The Diocese of Trenton has recently entered into a new contract with CTB/McGraw-Hill,
the publisher of the Terra Nova. Saint Paul School, therefore, will begin administering
the Terra Nova, Third Edition, in the spring of 2010.
Here are some differences between the second and third edition of Terra Nova:
• Terra Nova, Third Edition features nationally representative 2007 norms.
• Terra Nova, Third Edition combines contemporary, rigorous, and relevant content with rich, colorful graphics. Test items reflect a greater depth of knowledge, so students are challenged at higher order thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Terra Nova, Third Edition features both multiple choice and constructed response questions.
• Students in Grade 4 and Grade 7 will also take Writing Roadmap, an on-line writing assessment.
Overlapping levels of Terra Nova, Third Edition relate to grade ranges as follows:
Test Level Grade Range
This means that questions on the Level 12 test, which is administered in 2nd grade, relate to information taught from the very beginning of second grade through the second month of third grade.
Here is another example: Questions on Level 16, administered in 6th grade, relate to information taught in the sixth month of fifth grade through the second month of seventh grade.
When your child comes home and tells you that some information was very easy, you will be confident that those questions were covered already in the school year or even in the previous year. When your child comes home and tells you that she had never seen some problems before, then you will know that those questions are above her current grade level.
Parents will still receive Home Reports, which show parents their child’s academic progress.
Teachers will still receive Individual Profile Reports for each student. This report will help teachers identify student’s strengths and weaknesses in both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced terms.
Norm-referenced tests compare a student’s performance to that of other students of the same age. Standardized examinations such as the SAT and the Terra Nova are norm-referenced tests.
Criterion-referenced tests or standards-based tests differ in that each student’s performance is compared to a pre-defined set of criteria or a standard. The goal with these tests is to determine whether or not the candidate has the demonstrated mastery of a certain skill or set of skills.
Teachers will also receive Item Analysis Reports, which show how each student responded to each question. This report helps to identify specific errors made by the students and the specific types of questions that students may not understand.