ECAA: Pre-K - Grade 5

In-School Testing:

If your child attends one of the participating Early Childhood Schools, the test is administered in the familiar atmosphere of the school. Your child’s school will explain the details of the process for his or her school, as procedures may vary from school to school.

Each report is individually written, carefully reviewed and mailed in the order of the date tested. On average, test reports are mailed approximately 3-4 weeks from the date of the test. Remember to schedule your appointment as soon as possible, so that the test report may be received well in advance of school deadlines.

If your child attends one of the participating Early Childhood Schools, the test is administered in the familiar atmosphere of the school. Your child’s school will explain the details of the process for his or her school, as procedures may vary from school to school. The ERB examiner assigned to your child’s school usually is at the school often enough to become a familiar figure to the children.

When you bring your child to ERB, he or she will be greeted and invited to accompany the examiner to a testing room while you remain in the waiting room. The test session is usually about sixty to seventy-five minutes long. The time varies; some children proceed slowly and like to chat, while others need a faster pace to sustain their interest.

The test is administered in the same fashion, whether the appointment is at the ERB office or at the school. After a brief, friendly chat and some introductory comments to break the ice, a series of activities are presented. Some of these are questions; some are hands-on tasks. Children are assured that they are not expected to know everything, though they are encouraged to do their best and are praised for effort. The test activities are brief, varied, and appealing. While some children take time to warm up, most children quickly settle in, picking up the cue from the examiner that this will be a positive experience. Invariably they enjoy the session.

If the test is administered in a participating school, a teacher or director will present the test as enjoyable “special work.” You might reinforce this gently beforehand if your child raises questions, but be light and casual. You may use the same explanation if you are bringing your child to ERB. Explain that he or she will do “special work” with someone like a teacher who is eager to see what 4, 5, or 6 year olds are able to do. Don’t promise “games,” because this will create unrealistic expectations. Let your child know that you will be in the waiting room with other parents.

A well-rested, relaxed child does best. The anticipation of a pleasant experience is the best preparation.

The test is a developmental scale, standardized on a national population. Each child is compared with a child his or her age in the general population. There is absolutely no advantage in waiting until your child is older inasmuch as the comparison is always with a child of the same age. If you wait until your child is a few months older (and presumably wiser) so is any other child. Remember, the older you are, the higher the standard.

For Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 2 applicants, the spring and summer months offer a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere, when children have been in school for the major part of the school year, are secure and in good health. Many parents are discovering that testing during the spring and summer months works well, when there are not as many school and career commitments. Remember, there is no advantage to waiting.

Each report is individually written, carefully reviewed and mailed in the order of the date tested. On average, test reports are mailed approximately 3-4 weeks from the date of the test. Remember to schedule your appointment as soon as possible, so that the test report may be received well in advance of school deadlines.

Testing is for admissions to participating schools. Students may take the test only once during a given admissions season. Students may not be tested for practice or simply for parents’ information

Parents are responsible for making certain ERB knows which schools are to receive reports. Please consider your list of schools carefully. Once you place a school on your list, it may not be removed from your list. Adding to the list of schools to which reports are to be sent must be done in writing. The written request for additions or changes must include your child’s name, date of birth, date and place tested. Please remember to sign the list and include a phone number where you can be reached.

Please remember to indicate in the registration process whether your child is bilingual. Doing so will insure that it is mentioned in the child’s report.

If the child is unable to fully participate in verbal tasks, the examiner may report solely on the child’s non-verbal performance.

ERB examiners are skilled at building rapport with young children. If your child is unable to separate for testing at your scheduled appointment time, our staff will be happy to arrange for another appointment for your child.

If the student is testing in their Early Childhood School, the examiner will try again on another day.

The assessment generally runs for approximately 1 hour, depending on the child’s approach to the tasks. Some children are more thoughtful and offer personal anecdotes throughout the testing session, while others are more task-oriented.

ERB examiners participate in an extensive interview and training process. They have received formal training in assessment from a graduate school program.

ERB staff is happy to answer questions about the testing results. We suggest that you first address questions concerning the interpretation of test results to the director of the school currently attended by the candidate.

For more in depth discussion of the results, individual consultations may be made at the Educational Records Bureau for a consultation fee of $300.00.

It is best to have your child well-fed prior to the testing session. Bringing a snack with them may serve as a distraction.

Appointments during admission season are booked on a first come, first served basis. Your appointment time is reserved exclusively for your child and an examiner is scheduled accordingly. Sufficient notification for any change to your appointment is needed to accommodate your child, as well as any other child waiting for an appointment.

Depending on the length of notice given, you will be charged a cancellation or rescheduling fee. The cancellation/reschedule fees for 2006-2007 are as follows:

Cancellation/Withdrawal:

Reschedule:

No Show : If you do not show up for your child’s scheduled appointment for any reason, there will be a $150 no show fee.

Yes. Both parents and schools receive the same report.

Fee waiver applications may be obtained from one of your prospective ISAAGNY (Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York) member schools. Currently the ISAAGNY fee waiver program is the only financial assistance program available for the ECAA.

Consultations

Individual consultations regarding the interpretation of test results may be offered for a consultation fee of $300.

Sending Additional Reports