To start, students in the Middle School program do in fact take tests, receive grades and reports cards in the core curriculum areas. In addition, they have student led conferences twice per year. Additional communications are conducted on an as-needed basis. In all other Countryside programs, our experienced teachers are cognizant of benchmarks for every developmental and grade level, and they are constantly assessing student learning in informal ways. Because work with students is always in small groups, teachers are immediately aware of students who are struggling to understand concepts and can respond promptly. Two 30-minute parent-teacher conferences are held per year in which your child’s academic achievement is discussed. At this time, teachers clearly articulate student performance in the context of age or grade level benchmarks. If students are not reaching these benchmarks, parents are made aware of the particular struggle and the interventions being implemented. Teachers also inform parents of areas of higher achievement.
NWEA MAP Testing is administered twice yearly for students in 4th-8th grades. See our test scores.