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Standardized Testing

According to Colorado Homeschool Law (C.R.S. 33-22-104.5(3)(f)) home-based students are required to be evaluated in odd years beginning in 3rd grade. The Summit Academy offers multiple testing opportunities for parents to evaluate the academic progress of their students. Home-based Summit students are not required to participate in Summit's testing, but they may do so if they sign up in advance. Summit's full-time (non home-based) students are required to meet all statewide testing requirements. At this time, The Summit Academy can only test currently enrolled students. In most cases, the testing is free. Below are descriptions of the tests available for our students. Please note that the tests have sign-up deadlines.

 

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)

The ITBS will be offered at The Summit Academy on Thursday, April 16th through Friday, April 17th, for 3rd-8th graders. (Parents may administer the ITBS test to their 1st-2nd grade students at home. Indicate student info in the sign up, using the link to the right.) The 3rd-8th graders taking the ITBS at Summit need to arrive here by 8:30 in order to begin testing at 8:45. 3rd grade testing ends around 1:30pm, while 4th-8th grade testing ends around 12:50pm. Testing is offered only to currently enrolled Summit students, and at their current Summit grade level. Testing is free! Students must be registered in order to participate. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 27th!.  For more information about the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, click on the link to the right. For more details, click on the button to the right.

PSAT 8/9 and 10, and PSAT/NMSQT

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Like the SAT, the PSAT is a nationally normed standardized test. The PSAT is specifically designed to help students prepare for the SAT, which most students take in their junior or senior year. The state of Colorado requires full-time 9th-graders to take the PSAT 8/9, and full-time 10th graders to take the PSAT 10. Summit will offer the Colorado state-administered PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10 on Tuesday, April 14th. 

 

The PSAT/NMSQT is a separate administration of the PSAT which also serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It was offered nationwide, only to juniors, on the second Wednesday in October. Summit juniors wishing to take the PSAT/NMSQT may take it at Jefferson Academy, providing they sign up early in the fall during the sign-up period.

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For more information about the PSAT, including practice materials, click on the link to the right for the College Board website.

 

REGISTRATION FOR THE PSAT 8/9 and 10 THIS YEAR CLOSED ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 31st. 

SAT 

The SAT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area exams in reading, writing and language, and mathematics. Colorado requires and pays for every junior to take the exam. Summit offers the Colorado state-administered SAT, generally on a Tuesday in April.  Juniors wanting to sign up or learn more about Summit's administration of the SAT, please click on the SAT button to the right.

 

Students in other grades wanting to take the SAT please sign up for the exam on the national registry at www.collegeboard.org.

 

Every student taking the SAT should go to www.collegeboard.org to get more information, including test day checklist, calculator regulations and practice materials.

CMAS

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Coming up in April is the “CMAS- Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies” assessment. Our full-time 11th graders are REQUIRED to take this assessment (*only the Science and Social Studies portion). It will be held on 4/17 at Jefferson Academy 

 Secondary School, starting at noon. Students are allowed to leave after completion. 

 Students must confirm their registration by March 20th by signing up HERE. Contact Mrs.  

 Scarato with questions at Stephanie.Scarato@jeffco.k12.co.us

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Other Testing Options
In addition to the tests above mentioned, there are several options parents may choose for the testing of their students:
 
1) Teacher Evaluation. Parents may arrange with a teacher to do an evaluation.  Any certified teacher in Colorado can do an evaluation that shows that “the child is making sufficient academic progress according to the child’s ability," and that information can be submitted to the school district that received the notification of intent to homeschool.  (Besides Colorado certified teachers, other “qualified persons” who can do this evaluation include a teacher employed by a private school, a licensed psychologist, or a person with a graduate degree in education.) Several former Summit parents offer this service as well, including Kim Almas and Mosaic Academy Academic Evaluation and Consultation.
 
2) Iowa Testing (ITBS) at home. Parents who have a Bachelor's degree can go to http://www.bjupresshomeschool.com/category/homeschool-iowa-tests. Parents can order the Iowa test from them for about $40. Check on their website for who is considered to be eligible for administering the test to your student (ie- could be the parent, another teacher, etc).
 
3) California Achievement Test. Parents who do not have a Bachelor's degree can search the internet for “California Achievement Test” and order it, for an online or hard-copy format, from any of a number of suppliers for about $20-25. Orders should include composite scores (several of the CAT suppliers charge a bit more for that service, but it is needed for Colorado's state reporting requirements).
 
4) Stanford Achievement Test. Parents can also go to HomeschoolTestingServices.com and order an online or hard-copy version of the Stanford Achievement Test for around $40-50. Homeschool Testing Services also offers an on-site test. Check their website for more information.
 
Any of these tests (Iowa, California Achievement Test, Stanford Achievement Test) meet the state requirements for a nationally normed standardized test and can be submitted to the district or private school that received the notification of intent to homeschool.
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