The idea of standardized testing for homeschooling is anathema for many homeschoolers who fled institutional education to avoid such testing. However, twenty-two states require or permit homeschool testing scores as a method for measuring adequate progress. For many families, standardized tests for homeschoolers are a necessary part of their child's home education.
The options vary depending on the purpose behind testing for families searching for standardized tests for homeschoolers.
Homeschool Testing Rentals
The most popular homeschool testing rental services include:
Family Learning Organization: offers the California Achievement Test, 5th edition and the Basic Achievement Skills Inventory as homeschool rest rentals. Call 800-405-8378 for questions about tests for homeschoolers, rentals and more.
Thurber's Educational Assessments: offers the California Achievement Test, 5th edition for parents using standardized testing for homeschoolers. Contact Thurber's at 919-967-5282 with questions.
Brewer Testing Services: offers the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Iowa Tests of Educational Development, Basic Achievement Skills Inventory, and Cognitive Abilities Test for homeschool testing. Families can reach Brewer at 336-699-3997 with ITBS, CAT5, and other questions.
Each of these companies offers standardized tests for homeschoolers that can be administered at home. The fees for tests and shipping vary. Parents order and pay for requested tests online. The company ships the tests on requested dates and parents are given a time frame – typically two weeks – to administer and return the testing materials. Within four to six weeks the company sends a results sheet from the tests.
Administering Standardized Tests for Homeschoolers
For parents who voluntary offer homeschool testing to their children to track progress, online test rentals provide the test, scoring, and a results sheet. How the test is administered is up to the parent, as long as the person administering the test follows the test norms in terms of the amount of time given, no prompting from the administrator, and so forth. The results are private and parents can do what they wish with the homeschool testing results.
In states where the results of homeschool testing must be sent to a school district or state education official, however, testing options may be limited. Of the twenty-two states that require or permit standardized tests for homeschoolers to be used to measure progress, three – Arkansas, Maine and Vermont – administer the standardized tests for homeschooler via school district.
The following states require that such testing be administered by a "qualified person," typically a certified teacher in that state:
- Florida
- Georgia
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
In many cases, standardized tests can be given in the home, but the qualified person must administer it.
The remaining states that permit homeschool testing as a form of evaluation allow families to give the test at home and there are no restrictions on the person administering the standardized tests.
Homeschool Testing Choices
How to select the right test is more a function of requirements and personal choice than any objective criteria. Some states require that homeschooled children take the state's specific standardized test, while other states allow any standardized tests for homeschoolers to suffice. Parents should ask education officials in their school district for specific instructions on which testing choice is best.
In addition, parents need to research the issue of standardized testing for homeschoolers to choose the best test, testing company, or reporting system. Talk with fellow homeschoolers, investigate information in print and online, and be sure to follow state requirements where relevant to get the best educational experience and value from homeschool testing.
Find further information on homeschooling in the article Online Math Education for Gifted Homeschooling to learn about distance education programs for children ages five and up. For those searching for information on distance learning math programs, please read Stanford University EPGY Elementary Math Courses for Gifted Kids.
Students preparing to take the General Educational Development exam will benefit from reading High School Equivalency Diploma and Free Online GED Practice Test. In addition, the article Free GED Test - Printable Sample Practice Exam for Online Prep offers more opportunities for test prep.
Melanie Zoltan - Melanie Zoltan is a former college professor and administrator who has written for About.com, PCWorld, Brain Child, Thomson Gale, and ...
Comments