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WISC v. ERB?
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Anonymous
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My DC took the ERB this year. Now we're supposed to be taking the WISC for next year's admissions process.
Is there much difference between the ERB and WISC? Do they test the same skill sets? |
Anonymous
| I am wondering about this, too. In NYC kids take the ERB for private school admissions for PK and up. In DC it is the WIPPSI for PK, K and 1st, then the ERB or SSAT later on. Once they are in to a private school in Washington, kids take the ERB practice test in 2nd grade, and the real thing in 3rd and 4th. I just went to a presentation on the ERB this at my children's private school (fascinating). I wish I had asked about the difference between it and the WIPPSI and WISC. |
Anonymous
PP: Are you a Beauvoir parent? Or are there other schools out there with this testing schedule? Beauvoir UM |
Anonymous
| They are totally different. In ERB tests achievement (in math, reading). The WISC is an IQ test which tests cognitive ability. Beauvoir begins to use the ERB in second grade not only to chart where the child is in math, reading and auditory comprehension, but also to see how the school is doing relative to other independent schools which use the test. Children taking the ERBs are assessed relative to other children in their grade who took the test at that time (either Fall or Spring). So for example, if your child takes the ERB in the fall of second grade, your child's grade (what stanine they place into) is relative to all the second graders who have taken the ERB in the fall for the last 5 years or so (not the current year). In third grade they take the test again, and it's not uncommon for children's ERB scores to change significantly, especially if they've gotten extra help in the areas in which they have had prior weaknesses. |
Anonymous
| Gee, and I was hoping that one of the benefits of private school would be less testing in the early years. |
Anonymous
| Does any private school publish the results of their ERB? Do we know which schools have the highest scores? |
Anonymous
| No |
Anonymous
| So is the WISC like the WPPSI? In other words, both are basically IQ tests? Same basic formats? |
Anonymous
| The WISC is for children basically age 6 and over. The WPPSI is its counterpart for the under 6 year old. Both IQ tests and basically the same format. |
Anonymous
So both the WISC and WPPSI are different than the ERB in terms of skills tested and format? |
Anonymous
| Yes and yes. |