Standardized Standardized TestingTesting

Grades 6 - 8Grades 6 - 8

Stanford Stanford Achievement TestsAchievement Tests

- Grades 1 - 8- Grades 1 - 8

- Administered in the Spring- Administered in the Spring

Importance of SATImportance of SAT’’ss

Individual student reportIndividual student report detailed academic analysisdetailed academic analysis strengths & weaknessesstrengths & weaknesses

Helps Steer CurriculumHelps Steer Curriculum Potential Duke TIP ScholarsPotential Duke TIP Scholars

55thth and 6 and 6thth grade scores considered grade scores considered 9595thth percentile in certain areas percentile in certain areas Opportunity to take ACT or SAT in Opportunity to take ACT or SAT in

77thth grade grade (college entrance exams)(college entrance exams)

www.tip.duke.eduwww.tip.duke.edu

SAMPLE OF SATSAMPLE OF SAT

EXPLOREEXPLORE

- Grades 8 & 9- Grades 8 & 9- Administered in the Fall- Administered in the Fall

- Predictor test for the ACT- Predictor test for the ACT

Why Take EXPLORE?Why Take EXPLORE?

EXPLORE helps you seeEXPLORE helps you see where you stand academicallywhere you stand academically what career and educational paths what career and educational paths

are available to youare available to you how to develop a plan for meeting how to develop a plan for meeting

your career and academic goals.your career and academic goals.

Early awareness of academic strengths and Early awareness of academic strengths and weaknesses, plus a rigorous high school weaknesses, plus a rigorous high school

course plan are the keys to success.course plan are the keys to success.

EXPLORESubject

Number of Questions

How Long It Takes

English 40 30 minutes

Math 30 30 minutes

Reading 30 30 minutes

Science 28 30 minutes

ENGLISH TESTENGLISH TEST

The EXPLORE English TestThe EXPLORE English Test measures your understanding of measures your understanding of

standard written English standard written English punctuationpunctuation grammar and usagegrammar and usage sentence structure (Usage/Mechanics)sentence structure (Usage/Mechanics)

measures your understanding of the use measures your understanding of the use of strategy, organization, and style in of strategy, organization, and style in writing writing (Rhetorical Skills)(Rhetorical Skills)

You receive a total score for the You receive a total score for the English test and separate scores English test and separate scores ("subscores") for Usage/Mechanics ("subscores") for Usage/Mechanics and Rhetorical Skills.and Rhetorical Skills.

MATH TESTMATH TEST

The EXPLORE Math Test The EXPLORE Math Test measures your mathematical measures your mathematical

reasoningreasoning not memorization or involved not memorization or involved

computationscomputations Questions on the test cover four Questions on the test cover four

areasareas knowledge and skillsknowledge and skills direct applicationdirect application understanding conceptsunderstanding concepts integrating your understanding of integrating your understanding of

conceptsconcepts

READING TESTREADING TEST

The EXPLORE Reading Test The EXPLORE Reading Test measures your ability to understand measures your ability to understand

written material from different subjectswritten material from different subjects skills measured include referring to skills measured include referring to

details in the passage, drawing details in the passage, drawing conclusions, and making comparisons conclusions, and making comparisons and generalizations and generalizations

the test does not cover information the test does not cover information outside the passages, vocabulary taken outside the passages, vocabulary taken out of context, or formal logicout of context, or formal logic

SCIENCE TESTSCIENCE TEST

The EXPLORE Science Test The EXPLORE Science Test measures your scientific reasoning skills measures your scientific reasoning skills ability to understand scientific information and ability to understand scientific information and

draw conclusions from it draw conclusions from it Formats include Formats include

data representation (graphs, tables, and other data representation (graphs, tables, and other forms)forms)

research summaries (descriptions of several research summaries (descriptions of several related experiments)related experiments)

conflicting viewpoints (two or more hypotheses conflicting viewpoints (two or more hypotheses that are inconsistent with one another).that are inconsistent with one another).

The test emphasizes your scientific The test emphasizes your scientific reasoning skills rather than how well you reasoning skills rather than how well you can recall scientific facts, or your skills in can recall scientific facts, or your skills in mathematics or in reading.mathematics or in reading.

EXPLORE ResultsEXPLORE Results

Current 8Current 8thth graders graders results and test booklets distributed to results and test booklets distributed to

teachers this weekteachers this week following in-class interpretation, results following in-class interpretation, results

and booklets will be given to studentand booklets will be given to student Next year (2011-2012), students will Next year (2011-2012), students will

take the EXPLORE in 8take the EXPLORE in 8thth and 9 and 9thth grade and receive the following grade and receive the following data….data….