The Terra Nova is a test designed to measure achievement in the basic skills taught in schools throughout the nation and at Bishop McDowell Regional School. The subject areas measured are Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. 

The Terra Nova Test is a norm-referenced, standardized achievement test. Norm-referenced means that each child's achievement in a broad area, such as language or mathematics, can be compared with other students' achievement in about the same grades. Achievement means just that--the test provides a "snapshot" of how much learning the student has achieved so far. The test measures the basic content and skills that are most common to curricula throughout the country and in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.  This test cannot possibly measure, nor should it attempt to measure, the full curriculum of a particular classroom or school.

Below you will find the results for Grades 2-8 in each of the subject areas they were tested. For Reading and Math there is a chart that compares our class mean for grades 2-8 against the national mean. There is also a graph provided that compares our scores against the Diocese of Pittsburgh average as well as the national average. For Language Arts, Science and Social Studies there is a chart provided that compares our class mean for grades 2-8 against the national mean.

Reading Scores Grade Class Mean National Mean 2 4.2 2.6 3 5.1 3.6 4 6.4 4.6 5 10.9 5.6 6 8.3 6.6 7 11.6 7.6 8 12.9 8.6

Reading Scores Click to Enlarge Graph

Math Scores Grade Class Mean National Mean 2 2.8 2.6 3 4.4 3.6 4 5.4 4.6 5 7.1 5.6 6 9.3 6.6 7 9.6 7.6 8 11.5 8.6

Math Scores Click to Enlarge Graph

Language Scores Grade Class Mean National Mean 2 5.0 2.6 3 5.8 3.6 4 6.1 4.6 5 11.3 5.6 6 10.8 6.6 7 11.5 7.6 8 11.7 8.6

Science Scores Grade Class Mean National Mean 2 3.4 2.6 3 4.2 3.6 4 5.5 4.6 5 8.5 5.6 6 10.7 6.6 7 10.3 7.6 8 12.9 8.6

Social Studies Scores
Grade	Class Mean	National Mean
2	3.9	2.6
3	4.2	3.6
4	7.1	4.6
5	8.8	5.6
6	11.1	6.6
7	10.5	7.6
8	11.6	8.6