Q: What is a comprehensive assessment?
A: Our comprehensive assessment is given to our new students before they begin our program to allow us to understand how they learn, what they find to be their greatest achievements and what is troublesome to them. We can determine what to address regarding learning gaps, expanding their mathematical thinking, and determining what to add at a later date as their thinking expands. It is important for us to assess at their level, not above or below - we call it the Goldilocks system. Throughout the assessment, we frequently check in with them and prompt if needed to allow us to get a full understanding of their math capabilities and learning styles. We use this information to create a learning plan that is customized to their needs to they can reach their fullest potential.
Q: What things do you learn about a student when they take a comprehensive assessment?
A: Learning gaps, where we should start and a map on how we move the student forward, what have they mastered so we can build off of it
Q: What is a customized learning plan?
A: Each student has a different need and learns at a different rate. It is important we understand the student's learning style and what motivates them so that we can help them gain confidence in math and themselves which trickles over to other subjects. Many times, students struggle with a concept and just need a little tweaking or foundational understanding to light the road for them and then, the sky is the limit. It is truly fun to see a student have that "aha" moment and say "why didn't I learn it like that to begin with? This feels like cheating! This is so much easier!"
Q: How do you gauge progress?
A: We gauge progress through mastery checks which shows us what a student has understood from the material covered, as well as, how they can apply that concept to a broader, more difficult problem. We also re-assess our students regularly to make sure that we are touching on concepts that are still needing foundational support, watching for mastery, assessing for broader understanding and application.
