Students in grades 3-4 participate in standardized tests in order to prepare for future test-taking scenarios. The Educational Records Bureau (ERB) Comprehensive Testing Program is given annually to students in the third and fourth grades. This testing instrument is the one used by most independent schools. The reasons for this choice are as follows:

• The test is similar in format to entrance examinations that students will take for middle school admission.
• The overall results and general trends of the tests allow the school to evaluate some of the elements within our own curriculum.

This experience is the first exposure to such tests for many of our students. Tests are given as practice; individual scores have only limited validity. In the fall, fifth graders may practice test taking skills to support them as they independently participate in middle school entrance exams