.

 

I realize there is a time crunch and that may determine which test we use, but which one do you recommend?

 

Our district leans heavily on testing for placement, especially at middle school and above, and I don't want my kids to be locked out of a reasonable middle school due to little practice with standardized tests. My kids will all be taking the district tests in future years for practice, but I'd also like to have them do a test where I get more information than a single number, which can reflect so many different things that need to be worked on different ways.

 

I'll be testing a rising 3rd, 5th, and 7th grader. The rising K-er got into a gifted school so he'll be getting plenty of testing without my help.

 

Emily

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Well, I use the ITBS, but I don't know how quickly you could get it there or if you'd want to use it. (You should be able to administer almost all of those levels together. I think the 3rd grader has an extra listening section. We don't start testing until 4th grade, so I'm not sure.)

 

If your district uses mostly computer-based testing, I'd use computer-based testing now. Stanford, for example.

 

My district uses the adaptive computer-based testing. I'd try to use that if I needed my kids to be good at it for entry into the local school. I don't know if there is anything on the market like that for homeschoolers other than the Let's Go Learn ADAM and the DORA.

I've linked the Seton Testing version of these, but there are many other providers out there who you can order through. I just linked through one that I knew had all the ones I listed (and more).

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This is who I use http://www.setontesting.com .  I'm not sure what part of the country you are in, but they are located in VA.  I usually get my tests in the mail pretty quickly.  

 

 

They typically won't let you schedule a paper test for sooner than about 3 weeks out. I've gotten the tests about 2 weeks after scheduling, so that *could* still work for the OP. I've done the CAT6/TerraNova2, also because of lack of a college degree, though from what I hear people like the ITBS better. There are some places that have the CAT available online, though I'm not sure what version... you wouldn't want to go with a version that's very old.

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They typically won't let you schedule a paper test for sooner than about 3 weeks out. I've gotten the tests about 2 weeks after scheduling, so that *could* still work for the OP. I've done the CAT6/TerraNova2, also because of lack of a college degree, though from what I hear people like the ITBS better. There are some places that have the CAT available online, though I'm not sure what version... you wouldn't want to go with a version that's very old.

I receive my CAT from them within a couple of days of ordering.

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I receive my CAT from them within a couple of days of ordering.

 

 

Ok. IME, their timeline is significantly slower, so, OP might want to keep that in mind. Of course, the only testing I have done was iirc in April, May, and right at the beginning of June, so they may be relatively busy those months. 

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Ok. IME, their timeline is significantly slower, so, OP might want to keep that in mind. Of course, the only testing I have done was iirc in April, May, and right at the beginning of June, so they may be relatively busy those months. 

 

Could be because I live not too far from them :-).  I order in late May every year -- for the past 6 or 7 years.  I have only ordered the CAT though.

 

I just looked on their site.  It does say the IOWA is 3 weeks.  The CAT ships next day.  

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