Tests and Standards

BSS administers the standardized Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) every spring to 3rd and 4th year students. The ITBS evaluates each student's educational progress and includes sections on vocabulary, reading, spelling, grammar, word usage, math, social studies, science, maps, reference and word recognition. Typically, our students score in the 99th percentile on the overall test, however there are some years where the percentiles are within the 89th & 98th range. While we don't consider a standardized test to be all-encompassing, we do recognize it as a tool in assessing each child's education.

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills:

• Serves as a practical life tool where students learn how to take a standardized test
• Helps teachers meet students’ needs more effectively based on feedback and scores
• Enables teachers and families to assess growth from year to year
• Increases parents’ understanding of how their children are progressing
• Allows families to compare individual student progress with peers, nationally
• Allows school to compare overall progress, nationally

We hold Parent/Teacher conferences twice each year with formal assessments and narrative progress reports shared. The American Montessori Society (AMS) training centers provide Montessori teachers with a rich, extensive, three-year, rotating curriculum. Bozeman Summit School ensures that our program not only meets our state and county standards, but exceeds them. Periodically, we re-evaluate BSS standards in an effort to support our students if they transition into the public school system before their three year cycle is complete.