On March 17th, ERB’s Vice President of Admission Testing, Elizabeth Mangas, sent an email to independent school admission directors across the country. The email announced a radical new testing policy for the ISEE:
Starting in August 2016, test takers of all levels will be able to take the ISEEĀ up to three timesĀ during a single admission cycle (see the original email below). In previous years, ERB permitted students to take the ISEE once per academic year.
Dear Colleague,
ERB’s ISEE team values our relationships withĀ member schools above all else. The ISEEās mission is to provide valid scores and outstanding service to help your admission team find your students and build your community.
Ā
To enhance ISEEās usefulness to schools and families alike, we are introducing a new option in August 2016: multiple testing. All students willĀ have the option to test once in each of three four-month-long testing windows; in other words, students may test up to three times in a 12-month admission cycle.
In making this change, we are responding to input fromĀ ERB member schools, parents, and students. This input has highlightedĀ three important pieces of information:
- First, there is increased anxiety among young students about taking aĀ single admission test.
- Secondly, reducing the sources of score variability potentially introduced in a single testing environment (due, for example, to things such as a test taker’sĀ health) improves the measurement of the skills tested
- Finally, families want to see more than one ISEE score report to help themĀ determine which schools may be a good academic fit for their child.
The new option for multiple testing addresses all of these factors.Ā Additionally, ERB will make enough fee waivers available to ensure that every student has the same opportunity to use the multiple testing option.Ā We will be sharing more information in the coming weeks. Should you be interested in additional details before then, we have compiled a list of anticipated questions and answers.
In a few weeks, you will receive an email from ISEE with the Test Site Application for 2016-2017.Ā As always, ERB member schoolsĀ may offer the ISEE on their choice of date(s).Ā Ā When your school is an ISEEĀ test site,Ā you offer applicant familiesĀ an excellent opportunity to visit your school and meet your staff. ERB partners with you on this commitmentĀ throughĀ our proctor reimbursement program. Ā We are most grateful to our membership for making this service available and welcome members to consider or continue being an ISEE test site.Ā Ā Ā Whether providing the ISEE in a paper or online modality, ERB offers personalized service and support every step of the way to both your school and your applicants.
Please keep an eye out for an email with the 2016-2017 ISEE Test Site Application. Ā In the meantime,Ā please be in touch with questions or comments about our new multiple testing option.
We look forward to hearing from you and continuing our relationship in the coming academic year.
Ā
Sincerely,
Ā
Elizabeth Mangas
To preempt the tidal wave of follow-up questions to the announcement, ERB released an FAQ for admission officers, which you can review here. I have included some of the more illuminating questions and answers below:
HOW OFTEN CAN STUDENTS TAKE THE ISEE?
Students can take the ISEE during three testing windows ā Fall (AugustāNovember); Winter (DecemberāMarch); and Spring/Summer (AprilāJuly). Students may take the test only once per window, or up to a maximum of 3 times in a 12-month admission cycle. For entrance to an independent school in Fall 2017, for instance, a student could take the test in the Fall 2016 window to assess which school might be a good academic fit. He or she could then take the test in the Winter window for a score report that would be sent to a school or schools. The ISEE does not encourage multiple testing, but we do offer students and families that option. We have introduced this option to decrease test anxiety and make the ISEE a more useful assessment tool for parents and placement counselors who want to find the best academic fit for a student. We encourage testing only as often as is beneficial for each studentās admission prospects. The number of times a student takes the ISEE is a decision that should be made by parents in consultation with a placement counselor, an admission officer, and/or ISEE staff.
HOW DOES ERB ADVISE THAT WE USE MULTIPLE TESTING SCORES?
The ISEE has a long and unique history of providing clear reporting and exceptional service to ERB member schools. Multiple testing is designed to make the scores admission officers receive the best possible reflection of a studentās ability and academic potential to succeed in your school community. We expect schools to receive one score report in most cases. In the event that a childās application includes multiple reports, the scores are likely to show improvement from one testing window to another. That is useful information in measuring a studentās ability to learn and adapt. If admission officers receive multiple scores for an individual student, they may wish to inquire with the student and the family the reason for the additional testing. For example, they might learn that the student had been ill during a test administration.
