Assessment - Standardized Tests

High Meadows students consistently score well above the national average on standardized tests.

In fact, in 2004, High Meadows received the No Child Left Behind School of Excellence Award for having standardized test scores in the top 10% of the nation. High Meadows students perform exceptionally well in all categories – most notably in abstract thinking, reasoning, and critical thinking.

Every year children in the third through eighth grade classes take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Students in the third, fifth and seventh grades also do the Cognitive Abilities Test (COGAT). The tests help to confirm the performance level of High Meadows students, and the results are used by teachers to further develop instruction.

The teachers use the results of the standardized testing to ensure that a child’s ability is consistent with his/her performance. The faculty and staff use this information to identify areas of strength or areas in need of improvement in the curriculum. In the Middle Years, standardized test information is also used to identify students for extra-curricular academic programs, such as the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP) and the Junior Young National Leaders conference.