The results are outstanding! This past fall, Rainbow Mountain Children’s School students, third through eighth grade, took the Stanford Achievement Test, or SAT10.  Compared nationally, Rainbow students score, on the average, in the 94th percentile in Reading, the 84th percentile in Language Arts, and the 90th percentile in Math by the eighth grade.

There are several remarkable things about the scores.  First, that the average is so high.  Such a large number of students score in the 95% and above (many are at a post-high school level) that the overall score is extremely high.  More importantly, no students score low enough to pull the average down.  This can be attributed to the small classroom size that affords every student the attention they need to be successful and to the research-based and innovative methods Rainbow teachers use.  Second, the students’ test scores steadily increase from the third grade through eighth grade.  Although the chart isn’t a straight line, the general trend in all three subjects is to be well above average in the third grade, while steadily rising through the middle school years.  This data trend speaks to the academic foundation Rainbow provides students in the primary years (focusing on imagination, concrete/hands-on learning, broad content, creativity, and multiple intelligences) and to the increased academic rigor in the older grades.

Rainbow Mountain is a holistic school that assesses students using a wide variety of methods. Standardized testing is only one strategy among many others, such as project work, research, oral response, and more. Rainbow teachers do not, in any way, teach to the test or prepare students for the particular SAT10.  Rainbow administers standardized testing in the fall, so that teachers, parents, and students can better understand their academic skills and goals for the year.  Also, since Rainbow students don’t receive traditional classroom grades prior to seventh grade, the experience with conventional testing is valuable in preparing students for high school.

Finally, Rainbow Mountain always looks at the whole child.  Yes, we are thrilled that our students excel academically, but that is only one piece. Ultimately, true success in life comes from living peacefully, working hard, being creative and resourceful, acting on compassion, and having integrity.