Test Descriptions

TerraNova at a Glance:

TerraNova, normed in 2005, is a breakthrough assessment solution for Grades K-12 that measures student achievement relative to state standards and the National Association of Educational Progress frameworks.

CTB/McGraw-Hill recently released the newest version of this family of assessments, TerraNova, which allows home and private schools to purchase the TerraNova for the first time.

Content Area	Objective	Level
Reading	Oral Comprehension	10, 11
	Basic Understanding	10-21/22
	Analyze Text	11-21/22
	Evaluate and Extend Meaning	11-21/22
	Reading and Writing Strategies	11-21/22
	Introduction to Print	10-12
Language	Sentence Structure	13-21/22
	Writing Strategies	13-21/22
	Editing Skills	13-21/22
Mathematics	Number and Number Relations	10-21/22
	Computation and Numerical Estimation	10-21/22
	Operation Concepts	11-21/22
	Measurement	10-21/22
	Goemetry and Spatial Sense	10-21/22
	Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability	10-21/22
	Patterns, Functions, Algebra	10-21/22
	Problem Solving and Reasoning	10-21/22
Science	Science Inquiry	11-21/22
	Physical Science	11-21/22
	Life Science	11-21/22
	Earth and Space Science	11-21/22
	Science and Technology	11-21/22
	Personal and Social Perspectives in Science	13-21/22
	History and Nature of Science	19-21/22
Social Studies	Geographic Perspectives	11-21/22
	Historical and Cultural Perspectives	11-21/22
	Civics & Government Perspectives	11-21/22
	Economic Perspectives	11-21/22

CAT/5 at a Glance:

The CAT/5, normed in 1991, measures achievement in reading, language, spelling, math, study skills, science, and social studies. These tests are designed to assess how students apply thinking processes; it closely matches the curriculum and teaching methods used in current classrooms and offers carefully selected and analyzed content coverage.

CAT/5 evaluation reports present relevant, accurate results in a variety of forms that can assist the teacher with instructional planning and an understanding of the student’s strengths and weaknesses.

CAT/5 encourages students to do their best work, regardless of their skill status. The tests are directed to offer “creative challenges rather than undue stress.” For instance, advanced students find many challenging test questions, yet lower-achieving students find adequate items on their comprehension level. This allows both types of students the confidence to complete the test with greater amounts of satisfaction rather than discouragement.

The material covers a broad range of subject matter and is formatted in a stimulating and practical context with which the students are already familiar; for example, a reading exercise might appear as a notice on a bulletin board, newspaper article, or a journal entry.

By assessing both knowledge and skills, the CAT/5 makes development of school improvement plans easier and more factual, which allows for a more successful learning environment!

CAT/5 Components and Properties:

	Complete Battery	Survey
Norm-referenced Tests
Criterion-referenced Tests
Receive Diagnostic Profile
Skills Assessed
Reading
Spelling
Language
Mathematics
Study Skills
Science
Social Studies

LEVEL

Content Area

21/22

Reading/Language Arts

Visual Recognition

Word Analysis*

Vocabulary

Comprehension

Spelling

Language Mechanics

Language Expression

Mathematics

Computation

Concepts and Applications

Study Skills

Science

Social Studies

*Sound Recognition at Level K

Complete Battery Test
All the tests of the Basic Skills Battery plus Science and Social Studies at Level 11 and above. Criterion-referenced scores identify student mastery levels; optional thinking skills scores provide a measure of complex cognitive operations.

Survey
Accurate, reliable norm-referenced information for Reading, Spelling, Language, Mathematics, Study Skills, Science, and Social Studies, with minimum testing time.

CAT/5 tests accurately measure achievement in reading, language, spelling, mathematics, study skills, science, and social studies.

CAT/5 Test Content
Test content represents different cultures and covers a broad range of subjects, appealing to all students. For authenticity, artwork simulates the material's original medium--such as a notice on a bulletin board, a newspaper article, or a journal entry.

Reading
Five reading subtests include two pre-reading tests for Kindergarten, a Word Analysis test for Grades 1-3, and Vocabulary and Comprehension tests for Grades K-12.

Spelling
This subtest for Grades 2-12 assesses three broad areas of spelling skills: vowel sounds, consonant sounds, and structural units.

Language
The Language Mechanics and Language Expression subtests work together to measure a broad range of language and writing skills essential to full literacy. Test items measure the ability to apply standard usage and writing conventions and to develop effective sentences and paragraphs.

Mathematics
The Mathematics Computation and Mathematics Concepts and Applications subtests assess the ability to perform fundamental mathematics operations, apply mathematical concepts, and use a variety of problem-solving strategies.

Study Skills
This subtest for Grades 4-12 measures how well students can carry out independent study using information-processing skills that they can apply across subject areas.

Science
Science items sample knowledge of the natural world and assess inquiry skills. Objectives are carefully targeted to the grade and match common curriculum groups: animal and plant life, matter and energy, and Earth and space sciences.

Social Studies
The Social Studies subtest measures understanding of various disciplines needed for a comprehensive global perspective: geography, economics, history, government, citizenship, sociology, and anthropology.

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