(article printed in 2011 Outlook)
BMHA Students Excel on National Achievement Test
When Rochel Levertov opened the Bais Menachem Hebrew Academy in her home in 1995, her goal was simple - to provide her children with the very best Jewish and secular education. Sixteen years later, the school that began with barely a dozen pupils has expanded to an enrollment of 40, and is housed in a beautiful facility of its own. Its goals, however, remain the same.
Students of BMHA have always done well and gone on to excel in schools of higher education, but the
school has until now never administered national standardized testing. As a private school, BMHA is not required to give the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exam. However, realizing that such testing will be a reality in many students’ lives once leaving BMHA, Rochel Levertov selected the Stanford Achievement Test to assess the students’ level.
The Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) is considered the excellence in achievement tests. The SAT is considered more comprehensive in scope and more difficult than several state-created tests, such as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test.
Aside from a short orientation to acquaint the students with such testing, BMHA did not prepare the students for the test. This enabled that the students’ scores would most accurately reflects BMHA’s
teaching standards.
Over a span of five days, all students from Kindergarten through eighth grade were tested. Their tests were then mailed in to be corrected and scored.
“I was a bit anxious”, said Rochel Levertov. “Not only were we introducing our students to a completely new system of testing, but several of them were given exams one grade ahead of their class. Once the tests were mailed in I began to worry if that had been the right decision. Our students were fine, though. They were relaxed about the exam and confident that they had done well.”
Their confidence was shown to be well-placed when the SAT results came back in. 92% of BMHA’s students tested above average in every subject they were tested in, with several students’ results earning them a place in the nation’s top ten percentile.
“We’re so proud,” Rochel said simply.
BMHA is pleased to welcome back all of its teachers for the coming school year as well as additional staff members. Besides a strong secular and Jewish curriculum, students have computer lessons in a new computer lab, and top of the line arts and physical education programs. Students also acquire a hands-on experience of Judaism, such as baking challah for Shabbat, making matza for Pesach and sweets for Purim.
(printed in the Outlook, 2011)
BMHA Students Excel on National Achievement Test
When Rochel Levertov opened the Bais Menachem Hebrew Academy in her home in 1995, her goal was simple - to provide her children with the very best Jewish and secular education. Sixteen years later, the school that began with barely a dozen pupils has expanded to an enrollment of 40, and is housed in a beautiful facility of its own. Its goals, however, remain the same.
Students of BMHA have always done well and gone on to excel in schools of higher education, but the
school has until now never administered national standardized testing. As a private school, BMHA is not required to give the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exam. However, realizing that such testing will be a reality in many students’ lives once leaving BMHA, Rochel Levertov selected the Stanford Achievement Test to assess the students’ level.
The Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) is considered the excellence in achievement tests. The SAT is considered more comprehensive in scope and more difficult than several state-created tests, such as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test.
Aside from a short orientation to acquaint the students with such testing, BMHA did not prepare the students for the test. This enabled that the students’ scores would most accurately reflects BMHA’s
teaching standards.
Over a span of five days, all students from Kindergarten through eighth grade were tested. Their tests were then mailed in to be corrected and scored.
“I was a bit anxious”, said Rochel Levertov. “Not only were we introducing our students to a completely new system of testing, but several of them were given exams one grade ahead of their class. Once the tests were mailed in I began to worry if that had been the right decision. Our students were fine, though. They were relaxed about the exam and confident that they had done well.”
Their confidence was shown to be well-placed when the SAT results came back in. 92% of BMHA’s students tested above average in every subject they were tested in, with several students’ results earning them a place in the nation’s top ten percentile.
“We’re so proud,” Rochel said simply.
BMHA is pleased to welcome back all of its teachers for the coming school year as well as additional staff members. Besides a strong secular and Jewish curriculum, students have computer lessons in a new computer lab, and top of the line arts and physical education programs. Students also acquire a hands-on experience of Judaism, such as baking challah for Shabbat, making matza for Pesach and sweets for Purim.
(printed in the Outlook, 2011)
