CMT Advice For Parent And Child

“The CMTs are just some tests we take.”

“I saw my score from last year, but I don't really know what it means. It isn't part of my grade, right?”

Students and parents are not always sure of the importance of the Connecticut Mastery Test scores and what they mean for their school district and their child. CMT scores are used for various purposes within the schools.

Speaking as a teacher, we use the scores from the year before class in order to help us with our planning of our material for the incoming class. It is important for us to know which areas of the CMT that our students struggled or excelled in. This type of data analysis is not just done by the language arts or the math teachers - all teachers look at the various scores.

In some cases, the scores might help teachers place students in resource-type classes that will help students in specific skill areas.

The CMTs are taken throughout March. Elementary and middle school students will be taking them in the areas of reading, writing, math, and a few grade levels will take the science exam. A standardized test of this nature has been developed in a way that helps show the state how students are learning. However, it is more than simply recalling facts and figures; the tests show how a student’s thought process works in a variety of subject areas.

While social studies is not a separate test, much of the reading is nonfiction. The Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) measures students ability to identify vocabulary usage in a contextual manner. These readings are comprised of a variety of nonfiction selections, which get progressively harder as the test continues.

In order to help show the thought process behind some of the answers, there is an obvious writing prompt. The type of writing prompt and the content will vary by grade level. Students will be asked to write either an expository or a persuasive piece that will show their organization of writing and how they are able to put their ideas on paper.

However, there are also short answer questions on each part of the CMTs. These questions are approximately three to five sentences in length, if answered completely. There is a basic format for answering these types of questions, which can be broken down into three steps: answering the question by using the language of the question; give examples from the text or problem to prove your answer; and explain how the examples and the answer fit together. This format applies to every short answer question, so it is important to keep these three basic parts in mind when answering the questions.

Students should always read the entire question to make sure they know exactly what it is asking them to do. Some reading questions may ask to write a journal entry from the perspective of a narrator, and some math or science questions might ask how you come up with an estimated answer rather than an exact one.

Parents should be sure to review academic areas at home with students and be on top of what is being taught in their student's classes. Some schools also offer CMT information sessions so that parents can be informed on various topics having to do with the CMT and how to read the scores. Teachers and administrators can also offer valuable insight into CMT preparation on an academic level.

Here are some practical ideas that parents can do at home to help their student be mentally prepared for a standardized test:

•  Get your student to bed at a reasonable bedtime.

• Stress the importance of having a positive attitude and trying their best.

• Make sure your student has a healthy breakfast the morning of the test.

• It is best to dress in layers for comfort and temperature.

• If they are going to need any items like a small pack of tissues, make sure they have them (You may want to check with the school first, though).

• Have your student bring an independent reading book in case they finish early.

Parents' homework assignment this week:

If you have not been in regular contact with your student's teachers, take the time this week to talk to at least one. Ask them about your student's progress and how they have been advancing in this year's work. Ask them for additional ways to help your student get through the testing time in the least stressful way possible.