What are we looking for in the assessment?

Building lifelong success, in school and the real world, is less about getting a question right or wrong on an assessment - it's about how our student arrived there. See below for the metrics we use to benchmark students against their grade level peers.

Reading & Comprehension

• Ability in comprehension

• Accuracy in vocal reading

• Speed in silent reading

• Proficiency in phonics and handwriting

• Proficiency in sightwords

• Ability to craft grade appropriate writing based on prompts

Math & Word Problems

• Accuracy of foundational skills

• Ability to comprehend word problems in CommonCore

• Speed in execution

• # of mistakes due to carelessness or misinterpretation

• Grasp of math facts

• Consistency in responses

• Ability to learn on the go

• Ability to maintain focus in a classroom setting

• Stamina to sustain work at a high level

• Ability to self management and redirect to task on hand when distracted

Study Skills

Academic Success Starts At Home

Give the assessment a try yourself (significantly abbreviated to make it easier to administer at home without prior training). For home use only, all rights reserved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon will I get the results?

Typically within 1 - 3 days. We will set up a 20 minute meeting to go over the results with you and our education director. The results guide our customized program for your student - which curriculum pieces are used, what subject areas are targeted, and the time and duration of the program.

How is this different from a "free" assessment from one of those other tutoring centers?

How would you feel if a medical professional offered you a free diagnostic and guaranteed success? Yeah, we'd be skeptical, too. Our assessments are hands on exercises with our teachers. The results are not just a % of right answers, but how the students get to those right answers, and are they likely to be able to do so again in the next 2 grade levels.

This is the reason why some of our families return every couple of years to get reassessed to ensure their students are still on the right track: think of it like an independent, objective, second opinion of where things are, academically.

What will the results tell me?

Is your student reading below, at, or above grade level? Has your child mastered foundational math skills for their grade? Are there learning gaps that are slowing your student's academic progress or will impact their future academic success? Our assessment answers these questions!

Education is a cumulative experience, each year building upon the prior year's learning. Our assessment focuses on what skills your student needs to be academically successful.

What if my child doesn't want to be assessed or get help from an educational tutoring center?

Sometimes kids don't want to eat vegetables or brush their teeth...but we still make them do it because we know they need it. Our responsibility as parents & guardians is to make tough choices now that help our children reach long term academic (and life!) success. The earlier a student gets help, the easier and more time they have to improve. It's as simple as that!

Will the assessment process upset my student? My kid hates testing!

Our learning center has assessed students academically for over 20 years. In that time, our families are consistently surprised by their students enjoying the assessment process. We treat it as a "get to know you" with each student. They do many academic activities, some hard, some easier, but there are no grades. And through it all, one of our teachers is there to provide interest, encouragement, and support!

What about students who are already getting good grades or have been tested as Gifted?

How much does the academic assessment cost?

Our academic assessment costs $195, and includes 1-2 hours for the assessment with your child, an analysis of the results, and a 20-30 min meeting with our education director to go over the results and programming.

We offer a $100 discount if you prepay the assessment fee, so the final cost is $95 prepaid.

What skills are covered in the academic assessment?

The academic assessment covers reading comprehension, vocabulary, math, and study skills in 5-10 min modular exercises. Depending on the student's age and foundational skills, we also assess phonics and writing, as appropriate.

Students can get all As and still struggle or need additional support. We assess the whole student, and we set high expectations for them based on what we believe they can accomplish!

• What are their academic strengths and weaknesses?

• Do they still spend hours on homework every night?

• Do they know how to study for tests? (Tip: most kids, even A students, have no clue!)

• What study skills will enable them to get their work done more accurately and efficiently?

• Are they on track for college readiness?

• Will they be a competitive college applicant?

What should I expect the day of assessment?

Please plan to arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled time. Expect to spend 10 mins to check in and complete a brief academic profile of your student. Bring a bottle of water and some light snacks. A light sweater if your student gets cold easily (fact: body temperature affects boys' and girls' testing performance differently, ask us!). We provide all testing supplies.

What should I say to my student who is not a fan of testing, or have testing anxiety?

It is not a test! Instead, let your student know we'll be doing a variety of academic exercises to understand their skill set in the classroom. Think of it as a temperature check at the doctor's office. There are no good or bad results-- we just want to see what they've learned at school or know on their own!