The first step taken when you choose MTA is to determine whether an evaluation is needed. An evaluation is recommended when there are clear weaknesses in a student's ability to perform at grade level in one or more subjects. The evaluation indicates what your child does and does not know and gives us the opportunity to observe his/her learning style.

Based on the results we will develop a plan with you, which may or may not include tutoring. It's your decision.

Here are some commonly asked questions about the evaluation process:

Do all students need to be evaluated before starting tutoring at MTA?

No. If a middle school or high school student with no prior learning problems simply needs support in one or two specific classes, no evaluation is required at the outset. If, after tutoring begins, it appears that underlying problems are affecting student performance, an evaluation may be recommended. (See types of evaluation below.)

Who administers the evaluation?

Standard Pre-Tutoring Evaluations are administered by tutors; Comprehensive Evaluations are administered by Susan Morris, the director.

When are evaluations scheduled?

Evaluations are scheduled at MTA, either during the school day before the tutoring rush, or on weekends by special appointment.

Will my child’s teacher(s) be contacted for information?

If the parents authorize it, teacher contact is included in all evaluations. Information from the teacher(s) will be taken into account when planning tutoring.

STANDARD PRE-TUTORING EVALUATION (grades K through 8)

Grades K-5 - MTA needs to know where a student stands in order to plan effective tutoring. Kindergarten through grade 2 children can meet with a tutor for a basic evaluation in language arts (pencil grip, letter formation, consonant & vowel sounds, blending, sight words and spelling) and math (number recognition & formation, adding & subtracting). Students in grades 3 through 5 can be assessed by a tutor in reading, spelling, writing and math.

Grades 6-8 – Students in grades 6-8 can do a monitored self-administered test at home or in the office as an alternative to a comprehensive evaluation. This consists of a math placement test and/or vocabulary & writing sample. [PLEASE NOTE: Reading comprehension cannot be assessed by a self-administered test because there is no way to tell from a self-administered comprehension sample whether errors are due to decoding or comprehension issues. For grades 6-8 students with reading comprehension issues, a one-subject Comprehensive Evaluation is necessary to determine the nature of the problem.]

PLEASE NOTE: Standard Pre-Tutoring Evaluations are intended for students who are doing relatively well in school but need to improve performance in reading, math and/or writing. Parents of students who are experiencing serious learning challenges or who want a more extensive analysis of their child’s academic performance should opt for a Comprehensive Evaluation.

COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION (grades K-12)

All comprehensive evaluations are administered by MTA Director, Susan K. Morris, M.A. This level of evaluation is offered so that parents or students can get a more complete picture of the child’s performance and understand more clearly how the student learns. Often during testing of this type, patterns emerge that indicate the most effective methods for teaching the child. It is very helpful when done as a prelude to tutoring because it provides additional information so tutoring can be more precisely targeted at the problem areas and more nuanced in approach. Parents may also prefer this level of evaluation because it provides a more complete description of learning style, and may elucidate reasons for performance struggles in school and provide guidelines for choosing schools.

Grades K-5 – Susan meets with students to administer individualized tests. This level of testing allows a more in-depth look at academic performance: analysis of reading and spelling skills (phonics, decoding and reading comprehension), math skills (concepts and computation) and/or writing skills (vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation & capitalization, generation of ideas and clarity of written thought). When deemed necessary, additional subtests such as phonological awareness, listening comprehension and reading fluency can be given.

Grades 6-12 – At higher grade levels, a comprehensive evaluation does all the above, also taking into account the higher levels of critical thinking required as students progress towards college. Starting in grade six, students are starting to be expected to do more sophisticated work involving more insight, higher levels of vocabulary, comprehension and synthesis.

cost of Comprehensive Evaluations is determined by grade level, subject(s), and time required

FOR COST RANGE, SEE “PRICING” TAB.