Many parents choose to homeschool to keep their children out of the incessant testing environment in the public schools, a partial result of the No Child Left Behind Act. For some of these parents, though, the standardized tests follow them home, as three states require that homeschoolers take tests administered directly by the district, and nineteen require some form of testing.
Standardized Tests for Homeschoolers
While most homeschoolers don’t voluntarily test, there are some who do. Both populations – those forced to take standardized tests by the state and those who choose to test to measure progress – can benefit from homeschool testing rentals.
In a rental situation, the parents of the homeschooler in question can order the test of choice, ranging from the California Achievement Test to the IOWA Test of Basic Skills and beyond. The testing company mails out the test booklet, score sheet, and a proctor’s guide for administering the exam.
In 19 states, including Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, a teacher or other education professional can administer the exam to the child in his or her home, provided the tester follows directions and does not aid the child in taking the test.
Rent Homeschool Tests
This flexibility works well for many homeschoolers, and parents can choose to spread out testing over a period of days. There are two main homeschool testing companies that rent standardized tests to parents:
Family Learning Organization – offers the California Achievement Test, 5th edition, and the Basic Achievement Skills Inventory for rental.
Thurber’s Educational Assessments – this company used to offer the IOWA test but now offers the CAT 5 as well.
Both companies send a thick packet to the parent, the parent or a proctor administers the standardized tests, the tests are returned to the company for scoring, and scores are returned to the parent within six to eight weeks.
Homeschool Testing
It’s rare, but in some cases you don’t want your child’s test score being released to the state. When you rent homeschool tests directly and administer them yourself or have a friend or colleague do it, you can keep the results as private as you wish. If the state becomes involved in testing, you and your family lose this privacy.
Keep in mind that not testing is not an option for many states, so acclimating children to a standardized testing environment is critical for success. Children who consistently score very low on standardized tests can be removed fro homeschooling (though this is extremely rare and most state requirements are extremely low for homeschooling).
In many states students can take the exams a second time as well, to improve low scores. Parents need to arm themselves with a vast array of knowledge to be able to advocate properly for their kids and get them the best education possible.
