May 6, 2021

Dear Families of Students in Grades 3-5,

Columbus Academy’s third-, fourth- and fifth-graders will be taking the ERB CTP-5 Standardized Test from May 17th-20th, with the exception of the fourth grade that will be making up an ERB test on May 24th due to the logistics of their musical. This is the same test that has been given for many years at Academy in grades 3-8 except for last year due to COVID-19. All testing will be completed on iPads with students preparing beforehand by logging in and making sure that they are confident with the process.

The purpose of the ERB CTP-5 is to assess student growth and performance at the time of testing. This enables us to identify strengths and weaknesses at an individual and group level. CTP is considered a “low stakes” assessment intended to help faculty and administrators make decisions about curriculum and classroom instruction. Because of this, there is no test preparation material available.

Here are a few tips to help ensure your children are ready for their testing days.

The night before each test…
  1. Make sure your children go to bed on time so that they are well-rested.
  2. Plan ahead to avoid any conflicts on the test dates.

The morning of the test…
  1. Get up a few minutes early to avoid having to rush, and make sure your children arrive at school on time. Testing will begin promptly at 8:15 a.m. It is very important that your children are on time to school each day that week.
  2. Have your children eat nutritious breakfasts.

Testing will take place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (May 17th-20th). Make-up tests will be given the following Monday (May 24th) and Tuesday (May 25th).

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Head of Lower School