SSIS ADDS TOEFL IN THE ROSTER OF STANDARDIZED TESTS

TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language is the newest addition to SSIS’s series of standardized tests such as the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT), Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), Standards-Based Assessment (SBA) Tests, and Scholastic Reading Inventory Test.

TOEFL is a generally accepted test of English proficiency for non-native English speakers. This four-hour test consists of four sections, each measuring one of the basic language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). The tasks, while focusing on language used in the academic and higher-education environment will also require integrating multiple skills.

TOEFL Junior tests, on the other hand, is a general assessment of middle-school level English language proficiency, appropriate for students ages 11-14. There are only three sections in the junior test – reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and language form and meaning.

Passing the TOEFL test is one of the requirements of foreign universities wherein some universities set minimum scores for admission. In SSIS, TOEFL results will gauge the effectiveness of using English as the sole medium of instruction and communication, and it will also test the student’s readiness for its Senior High School and International Baccalaureate (IB) Program.

MAT is designed for Grade School students. It features a battery of tests that aim to measure general language, arithmetic skills, and reading comprehension. Assessment includes five disciplines – reading, math, language, science, and social studies. SAT for High School covers the same topics, though questions are bound to be more complex and comprehensive.

SBA Tests are administered to Grade School and High School students in subjects such as English, Math, and Science. SBA is based on an outcomes-based education philosophy. Far different from traditional teacher-made assessments, standardized tests evaluate the student’s performance based on the required standards per grade level, rather than comparing a student’s performance with other students.

Standardized tests provide objective and relevant feedback to the school in terms of the quality and effectiveness of instruction against national norms and international standards. The results of the standardized tests: provide good feedback to the student on how well he/she has learned and the degree of his/her readiness to move to a higher educational level; pinpoint competencies of students and learning gaps which serve as the basis for learning reinforcement or remediation; and specify academic performance standards by defining different levels of proficiency such as met standards, progressing toward standards, and not met standards.

Pre-Test results are used by the teachers and the school to identify the areas of strengths and developmental areas which consequently can provide information for the improvement of the institution’s curriculum. The series of standardized tests are not meant to burden the students, but to determine the congruence of the test results.

Lastly, the SRI Test is based on the Scholastic Lexile Framework. It is a computer-aided quiz that determines the child’s Lexile score. An individual’s Lexile score measures both recognition and comprehension of text. The SRI test involves reading a series of short passages taken from fiction and nonfiction books and articles. Knowing the students’ Lexile scores helps them choose appropriate reading materials that will not frustrate them, but will promote enjoyable reading.

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