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Testing with a Local School

Q. When I filed my Notice of Intent, the school district offered to test my child in the spring with the Iowa test. They said not many homeschoolers use this free service. Is there a reason?

A. A few school districts, but not all, offer free testing for homeschooled students. They use the test they have available. There are several other testing options you may want to consider based on the following reasons:

Homeschooled students are required to take only the language arts and mathematics portions of a standardized achievement test. However, if your child tests with a local public school, all sections of the test, including history and science, will be given.
Your child will be in a new environment, and he may be intimidated by this new situation or the students he doesn’t know or an unfamiliar teacher—all of which could impact his concentration and test score.
The test results will go directly to the school, not to you. If your child should happen to score lower than expected, you will not have an opportunity to retest.

Homeschooling parents have several other testing options. First, parents may purchase ANY nationally normed, standardized achievement test–the Stanford Achievement Test, the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS), the California Achievement Tests (CAT), the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS-TAP), Science Research Associates (SRA), or the Woodcock-Johnson Educational Battery, just to name a few. The law requires submission of the composite score or basic battery (language arts and mathematics), so only these sections of the test are administered.

Second, homeschooling parents may choose an independent evaluation or assessment, instead of an achievement test. If you choose this option, an evaluation letter must be completed by a person licensed to teach in any state, or by a person with a master’s degree or higher in an academic discipline who has knowledge of the child’s academic progress. With an evaluation, the division superintendent or his designee will determine if the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress.

An evaluation or assessment for older students may also include a report card or transcript from a community college or college, distance-learning program, or home-education correspondence school.

If you’re wondering where to purchase tests, HEAV has compiled a list of companies offering tests for homeschoolers. We’ve also compiled a page listing counselors, testers, and tutors who have expressed an interest in working with homeschoolers.