IS MULTIPLE TESTING UNFAIR TO THOSE WHO TAKE A SINGLE TEST?
Our aim is to help you find your students and build your community. ISEE has introduced multiple testing to ensure that a childās scores are the best possible reflection of his or her ability and academic potential and to improve your ability to admit students who are the best fit for your school. Whether a child takes the test once or more than once, the scores you see will capture a clear picture of how a student performed on that test date. If parents choose to submit multiple reports, you will see how much a child improved over a period of time. If you see one report, it is probably from a date when a student felt that he or she had performed well. As always, your trained eye will be able to discern whether a childās ISEE score marries with his or her grades and teacher recommendations. To ensure a fair playing field from a financial perspective, ERB will give another fee waiver to a family in need whose child wishes to test again. If you have any questions about score interpretation, our customer support staff is available to help. Please contact the ISEE Operations office at 1-800-446-0320.
WHY IS ERB MAKING THIS CHANGE NOW?
Our August 2016 introduction of a multiple testing option is the result of significant input, planning, and preparation. As an independent school admission officer, you know that parent demand for options is stronger than ever ā not only for increased test dates, but also for more chances for their child to do his or her best on an admission test. In this case, responding to parent concerns made sense for ISEE, because it better serves our schools as well. Score reports will show a childās best performance ā removing test anxiety and other factors that might skew results. As always, every child will have the same chance to succeed. We will still provide fee waivers, even for multiple testing. Moreover, families will have less anxiety about their child taking a high-stakes test when they know their child can take it again if needed. We are assuring parents whose child or children tested before this option was available that all the students who took the test at the same time as their child had the same chance to perform at their best. These students were permitted to take one test, one time.
If you have more questions about the ‘ins and outs’ of the ISEE, the concepts it covers, and how it is administered, please check out our comprehensive blog post on the subject.
If you would prefer more individual guidance or information about test preparation, please contact a Compass Director in our offices.
Is it possible to choose which score to submit to a school? Or does the school see all scores?
Angela,
You can choose which test date or dates to submit.
Can we choose the score to submit to a school or not when we receive the result?
Hi Vivan,
Yes, you can wait to release your scores to schools after you have received official results. When you register for your test date, simply opt out of the option to automatically send results to schools following the completion of the test. The only downside to ‘opting out’ is that it costs $25 to electronically submit your results to schools (up to six).
Even if the one you select is the earlier one? And do the schools know if you took the test more than once?
Hi Erica,
Schools will only have access to the scores/dates that you decide to send. However, we have noticed a number of independent schools in our home state (California) who request that parents send scores for all test dates. Always check in with the admission directors to whom you are sending applications in order to confirm their preferred policies.
I am going to take an isee test on march 2017, june 2017, october 2017, and december 2017. Is this one too many tests? Also, what is the time period for the schools to count your isee scores. For example, is it 12 month before the admission deadline or 6 months?
Hi Tommy,
The first question I’d pose is: When are you planning to submit your applications? Most independent schools require completed applications by no later than mid-February. If you are planning to submit an application in February of 2018, you cannot submit an ISEE result from a test score taken the previous academic year (i.e. September 2016 – June 2017). If I were in your shoes, I would take the exam once in August or September of 2017, and a second time in December.
So the isee tests that actually count towards my admission(January 13,2018=deadline) are the tests from August to December? Because the school I’m attending in eighth grade begins the school year in August.
So how exactly do I sign up so that the schools do not receive the scores I don’t want to send, and how do i send the scores i DO want to send?
Can i actually take the isee test on march 2017, june 2017, october 2017, and december 2017? i know the first to test won’t count towards my application, but I just want to take this opportunity to get accustomed to the tests. Is it possible to actually sign up?
I’m sorry to ask you so many questions, but its just that I don’t want my tests to be wrong and causing in a waste of money and time. When I was signing up for the test, in the payment section, it says middle/upper. I want to take the upper level. Do I have to lie about my grade in order to to this. I’m just taking it to practice before the real two isee tests that will count towards my admission.
I want to practice the isee test officially, so how can i take the upper level test when I’m currently in the 7th grade? Do I lie about my grade in order to take the upper level test?