Entrance Evaluation Policies

Evaluation Purpose

In the admissions evaluation, which become more formal as the grade level advances, the school attempts to determine if the student is developmentally ready for school and has the basic skills required to enter the grade level in question. English and Math entrance evaluations have been designed by the school to evaluate basic language and math skills reflecting our curriculum. The English evaluation assesses reading, writing and oral language skills; while the Math evaluation assesses basic grade level mathematical skills.

Evaluation Dates

After meeting all the basic qualifications, the Admissions Office will inform the parents about the available dates and times for the evaluation of their children.

Evaluation Fees

All evaluation fees are non-refundable unless a cancellation is made by parents 5 business days prior to the evaluation date.

Re-Evaluation

With the Administration’s approval, a maximum of one re-evaluation will be allowed for a student, in which case additional fees may apply.

Evaluation Decision

The evaluation decision will be made by the Administration's committee after careful review of the results of the admission’s evaluation, recommendations made by the examining teachers, and the previous school's academic and behavior records.

Evaluation Results

The evaluation results will normally be provided to parents few days after the evaluation. However, the final admissions acceptance results are made after all evaluations are completed around end of February/beginning of March. This is done through the Admissions Office.

Confidentiality

BIS reserves the right to deny admissions to any student without stating the reasons, to maintain the confidentiality of references given by the student’s previous school, or when the school administrators believe that it is in the best interest of the school or the student to do so.

Alternative Grade Level

If a student is applying for admissions in a certain grade level and he/she did not pass the entrance evaluation in the level which he/she applied for, BIS may offer him/her acceptance to a lower grade level depending on his/her previous records, age, and abilities observed during the school’s entrance evaluation. Thus, it is the family’s decision whether to accept or deny this offer. However, the family cannot request a change in grade once they have accepted the offer.

Kindergarten Entrance Interviews (KG1, KG2)

School faculty interview children and submit their recommendations to School Administration.

• The interview includes two parts: individual and small group:

• Individual: consists of one-to-one activities with the child using the Bracken School Readiness Assessment. This test is an individual cognitive test that is designed to evaluate the child’s mastery of basic concepts essential to academic success. Skills include: identifying colors, letters, numbers and counting, sizes, comparisons and shapes. 
• Small Group: students will participate in centers or cooperative play with a small group of other KG students.

• The interview also assesses the development of the child’s social, emotional, speech, language, and fine motor skills. 
• The interviews are conducted only in English.  
• Each interview lasts for approximately 45-60 minutes.

Grades 1 - 9 Entrance Evaluations

• Students applying to Grades 1-3 will sit for English & Math assessments with a member of our school staff.
• Students applying to Grades 4-9 will take the computer-based International Diagnostic and Admissions Test (IDAT), which contains English, Math, and character sections.
• The English evaluation assesses vocabulary, reading, comprehension, and writing skills, while the Math evaluation includes skills appropriate to each grade level.
• These evaluations will be based on the minimum level of skills a student would be expected to have attained in the present grade to allow them to cope with the next grade’s level at BIS.
• Students must achieve the grade level expectation in English and Math in their grade evaluations to be considered for acceptance to the applying grade at BIS.

Inclusion Students Evaluation

BIS's Educational Psychologist completes the entrance evaluations for students seeking entry to the inclusion program. Before meeting with the applicant, the Educational Psychologist will review the application file and the provided Psychoeducation evaluation report. The initial evaluation includes an English assessment and a Math assessment. A short cognitive abilities test may be conducted during the initial evaluation session. The Educational Psychologist may request an additional testing session and/ or an interview with the family on a needs basis.

• The initial evaluation will help determine the student's level and the relative strengths and weaknesses in the main academic/developmental domains.
• The admissions team will meet to determine whether to move forward with a class visit.
• During the class visit, two other assessments will take place:

             ˗ One will be conducted by the BIS Speech and Language Pathologist if needed.

             ˗ Another one will be given by the Arabic resource room teacher.

• The admissions team will meet again to determine whether the BIS inclusion program is a good fit for the child.The admissions team will meet again to determine whether BIS is a good fit for the child.