77 Boisvert St., Lowell, MA  01850

Special Features continued

Terra Nova Testing

What is Terra Nova Testing?

Terra Nova is a nationally standardized achievement test which is given to students. They are assessed in reading, language, and math and some grades also complete the Test of Cognitive Skills, which measures thinking skills. It is a new bank of test items developed by CTB McGraw Hill to be administered to students in grades 2 through 8.

What subjects are covered on the test?

The test includes reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The total time for all components of the comprehensive test battery is approximately five hours. The tests are broken into segments for students to take over several days.

Which version of the Terra Nova will be used?

The Complete Battery Plus edition which measures higher order thinking skills plus such basic skills as spelling, language usage and mathematics computation, which are measured separately. All questions will be multiple choice items, often based around a central theme.

How is Terra Nova connected to the curriculum?

Although the test questions are limited to a multiple choice format, the test questions go beyond workbook drill and practice as encouraged by the state framework.

How can I help my child be prepared for testing?

As with any school day, it is important for students to get a good night of sleep and eat a hardy nutritional breakfast.

Would my child be prepared to take the MCAS test should he or she go to a public High School?

Since the beginning of the MCAS exams, the students leaving our school have passed them well. The English proficient and advanced, the Math has been proficient and needs improvement, but they have all passed.

Celebrating 100 Years of

Catholic School Education

1907 - 2007