Table Of Contents
A: ARK allows you to see how individual students are learning from 2nd through 12th grades and not just a snapshot of aggregate scores across just three grades. Also:
A: Only testing 3 times, or as much as 3 years between testing provides no opportunity to take corrective action. As in testing for other academic subjects, research has shown that having a longitudinal record for students more readily predicts issues with their assimilation of knowledge. As we know our Faith is difficult to teach, having a better understanding, grade-by-grade of the improvement areas allows you to adapt to the students’ needs.
A: Absolutely! Navigate to: ARKTest.org/Sample-Questions
A: Absolutely. We have pricing options to fit many needs and are happy to discuss your specific situation and how we can best help you accomplish your goals.
A: Our testing window runs till early May. We will be validating our calculations and algorithm post-test, and anticipate results to be available in late-May. We will update our subscribers as we near test-completion.
A: The test length varies according to the age group. A typical 2nd or 3rd grade test should take about 25-30 minutes. A high school test can take up to about 45-50 minutes.
A: Yes! The Proctor can allow extra time for students in need. For students who need reading support, the test works with all major device text-to-speech features (Accessibility Features) for questions and answers.
A: Yes! We designed the test to be easily taken on mostly any device students will have. Navigating to a simple URL allows the student to login with unique credentials provided by the teacher/proctor. This can even be completed remotely! Most modern computers, tablets and chromebooks running an up-to-date browser will work.
A: Yes! The ARK platform supports testing from anywhere with a good internet connection.
A: YES! There will be an additional cost to administer the test on paper to defray the cost of shipping and scoring the paper results. Please contact us to discuss logistics and administration differences from the digital-only approach.
A: No.
The Assessment of Religious Knowledge is not an achievement test. Therefore, we do not encourage studying for it or completing any preparatory materials in an effort to earn higher scores. The purpose of ARK is to help schools and parishes understand what people in the community know and believe about the Catholic faith. It is meant to offer supports and illuminate paths for helping people grow in their knowledge and practice of the faith.
A: Yes. In the reporting tool, a teacher will be able to see incorrect answers coupled with the recommended resources we provide. This should provide clear direction and content to help augment the student’s needs.
We do not recommend assigning grades to scores on the ARK test.
We commend your desire to affirm those in your school who know their faith well! Very few things contribute to the Catholic identity of a school then the knowledge and beliefs of the teachers and students who are on fire for the Faith! However, we discourage assigning any rewards or punishments based on scores.
A: Yes! We include faculty testing with the student test. This gives you the best understanding of all factors impacting the student results.
A: The faculty takes a test that is an assortment of questions from the various ARK grade levels.
A: This is certainly a growing concern in schools across the country. ARK will support measuring the effectiveness of the mission of your schools and improving Catholic Identity. Helping all teachers understand basic tenants of our Faith will help our non-Catholic teachers exemplify the Catholic values we’re trying to instill in our students. The goal again is to help identify development areas for these teachers to be more effective in leading their students.
A: Teachers should take the test around the same time as the students. This will allow the most direct correlation between the performance of both populations.
A: We encourage all faculty to take the test. This will provide the broadest view of the school’s identity, strengths and opportunities to improve. School leaders can use this information to offer a variety of resources based on clear needs of their teams.
A: Yes! While we clearly expect there will be differences in results. The topics tested are found in all religion publishers series’ across 2nd through 12th grades. In fact, we encourage conducting the testing to give you a more comprehensive view of what is working well and what may need attention in your diocese.
A: Great news! You can use ARK even if, like most parishes, you do not have a computer on hand for every student. We offer three ways you can choose from to best meet the needs of your families:
Model 1: Students Use Their Own Tech
With parental permission, students can use a phone, tablet, or laptop from home on the day they will take ARK.
Model 2: Students Test at Home
Designate a day and time where all students will meet via Zoom (or other online meeting tool,) and test from home, with their parents’ supervision.
Model 3: Paper Tests*
You can have all the benefits of ARK, including dashboards, growth-tracking, and curated recommended resources, while having your students test on paper. Contact us for more information.
*Paper testing is available at an additional cost, and may have a shorter testing window to ensure timely reporting. Contact us for more information!