More About the eCTP4 Achievement Test

The eCTP4 is the most challenging of all achievement tests designed for elementary-age students, and students at Darlington consistently outperform the National Norm in the Median Percentile Report. This year, for example, the median test-taker at Darlington – the student whose score was ranked No. 19 – outperformed the National Norm by 20 percent!

Two weeks ago, the Lower School's weekly newsletter, Tiger Tales, included the Median Percentile Report for grades 3 and 4. The data presented in the chart is one form of statistical indicators. The median indicates the middle score without regard to how high or low the scores really are. The numbers can be spread out at the top and yet fall near the median below the median. While this is an indicator of our middle student, it does not represent the scores of the entire class. We are in the process of comparing the data using other statistical measures to better gauge how our school compares with similar schools. We realize that this can be confusing and are committed to clarifying this data.

The eCTP4, which is a product of the same company that produces the SAT, is the only standardized achievement test designed specifically for high-achieving schools. It is important to note that only the top 1.3% of the top suburban and independent schools in the nation – or 1,600 out of 124,000 institutions – even use this assessment tool, so in essence our students are testing with the “cream of the crop.”

The eCTP4 enables Darlington to track scores over time and identify trends. This information is instrumental in helping us target the instruction at each grade level, compare our curriculum to other schools across the country, and – most importantly – determine how to best meet the needs of each individual at Darlington.