by NYC Private Schools on May 28, 2009
As the season for NYC Private School Applications begins to get underway, parents inevitably start to ask about the ERB. Before we talk about some of the more detailed information about the test, here is a little background on how it got it’s commonly referred to name.
The Educational Records Bureau, known colloquially as the ERB, issues the Early Childhood Admissions Assessment (ECAA) for lower elementary admissions for NYC private schools. Though the exam is usually called the ERB, the Educational Records Bureau is simply the organization that administers it.
So in point of fact, the ERB is actually the ECAA, but wait, there’s more.
The actual exam for the younger elementary children is the revised Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, WPPSI for short.
To sum up, the ERB is actually the ECAA, which is actually the WPPSI. If that confuses, amuses and slightly frustrates you, then welcome, you are now a part of the process!
What are the advantages of taking the ERB? (Actually the ECAA)
The ERB provides a uniform testing platform for younger children applying to NYC Private Schools. It eliminates the old method of testing at each school to which a child may be applying, making your child only have to test once instead of multiple times. This also ensures a relatively equal playing field. Because schools uniformly use the ERB results, they are simply requested on the application form, along with application fees and academic results to date, if applicable.
NYC Private School testing can be a sea of acronyms, but knowing what the ERB is can help you navigate your admissions successfully.
by NYC Private Schools on May 19, 2009
Most discussions on testing requirements for NYC Schools generally revolve around admissions testing and requirements. There are other tests that students are asked to participate in, however, and for many reasons.
The CTP 4 is one of the tests that can be required for children in grades 1 and up and is used by many classical Christian Schools and also Gifted Public Schools as a way to measure a students academic level of achievement and pinpoint areas in need of development. The CTP 4 is considered a difficult test that is given to high-achieving students at competitive school, often in the Gifted and Talented categories.
What does the CTP 4 Test Consist of?
CTP 4 is not one test, but a battery of tests consisting of a series of multiple-choice and open-ended question tests. These are administered to groups of students over the course of several days, either in the spring or the fall. CTP 4 has 10 levels; a different level is used with each grade from 1 through 11. Students in the early grades take the test under un-timed conditions and mark their answers in the test booklet. Students in the middle and upper grades take CTP 4 under timed conditions and mark their answers on a separate answer sheet. The time limits are considered generous, with most students completing it in the time period allowed. There is also an option for schools to include open-ended reading comprehension and mathematics questions in the test that provides for full, partial, or no credit.
What does the test measure?
All 10 levels of CTP 4 include achievement tests that measure what the student has learned in the areas of reading and mathematics. In addition, levels 1 and 2 test word analysis and listening skills. Beginning with level 3 (introduced in the spring of grade 3) there are also tests that measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, certain kinds of writing skills, and vocabulary.
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