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42-531: The Enrollment Management Association is a member organization servicing enrollment management professionals in more than 900 independent schools and organizations. The association offers a wide range of professional development services including webinars, special reports, and regional meetings. In addition, The Enrollment Management Association hosts the industry's largest annual conference focused exclusively on peer networking, information, and training. The Enrollment Management Association develops and administers

84-648: A self-study demonstrating compliance with the Criteria for Effective Independent School Accreditation Practices. The criteria provide common ground for member associations by delineating best practices, policies, and procedures. In addition, associations use the Model Core Standards—a set of "ideal" standards—in assessing their own standards. As part of the process of "accrediting the accreditors," each member association: Accountability serves two purposes: ongoing association improvement and advancement. The NAIS

126-472: A set of research questions about enrollment management • Scan the environment of independent schools, higher education, and business/industry for current practices and innovations in recruitment, selection, and retention • Talk to top researchers and practitioners in the field • Publish findings and make recommendations to The Enrollment Management Association board of directors Supported by Senior Director of Outreach and Business Development Aimee Gruber ,

168-528: A variety of printed materials. Questions ask the reader to show understanding of key ideas and details to determine the main idea of the text. Additionally, they ask the reader to determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from non-literal language. The reading comprehension section of the SSAT guides schools in placing students in appropriate classes. However, not all schools require an SSAT score, and few schools use

210-571: A variety of school-specific data studies and numerous survey and research-based reports . The Enrollment Management Association also provides a Standard Application Online (SAO) to families and member schools, comparable to higher education’s Common Application . Students have submitted more than 150,000 applications to independent/private schools around the world using the Standard Application Online. The SAO allows students to apply online to multiple member schools through

252-438: A web-based interface that houses biographic information, teacher recommendations, essays, and more. The Enrollment Management Association's Board of trustees is made up of independent school professionals, leaders in the testing field, and others who support independent education. The Admission Leadership Council (ALC) was founded in 2009 to establish a consistent organizational and professional voice for members. The role of

294-588: Is Heather Hoerle , former Vice President, Member Relations for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Hoerle became the executive director in April 2011. Since then, The Enrollment Management Association has restructured the organization’s management, completed an IT infrastructure rebuild to modernize operations, enhanced test development processes and procedures, launched an Elementary Level SSAT, completely rebranded and repositioned

336-415: Is 900, the highest 1800, with a midpoint of 1350. The experimental section (15–17 for elementary and 16 questions for middle and upper levels) is not graded. For Middle Level SSAT sections, the scale ranges from 440 to 710. The lowest possible total score is 1320, the most 2130. For Upper Level SSAT sections, the scale ranges from 500 to 800. The lowest possible combined score is 1500, the highest 2400, and

378-534: Is a U.S. -based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day , boarding , and day/boarding schools; elementary and secondary schools; boys', girls', and coeducational schools. NAIS also has affiliate members internationally. As of the 2010–11 school year, NAIS represented approximately 1,400 member independent schools and associations in

420-442: Is asking. Some of the wording can be misleading. Other questions are structured as word problems. A word problem often does not specifically state the mathematical operation(s) to perform in order to determine the optimal answer. Often it is difficult to choose between two very similar solutions. Sometimes test takers must re-read the problem to distinguish between the correct answer; this is time consuming. The quantitative section of

462-767: Is being held in Washington, DC, from September 11–14. The Enrollment Management Association also offers the Admission Training Institute (ATI) and the Admission Directors Institute (ADI) prior to the Annual Conference. These programs are designed specifically for newcomers to the profession and new admission directors, respectively. Additionally, there are multiple tracks offered focusing on marketing, data and finance, leadership, and assessment. A Senior Track

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504-403: Is designed so that students should be able to reach all questions on the test. SSAT scores are broken down by section (verbal, quantitative/math, reading). A total score (a sum of the three sections) is also reported. For Elementary Level SSAT sections, the lowest number on the scale (300) is the lowest possible score a student can earn, and 600 is the highest. The combined lowest possible score

546-457: Is provided Enrollment Management Think Tank for those with extensive experience in enrollment management. EMA also partners with The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) and The Erdmann Institute to provide training for mid-to-senior level enrollment professionals at the annual Erdmann Institute. The association's Mentorship Initiative provides newcomers to admission with an experienced, dedicated mentor . The current executive director

588-535: The Secondary School Admission Test ( SSAT ) to connect to and support the overall independent school admission process. Each year, the SSAT is administered to more than 75,000 testers in hundreds of test locations around the world. The association provides member schools with perspectives and data on an applicant’s potential academic success, as well as a school’s applicant pool, competitive position, and potential market position through

630-424: The 40-minute reading comprehension section has 40 questions based on reading passages. These questions measure the test taker’s ability to understand what is read in the section. In general, the SSAT uses two types of writing: narrative, which includes excerpts from novels, poems, short stories, or essays; and argument, which presents a definite point of view about a subject. By presenting passages and questions about

