Collaborative Academic Testing Service, P.A. (CATS) is a professional association developed as a means of assisting private schools in administering and coordinating admissions testing for young applicants.  The immediate need for such a service in the Dallas area arose as admission directors became increasingly concerned about the overtesting of young children applying to more than one school.  Not only were children being unduly stressed by the extensive testing, admission committees wondered about the validity of test scores due to practice effects from repeated administration of tests.

At present, CATS is coordinating the cognitive abilities testing for children applying to the following schools:

Episcopal School of Dallas (PK, K & 1^st)                           The Hockaday School (PK, K & 1^st)

Greenhill School ( PK, K & 1^st)                                         The Parish Episcopal School (K & 1^st)

Good Shepherd Episcopal School (K & 1^st)                        St. Mark’s School of Texas  (1^st)

Trinity Christian Academy(K)                       Providence Christian School (1^st )                     Lamplighter ( K & 1^st )                                               

CATS testing is a valuable component of the admissions process because the testing is conducted in a one-on-one session with a licensed psychologist who is experienced in working with young children.  Children at pre-school and kindergarten ages are often able to demonstrate their abilities more effectively in an individualized session than in a group testing format.  Children usually enjoy the testing session because activities are varied and age-appropriate.  The length of the session depends on the child’s age but generally lasts from 30 minutes (three-year-old’s) to 60 minutes.  Results of the evaluation are sent to participating schools to which the child is applying.  Parents receive a summary of the evaluation results. 

CATS has the capability of expanding to serve the needs of additional schools and older applicants.  The goal of the association is to ease the burden of the application process on both schools and families, while providing quality evaluations for applicants. 

If you should need further information about CATS please e-mail catsmail@sbcglobal.net  or call MerriLee Anderson, Ph.D. at 214-221-7220.  Please note that e-mail is the most efficient method of communication with the CATS office, particularly between the months of September and March.

copyright 2007