Test Results Submission Best Practices
Q. Should my evaluator submit my child’s evidence of progress directly to the superintendent on my behalf?
§ 22.1-254.1.(C) addresses who is to provide the results of an evaluation. It states, “The parent who elects to provide home instruction shall provide the division superintendent by August 1 following the school year in which the child has received home instruction with either… “scores from a standardized achievement test, an equivalent ACT, SAT, or PSAT test score, or an evaluation or assessment which the superintendent determines to indicate the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress.”
Just as it is the parents’ responsibility to provide a notice of intent to the superintendent or his designee, they are also responsible for complying with the law by submitting the required evidence of progress to the superintendent by August 1 each year after homeschooling.
There are several things to consider if someone other than the parent submits this information:
- If an evaluator fails to mail the evaluation letter in a timely manner, the parent could be responsible for non-compliance.
- A parent may not have the opportunity to review the evaluation before the evaluator mails it to the superintendent. In that case, a poor evaluation could result in a parent being placed on probation the following year.
- If the evaluation is not satisfactory to the superintendent, a parent may not have the opportunity to consider other options.
- An evaluation could be rejected because it is poorly written or does not properly indicate evidence of progress.
- Evidence of receipt of test results from the superintendent’s office (a parent’s evidence of complying with the law) or correspondence may go to the evaluator, not the parent.
- An evaluator is engaged by the parent to provide a service and is not responsible for representing the client/parent to the school division.
I’m sure there are many excellent evaluators who would never want to put their clients in a difficult situation. However, it is the responsibility of the parent to know and fulfill the law, including the submission of test results. Although superintendents may accept evaluation letters directly from evaluators, there is less protection for the parent when the law, as quoted above, is not followed.
Regards,
Yvonne Bunn