672-456: The ALC is to be a sounding board for the development of The association's services, to provide leadership in the area of professional development, and to act as advocates for the critical role of admission in schools. The ALC members provide a monthly blog, entitled Right on Time , give webinars throughout the admission season, and host a variety of regional seminars each year. The Think Tank on

714-539: The EL SSAT consists of thirty quantitative items. These items are a mixture of concepts that are considered to be the basis of the third and fourth grade mathematics curricula and a few that will challenge the third- or fourth-grade student. These include questions on number sense, properties, and operations; algebra and functions; geometry and spatial sense; measurement; and probability. In the Middle and Upper Level SSATs,

756-632: The EMTT will conduct high level “discovery” about key strategic issues affecting the enrollment health of private schools. The EMA Annual Conference Secondary School Admission Test The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) is an admission test administered by The Enrollment Management Association in the United States to students in grades 3–11 to provide a standardized measure that will help professionals in independent or private elementary, middle, and high schools to make decisions regarding student test taking. There are three levels of

798-504: The Elementary Level SSAT the reading section consists of seven short, grade-level–appropriate passages, each with four multiple-choice questions. These passages may include prose and poetry as well as fiction and nonfiction from diverse cultures. Students are asked to locate information and find meaning by skimming and close reading. They are also asked to demonstrate literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension of

840-541: The Future of Assessment created an ongoing conversation about 21st century admission and the needs of enrollment managers during the selection process. They produced two seminal reports on the development and research of non-cognitive assessment, leading to the development of the Character Skills Snapshot , a groundbreaking non-cognitive assessment tool for admission. In 2019, the Annual Conference

882-400: The Middle and Upper Level SSATs, test takers are given 2 pages and a choice of two writing prompts: Middle Level test takers receive a choice of two creative prompts, and Upper Level test takers receive one essay and one creative prompt from which to choose. The writing sample section is 25 minutes long and is not scored. However, the writing sample is sent to school admission officers along with

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924-587: The SSAT is administered and scored in a consistent (or standard) manner. The reported scores or scaled scores are comparable and can be used interchangeably, regardless of which test form students take. This score interchangeability is achieved through a statistical procedure referred to as score equating. Score equating is used to adjust for minor form difficulty differences so that the resulting scores can be compared directly. The SSAT measures verbal, quantitative, and reading skills that students develop over time, both in and out of school. The overall difficulty level of

966-427: The SSAT is built to be at 50–60%. The distribution of question difficulties is set so that the test will effectively differentiate test takers by ability. The SSAT is developed by review committees composed of standardized test experts and select independent school teachers. In the Middle and Upper Level SSATs, there are two 30-minute quantitative sections with 25 math questions each. The quantitative questions measure

1008-466: The SSAT look like this: CELEBRATE: (A) align (B) fathom (C) rejoice (D) salivate (E) appreciate In this case, the answer would be (C). Analogy questions in the SSAT look like this: Dog is to Puppy as (A) Lion is to Lioness (B) Cat is to Kitten (C) Monkey is to Ape (D) Rabbit is to Carrot (E) Cello is to violin In this case, the answer would be (B). On the Middle and Upper Level SSATs,

1050-469: The SSAT to judge the students academic skills, so the reading comprehension test does not help unless it is an independent school judging a students academic skills by the SSAT. SSAT Verbal Reasoning is the first and fastest section in the test. Verbal reasoning is mainly understanding and reasoning using concepts expressed in words. It aims at assessing the ability to think constructively, rather than at simple fluency or vocabulary recognition. This section of

1092-479: The United States, serving more than 562,000 students and 121,000 teachers, administrators, and other staff. Membership in NAIS is open to independent pre-college schools operated by nonprofit organizations. To become a full member of NAIS, a school must have operated for at least five years and must be accredited by an accrediting organization approved by NAIS. Over the course of a 10-year cycle, associations prepare

1134-436: The association, and published groundbreaking research in the field of enrollment management . Enrollment management is the #1 issue facing independent schools, and admission directors are the front line in dealing with this challenging and complex issue. In an effort to support its members, The Enrollment Management Association convened an Enrollment Management Think Tank to investigate pressing issues, to provide information to

1176-498: The end is unscored. The test, written in English, is administered around the world at hundreds of test centers, many of which are independent schools. Students may take the exam on any or all of the eight standard test dates; the SSAT "Flex" test, given on a flexible date by approved schools and consultants, can be taken only once per testing year (August 1 – July 31). Although each year several different SSAT forms are utilized,

1218-431: The larger independent school community, and to present The Enrollment Management Association’s board of directors with summary thinking and a set of recommendations. Chaired by two respected independent school admission professionals— Jim Ventre, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Phillips Academy (MA), and Jill Lee, Director of Admission and Tuition Assistance, Castilleja School (CA)—the group will work to: • Identify

