Explore test?

[NotSoObvious]

I just discovered this because of Halycon's update today.

 

Do any of you have your kids take this? At what age?

 

What is the benefit of having them take this before 8th grade?

[Dana]

My son took it last year at age 9 in 4th grade & is taking it again this year.

The reason for taking it is to take an out-of-level test if your kids score towards the top of typical standardized tests.

It also can qualify them for summer programs and online courses through Northwestern (NUMATS program) and Duke (TIP). Johns Hopkins has their own program and they want students to take the SCAT rather than the Explore.

 

Starting in 6th or 7th grade, all the talent identification programs move to the SAT or ACT.

[Dmmetler]

My DD is taking it this year as a young 8 yr old. Along with the above, we're looking at a possible move, and a possible return to PS for DD in the not too distant future, and the EXPLORE is a test that is generally known by schools, so will tend to back up that DD is working above grade level in most academic areas, which will hopefully make getting an appropriate academic program easier if we end up going the PS route.

[Crimson Wife]

Carnegie Mellon's C-MITES talent search program starts in 3rd and unlike many of the other talent searches has no geographical restrictions. I had my oldest take it in 3rd in lieu of an expensive individual achievement test for the purposes of a specific GATE program that required an achievement test score. It also helped give me confidence to accelerate her further in math. She is strongest in the verbal domain so I guess I overlooked her math ability. The EXPLORE revealed that while LA is indeed her strong suit, she was also capable of more challenge in math.

 

DS is presumably going to receive an individual achievement test as part of a neuropsychological evaluation so I may not bother having him take the EXPLORE.

[NotSoObvious]

Hmm. So, last year I gave my dd the CAT and she missed one question. Obviously it's a waste of a test, but it does fulfill a state requirement.

 

If she takes the Explore, she won't know everything, especially in science and some of the math. Will the test tell me what types of questions she missed?

 

Are your younger kids overwhelmed with a test that is so challenging? Or do they enjoy the challenge? My dd could go either way. She is used to things coming easily to her, but she is a perfectionist who has a hard time attempting things she doesn't know well (which is something we are working on-WWS has been good for this).

[Crimson Wife]

I didn't find the EXPLORE report to be particularly helpful. Definitely nothing like the Iowa that she had taken the previous year.

 

ETA: Here is a sample EXPLORE report.

[Dana]

I didn't find the EXPLORE report to be particularly helpful. Definitely nothing like the Iowa that she had taken the previous year.

 

I agree. The ITBS does give clearer information.

 

I do think the Explore was useful to us last year since it showed that my son can be moving faster than I've been having him progress. It's helped let me lighten up some this year.

 

I made it clear to my son (both last year and this year) that I just want him to do his best. He'll have questions he won't be able to answer or will struggle with, but that's to be expected.

 

He had fun with the challenge and yesterday was saying he was looking forward to today's test.

 

Science is more of a reading test than a test of science knowledge.

[Dmmetler]

My DD hasn't taken the EXPLORE yet, but in part because of fear of perfectionism issues (and so she could practice with an answer sheet), I downloaded and gave her a practice ACT, and she actually enjoyed the process. I think knowing, up front, that it was an out of level test and that she wasn't expected to know the whole thing let her release that perfectionism a bit and just focus on what she DID know-and that she was pleasantly surprised to discover that there WERE questions she knew on the ACT, which made her feel better about the EXPLORE, since the ACT is designed for older, more advanced students than the EXPLORE.

 

We'll see how the actual test goes next month ;)

[Halcyon]

I didn't find the EXPLORE report to be particularly helpful. Definitely nothing like the Iowa that she had taken the previous year.

 

ETA: Hereis a sample EXPLORE report.

 

 

That's interesting, I hadn't seen that before. When we do get our report, will it compare DS to other 5th graders, or compare him to everyone, or just to 8th graders? Do you know what the 'cutoff' is for the DUKE tip program? Thanks!

 

I am planning to administer the ITBS this year. Do you think I should test him at grade level? Above grade level?

[NotSoObvious]

We are planning on doing the Iowa at home this year, too. It never occurred to me to test above grade level. Hmmm

[Crimson Wife]

That's interesting, I hadn't seen that before. When we do get our report, will it compare DS to other 5th graders, or compare him to everyone, or just to 8th graders? Do you know what the 'cutoff' is for the DUKE tip program? Thanks!

 

We aren't in the right geographical location for Duke TIP so someone else will have to answer that question.

 

C-MITES provided a comparison to other 3rd graders for the past few years of the program. The regular EXPLORE report had the comparison to 8th graders.

[Dana]

We had the scores compared to 8th graders, but we didn't have questions right or any of the stuff other than initial scores.

NUMATS had an online comparison, so I was able to see how my son did in comparison to 4th graders who took it through NUMATS. I don't know what the report from Duke will show or whether we'll get comparisons with other 5th graders.

 

For Duke, I don't think they do classes with score qualifications. They do an awards ceremony though.

NUMATS and CTY both have score cutoffs for online classes.

 

If you've done an on level test one year, it can be useful to do the same test a grade or two higher the next year if your child is towards the top of the test on level.

[KarenNC]

My daughter did the EXPLORE through Duke TIP last year as a 6th grader. I had planned to have her do it as a 5th grader, but missed the deadline to register her. This year, as a 7th grader, she'll take the ACT. We chose the ACT over the SAT because the ACT meets our state yearly homeschool testing requirement. The EXPLORE and SAT don't. For her achievement test, she did the WJ-III last year. The EXPLORE was good group test practice and gave us some good insights. It is also one of the ways to qualify for the 7th grade TIP (those enrolled as 4t/5th graders have to re-qualify for the 7th grade program). Initially, we got the results compared to 8th graders, but Duke later sent out information comparing the scores to the other kids in their program taking the test.

 

In previous years, we've done a variety of tests. We used the WJ-III, took the ITBS on level (this was in third grade to get the 95+% to qualify for the Duke program) and as an out-of-level test ( 2 years ahead). All of them gave me information, but served different purposes. The WJ-III gave us the broadest information without worrying about ceilings and using on-level questions beyond her grade level, the Iowa was the most detailed in sub-categories but restricted to on-level equivalents for a single grade. I found this site to be helpful in figuring out how the different tests work and what they can tell us. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests_tell_us.htm