Understanding Understanding the the

ERBs:ERBs:A Presentation for FSH A Presentation for FSH

Parents Parents

What are the ERBs?What are the ERBs? ERB: Educational Records Bureau, a non-ERB: Educational Records Bureau, a non-

profit educational service organization profit educational service organization which meets the student assessment which meets the student assessment needs of over 1500 independent school needs of over 1500 independent school and suburban public school membersand suburban public school members

ERB member schools include independent ERB member schools include independent schools from 46 states and 42 countries schools from 46 states and 42 countries and suburban public school districts from and suburban public school districts from every region of the United Statesevery region of the United States

CTP-4 and WrAPCTP-4 and WrAP

What we refer to as “the ERBs” is a What we refer to as “the ERBs” is a standardized achievement test, the standardized achievement test, the Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP-4), Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP-4), “designed specifically for high-achieving “designed specifically for high-achieving schools and schools wishing to set high schools and schools wishing to set high standards.”standards.”

CTP-4 includes subtests that vary by grade CTP-4 includes subtests that vary by grade levellevel

WrAP (Writing Assessment Program)WrAP (Writing Assessment Program)

Third Grade CTP-4 TestsThird Grade CTP-4 Tests

Auditory ComprehensionAuditory Comprehension Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension Word AnalysisWord Analysis Writing MechanicsWriting Mechanics MathematicsMathematics

Fourth Grade CTP-4 Fourth Grade CTP-4 TestsTests

Auditory ComprehensionAuditory Comprehension Verbal ReasoningVerbal Reasoning Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension Writing Concepts and SkillsWriting Concepts and Skills Writing MechanicsWriting Mechanics Mathematics, Parts 1 & 2Mathematics, Parts 1 & 2 Quantitative ReasoningQuantitative Reasoning

Fifth and Sixth Grade Fifth and Sixth Grade CTP-4 TestsCTP-4 Tests

Verbal ReasoningVerbal Reasoning VocabularyVocabulary Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension Writing Concepts and SkillsWriting Concepts and Skills Writing MechanicsWriting Mechanics Mathematics, Parts 1 & 2Mathematics, Parts 1 & 2 Quantitative ReasoningQuantitative Reasoning

Differences among Grade Differences among Grade LevelsLevels

In addition to differences in the In addition to differences in the specific tests administered,specific tests administered,

Third grade tests are Third grade tests are allall untimed untimed Fourth grade Auditory Fourth grade Auditory

Comprehension test is untimedComprehension test is untimed FSH students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 FSH students in Grades 4, 5 and 6

take the WrAP in addition to the take the WrAP in addition to the CTP-4CTP-4

WrAPWrAP

Administered over a two-day periodAdministered over a two-day period

Time to do pre-writing, write a Time to do pre-writing, write a roughrough

draft and revisedraft and revise

Scored by two readers, according to Scored by two readers, according to a rubric covering 6 dimensions of a rubric covering 6 dimensions of writingwriting

WrAP Scoring RubricWrAP Scoring Rubric

Overall developmentOverall development OrganizationOrganization SupportSupport Sentence StructureSentence Structure Word ChoiceWord Choice MechanicsMechanics Each dimension is scored on a 6-point Each dimension is scored on a 6-point

scalescale

Why do we administer Why do we administer the ERBs?the ERBs?

To gain information about students’ To gain information about students’ strengths and needsstrengths and needs

To inform instruction at the To inform instruction at the individual and curricular levelsindividual and curricular levels

To give our students practice in test-To give our students practice in test-takingtaking

To evaluate our curriculum over To evaluate our curriculum over timetime

How are test scores How are test scores interpreted?interpreted?

Percentile rankPercentile rank StaninesStanines Item analysisItem analysis

What is a Stanine?What is a Stanine? Stanine

Percentage of Students

Percentile Ranks

9 4 96-99

8 7 89-95

7 12 77-88

6 17 60-76

5 20 40-59

4 17 23-39

3 12 11-22

2 7 4-10

1 4 1-3

NormsNorms

National NormsNational Norms Suburban NormsSuburban Norms Independent NormsIndependent Norms

ERB Reports for ParentsERB Reports for Parents Primary Grade Parent Report (Grade 3)Primary Grade Parent Report (Grade 3) Individual Narrative ReportIndividual Narrative Report (Grades 4 to 6)(Grades 4 to 6) FSH also provides parents with the FSH also provides parents with the

Individual Instructional Summary Individual Instructional Summary designed for teachers (Grades 4 to 6)designed for teachers (Grades 4 to 6)

ERB Reports for ERB Reports for TeachersTeachers

Provide insight into students’ Provide insight into students’ particular strengths and needsparticular strengths and needs

Provide another perspective on Provide another perspective on student performance, in addition to student performance, in addition to classroom assessmentsclassroom assessments

Provide information to guide Provide information to guide curriculum planning and to improve curriculum planning and to improve our instructional programour instructional program

FSH Student FSH Student Performance on the ERB Performance on the ERB

teststests FSH students’ performance on the FSH students’ performance on the tests is very strongtests is very strong

This year’s sixth-grade students’ This year’s sixth-grade students’ median scaled scores surpassed the median scaled scores surpassed the independent school median and the independent school median and the NAIS median in nearly all areasNAIS median in nearly all areas

Significant improvement in scores Significant improvement in scores on Writing Mechanics subteston Writing Mechanics subtest

Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension Item Analysis, Sixth Item Analysis, Sixth

GradeGrade

MathematicsMathematicsItem Analysis, Sixth Item Analysis, Sixth

GradeGrade

What can parents do?What can parents do? Read, read, read! (and relax!)Read, read, read! (and relax!) Read aloud to your children, even those in Read aloud to your children, even those in

the Intermediate School. Choose books the Intermediate School. Choose books that you love and want to share.that you love and want to share.

Discuss the meaning of new words that Discuss the meaning of new words that you and your child encounter in all types you and your child encounter in all types of reading and in other media--novels, of reading and in other media--novels, newspapers, magazines, movies, newspapers, magazines, movies, television, websites.television, websites.

Discuss nuances of meaning to improve Discuss nuances of meaning to improve precision in word choice.precision in word choice.

ResourcesResources Classroom teachers--always the primary resource Classroom teachers--always the primary resource

for ideas about supporting your child’s learningfor ideas about supporting your child’s learning FSH librarian and reading specialist: Marian FSH librarian and reading specialist: Marian

McKenzie and Lea Keil Garson are available to McKenzie and Lea Keil Garson are available to assist you in choosing books to read aloud and assist you in choosing books to read aloud and books for your children to read on their ownbooks for your children to read on their own

In-class test preparation: Lea teaches test-taking In-class test preparation: Lea teaches test-taking strategies and works with teachers to enhance strategies and works with teachers to enhance vocabulary instruction vocabulary instruction

Test prep club: Tom Forstik offers this club each Test prep club: Tom Forstik offers this club each fall to help students prepare for the ERBsfall to help students prepare for the ERBs

Writing Practice Program (WPP)Writing Practice Program (WPP)