1260-457: The median 1950. The SSAT Percentile (1 to 99) compares the student's performance on the SSAT with that of other students of the same grade and gender who have taken the SSAT in the U.S. and Canada on a standard test date in the previous three years. Test takers may send their results to the independent schools they wish to apply to at any time. There is no charge for sending scores to schools through an online SSAT account. Students may report only

1302-528: The officers and the executive committee. Board members serve three-year terms. The board appoints the NAIS president, who oversees association business with the aid of a small staff. Over the course of a 10-year cycle, associations prepared a self-study demonstrating compliance with the Criteria for Effective Independent School Accreditation Practices. The criteria provided common ground for member associations by delineating best practices, policies, and procedures. In addition, associations used Model Core Standards –

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1344-457: The passages, the reading comprehension section measures a test taker's ability to understand what he or she read. Following each passage are questions about its content or about the author’s style, intent, or point of view. The passages are chosen from a variety of categories, including, but not limited to: humanities: art, biography, poetry, etc.; social studies: history, economics, sociology, etc.; and science: medicine, astronomy, zoology, etc. In

1386-417: The relationships stimulates critical and creative thinking. Elementary Level SSAT: The verbal section of the EL SSAT has two parts. The first is a vocabulary section and the second is an analogies section. These sections test understanding of language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings by relating them to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms). In the writing sample section of

1428-848: The scores of the other sections of the test. In the elementary level SSAT, the writing sample gives students an opportunity to express themselves in response to a picture prompt. Students are asked to look at an image and tell a story about what happened. Test takers will not receive the essay results unless purchased separately. In the Upper and Middle Level SSATs, formula scoring is used, with students receiving 1 point for each question answered correctly, losing one-quarter point for each question answered incorrectly, and neither losing nor gaining points for questions left unanswered. This disincentives guessing. The Elementary Level SSAT does not use formula scoring, instead giving 1 point for each correct answer and 0 points for each incorrect/incomplete answer. The SSAT

1470-402: The scores they wish for a school to see. The score report does not indicate if a student has tested multiple times or with testing accommodations. Scores are released approximately 2 weeks after testing. Each school evaluates the scores according to its own standards and requirements. National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools ( NAIS )

1512-435: The test is composed of two parts – synonyms and sentence completions. It takes 20 minutes to complete the 20 Synonym Questions and 20 Sentence Completion Questions. These questions test students' familiarity with vocabulary and their ability to apply that knowledge. Outside of the test, verbal reasoning skills allow students to understand and solve complicated subject questions and perform logical reasoning. Synonym questions in

1554-474: The test taker’s knowledge of basic quantitative concepts, algebra, and geometry. The words used in SSAT problems refer to basic mathematical operations. Many of the questions that appear in the quantitative sections of the Middle Level SSAT are structured in mathematical terms that directly state the operation needed to determine the best answer choice. The challenge is to figure out what the questions

1596-780: The test: the Elementary Level (EL), for students in grades 3 and 4 who are applying to grades 4 and 5; the Middle Level, for students in grades 5–7 applying for grades 6–8; and the Upper Level, designed for students in grades 8–11 who are applying for grades 9–12 (or PG, the Post-Graduate year before college). The SSAT consists of a brief unscored writing sample and multiple choice sections comprising quantitative (mathematics), reading comprehension, and verbal questions. An experimental section at

1638-941: The verbal section is 30 minutes long and consists of 30 synonym and 30 analogy questions. It asks students to identify synonyms and to interpret analogies. The synonym questions test the strength of the students' vocabulary, while the analogy questions measure their ability to logically relate ideas to one another. Analogies are a comparison between two things that are usually seen as different from each other but have some similarities. They act as an aid to understanding things by making connections and seeing relationships between them based on knowledge already possessed. Comparisons like these play an important role in improving problem-solving and decision-making skills, in perception and memory, in communication and reasoning skills, and in reading and building vocabulary. Analogies help students to process information actively, make important decisions, and improve understanding and long-term memory. Considering

1680-576: Was composed of members from state and regional accrediting associations that were members of NAIS, at-large members, and NAIS Board members. The NAIS commission on accreditation disbanded in 2018. The successor organization, the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA), began formal operations in 2018 as an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The NAIS board of trustees comprises eighteen members, led by

1722-456: Was intended to assure the quality of independent school accrediting programs. The commission's primary responsibility was to develop a public understanding of and credibility for state and regional accrediting programs. In addition, the commission developed criteria for effective independent school accreditation practices, standards, and successful accreditation policy and procedure models and engaged in research to inform accreditation practice. It

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1764-619: Was organized in 1962, the result of the merger of the Independent Schools Education Board and the National Council of Independent Schools. In response to requests from several state, regional, and national accrediting organizations, the NAIS commission on accreditation was established by the NAIS Board of Trustees in 2001 and convened for the first time in 2002. The 19 member commission's work

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