Middle School Placement

To begin preparing third graders for the transition to middle school, we introduce them to standardized testing through the Comprehensive Testing Program (commonly known as the ERB). This is the same company that creates the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISSE), the assessment required for entrance to many independent middle schools.  Early exposure helps familiarize students with the format and expectations of standardized assessments, easing their future testing experiences.

 As students become more independent in their classroom work, they develop the skills and confidence needed for the academic challenges they will face in the upper grades at Bertschi. This approach not only aids in their academic readiness, but also fosters a sense of autonomy and responsibility, laying a solid foundation for their continued success.

Middle school placement meetings begin in the spring of the fourth-grade year. A combination of parent sessions, small group student conversations, and individual parent/guardian meetings allow families opportunities to learn more about the middle school admissions process and to feel prepared for what's ahead.

The middle school admissions season kicks off in the fall of students' fifth-grade year. The middle school placement coordinator and coach provide unlimited support to families, including individual meetings, information about admission events, application support and review, and decision week guidance and waitlist support. Large group events include an annual middle school directors panel discussion and student test prep sessions held on campus.