Testing
We’ll be honest: we’re not huge fans of tests here at Primer. There are all sorts of negative effects of testing (anxiety, stress, etc.), but the real problem is that excessive testing inevitably leads to a narrow curriculum that’s designed to help kids pass tests, not become curious, independent learners. We’re unabashedly focused on the latter, and we’ll never “teach to the test.”
We do think some testing can be a valuable way to benchmark student progress, so you can expect your student to take three norm-referenced assessments (we use the gold-standard NWEA MAP testing & DIBELS reading assessment) each year. These results help us understand your student’s progression, as well as Primer’s academic efficacy across the whole student body.
If you’d like your student to take state tests, we will facilitate for families who opt in.