Testing
RCS faculty and administration use testing as a measuring device to determine how well a student is learning. The resulting data is used to drive instruction. Students will experience a variety of tests from ongoing classroom tests such as chapter or spelling tests to nationally benchmarked tests.
Testing for Elementary and Middle School
As a private school, Redding Christian School does not participate in state testing. However, RCS elects to participate in standardized testing for Kindergarten through 8th grades. Beginning in 2012, RCS utilizes TerraNova 3, a standardized assessment program, for this testing. TerraNova 3 meets the highest technical standards of the testing industry and incorporates the most current innovations in measurement methodology. The result is a valid, reliable assessment that meets rigorous psychometric standards. This ensures results that accurately measure and report students’ performance relative to the latest national norms.
TerraNova 3 2013 Testing Results
In the 2013 testing results seen here, our students are compared by grade to other students in the state and also other ACSI schools. National Percentile (NP) is the best score for describing test results to persons who are not assessment experts. A National Percentile score ranks test performances from 1 to 99. For example, a NP score (or rank) of 65 means that the average score for the students in that grade level is higher than the scores of 65 percent of the students in the norm group for that grade and time of year.
Kindergarten 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th
SAT and ACT Testing
SAT and ACT tests are taken by high school juniors and seniors. These tests are not a requirement; rather they demonstrate preparedness for college entry. Colleges use these scores not only to assess college readiness, but also to award financial aid and entry into very competitive schools. Some universities prefer one test over the other, some accept both. It is recommended that high school students take these tests in the spring of their junior year and again in the fall of their senior year. RCS offers an online SAT prep class in the fall semester of each year to help students prepare for the SAT. In addition, all sophomore students take the PSAT and can use the resulting data to prepare for the SAT.