• students are placed in a grade at which the work is so difficult that the student is discouraged, or gives up.
• teachers are frustrated because a student has been placed in his or classroom who cannot possibly keep up with the class.
• parents insist that the child is ready for grade 2 when the child cannot read even at first gradelevel.
• teachers who find themselves spending an inordinate (and actually unrealistic) amount of time with one or two students who are woefully behind grade level.

Or does your school spend more than an hour giving an entrance test - perhaps a standardized achievement test - which takes valuable time to score and interpret, causing unneeded delays in making admission decisions?

SOLUTION: We believe that most of these challenges can be resolved easily and valuable time saved by using a brief and informal test of basic skills appropriate for each grade level. Our materials include complete instructions for their use at your school. They have proven very useful over many years of actual use in Christian schools.

Our tests take approximately the following amounts of time:
PK & K 10-15 minutes
Grades 1 & 2 25-30 minutes
Grades 3 & 4 30-40 minutes
Grades 5 & 6 30-40 minutes
Grades 7 & 8 45-60 minutes
Grades 9 - 12 60-70 minutes

There are several parts which are multi-grade in application:

• basic number facts, grades 3-12 (6 to 2 minutes)
• write a story, grades 5-12 (10-15 minutes)
• vocabulary test, grades 7-12 (reading, definitions, or examples (5 minutes)

REASONS FOR A STREAMLINED TEST:

• instructional programs differ greatly from school to school, both Christian and public
• parents and students are often very much unaware of significant educational retardation due to various factors.
• immediate test results save time for both the applicant and the teacher. Most tests can be scored in a very few minutes by the administering teacher, and an admission decision made immediately after the test.

OUR APPROACH TO ENTRANCE TESTING:

• a student appropriately placed in grade level has the greatest opportunity to succeed.
• a student appropriately placed in grade level minimizes the burden upon the teacher.
• most students will past the test and be placed in the grade for which they apply.
• the time spent in entrance testing is well worth the benefit to students, parents, teachers, and the school.
• the best grade placement for students should be based upon his or her general academic achievement level as demonstrated on an informal entrance test of basic skills.
• accurate grade placement is most critical during the first three to five grades, but always advantageous for all students.
• making the entrance test the first part of the enrollment procedure for new students paves the way for success in everything to follow.
• the entrance test can provide strong clues for suggesting or requiring a student to repeat a grade as a condition of admission to the school.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TESTING SYSTEM?

• TEST COVER SHEETS on which test results are summarized.
• TESTS for each grade level (page backs are blank).
• TEST KEYS for each test.

HOW DOES A SCHOOL UTILIZE THE SYSTEM?

• The school will reproduce the test cover sheets, the individual tests and test keys and keep sufficient copies in file folders or slot shelves for immediate use by teachers on a continuing basis whenever students apply for admission and for whom there is classroom space.

THE PK & KINDERGARTEN TESTS:
Page 1 of the PK and Kindergarten test is primarily oral questions by the teacher, and either oral or written answers by the child. The questions are arranged from easiest to most difficult. Page 2 consists of the teacher pointing to the letters of the alphabet which are printed out of order and asking the child to say the letter names, which demonstrates that the child actually associates a letter name with a specific written symbol, followed by some summary comments about the child's enunciation of words, apparent ability to see clearly, rapport with the teacher, and any other comments which the school administrator might want to consider in making an admission decision. The entire two-page test takes about 10- 15 minutes.