The CMTs have been administered in Connecticut schools since 1985. They were developed by the State Board of Education to help schools identify where they needed to improve their curriculum, to establish high expectations for students, to identify students who need extra help and to improve the accountability of the education system.
Children in grades 3 through 8 are expected to take the CMTs, and they are tested in reading, writing, mathematics and science. There is no passing score, but students are given a grade of between 1, "below basic," and 5, " advanced", with a score of 4 considered as "goal."
Grade curricula in schools are heavily influenced by the need to prepare students for the CMTs. Many activities in the classroom revolve around practicing the skills necessary to do well, such as the "degrees of reading power" subtest, in which students are expected to supply missing words in a given text. As the tests themselves approach, students are given an opportunity to see sample papers and to graded by their teachers on practice tests.
There are many publicly and privately funded preparation courses offered in Connecticut for the CMTs. These are offered in a variety of different forms. Some school districts or regional education services offer summer camps for disadvantaged students to help them prepare. There are several private companies that market to schools online games, activities and resources that they can offer as extra preparation to students.
Parents are advised to help their children remain calm and not to become too anxious about the CMTs at testing time. Many schools send home leaflets telling parents to ensure children are well-rested and eat a nutritious breakfast on test mornings.