How do you comply with your state’s assessment requirements? Learn how to complete proper evaluation in homeschooling.
Tackling Assessment in Homeschooling
As a homeschool teacher, you assess your child’s academic progress.
You may stick to traditional forms of assessment, such as standardized tests, tests that accompany curriculum, and graded schoolwork.
You may prefer authentic assessment. This may include conversations, debates, projects, summaries, and observations.
Your assessment should help you, the homeschool teacher, gauge your child’s mastery of skills and subjects.
However, your state may also require an assessment, and you must provide the necessary information to your county homeschool office.
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State Evaluation in Homeschooling
When it comes to homeschool regulation, states vary widely.
Some states, such as Michigan, Texas, and New Jersey, have very low regulation.
They do not require a formal assessment of your child’s academic level or progress.
Other states, such as Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, have a very high level of regulation.
They may require that your child participate in nationally normed standardized tests, even in elementary school.
Many states lie in between low and high regulation.
To see the complete list of requirements state-by-state, visit the Homeschooling Legal Defense Association website.
State Assessment Requirements
Although each state handles assessment and homeschool evaluations differently, here are some possible requirements.
Standardized Tests
Some states require yearly standardized tests; others require them in specific grades.
Certain states will accept a standardized test as an end-of-year assessment option (although you have other options, too).
Most standardized tests are timed, fill-in-the-bubble (or click on the screen) multiple-choice tests.
Commercial test publishers develop them, and most are nationally normed so that you can compare your child’s score against others his age.
Which tests can you use? Check your state’s requirements.
Most approve the Stanford Achievement Test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and the California Achievement Test, among others.
You should also check how the test should be administered. Some states require that your child take it at a school or testing center with a trained test proctor.
Portfolio Evaluation by a Certified Teacher
A homeschool portfolio is a collection of academic work from the year.
(Click to see some sample portfolios.)
Basically, you keep a sample of your student’s work from the beginning, middle, and end of the year to show academic progress.
This work must be dated!
A certified teacher reviews the portfolio and determines whether the child is on grade level (or at least demonstrating academic progress from the previous year).
The teacher signs off on the assessment, and you submit the signed form to your homeschool office.
Narrative Evaluation by a Certified Teacher
Some states require a teacher to complete more than a portfolio review.
The teacher should also take the time to holistically assess the student’s progress.
This usually means the teacher interviews the student and reviews their work samples.
Depending on your state’s homeschooling laws, the teacher may need to submit a narrative (written) evaluation of the student in the core subject areas.
Evaluation by a Psychologist
In many states, a certified teacher is not the only education professional who can provide assessment.
If your child has learning or behavioral differences, you may opt to have an evaluation completed by a licensed psychologist.
This option typically costs more money than a teacher evaluation, but this may be the best option if you are already working with a psychologist.
Portfolio Review by the State
Some states reserve the right to require you to submit a portfolio of the student’s work for them to review.
For this reason, you should keep the portfolio after the teacher or psychologist reviews it because the homeschool board may ask for it.
Hang on to your portfolios for two years.
Progress Reports
If you live in a state with medium to high homeschool regulations, you may need to submit quarterly or annual progress reports.
You write these progress reports, so you include your methods of assessment.
Some states require samples of student work to accompany the progress report.
What If My Child Can’t Pass the Assessments?
Rest assured that your child doesn’t need to be academically gifted in order to homeschool.
The point of assessment is to ensure your child is learning and progressing from where they were last year. That’s all.
Some states require a minimum score on standardized tests (usually around 30% per area).
This does not mean they will revoke your right to homeschool if your child does not meet that minimum.
It typically means that your child will be referred to a learning specialist or psychologist for testing for learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia.
Managing Evaluation in Homeschooling
If you are brand new to homeschooling, take a breath.
Many states require little to no assessment of your homeschooler.
Check on the laws for your state.
Even if you live in a state that does require assessment, this is not a big deal!
Join your state or local homeschooling organization and learn from seasoned homeschoolers.
State assessment is a well-traveled path that many homeschoolers have walked.