Testing-do you test if not required?

[Rachel]

My state does not require homeschoolers to do any sort of testing. Most people I know who homeschool do test their kids for their own information beginning around 3rd grade. Most of these people also have some sort of public school background though.

 

Do you test your kids if not required by law? Initially I never planned to test my kids however, I now think I will at some point, so they will be familiar with testing when it's time for ACTs and SATs. I'm not sure if what it will look like at this point though.

 

I'm especially curious to hear from those of you with older children as my oldest is only 7.

[RootAnn]

There was just a thread on this, but I can't find it right now. (ETA:  Found it!  Who else tests for the heck of it?)

Here's an old one if you want to peruse that while I look for the new one.

For those whom standardized testing is NOT required, do you do it anyway?

[Southern Ivy]

We are not required to test them, but my state law does require information be kept concerning their academic progress. I plan on keeping a small portfolio and have them do some tests to show progress. I plan to test every other year starting in 3rd. 

While I plan on testing my daughter, I have to say that I do disagree with the way testing is done in the school system. I teach 4th, so I deal with it every year.  It's high pressure and we lose ridiculous amounts of instructional time prepping them for a test that really doesn't tell me much - especially when I see their classroom performance and topical tests every week. I certainly don't agree that it is the end all assessment of progress, but I do think it can provide some (negligible) insight. I also believe it's a good to expose them to standardized tests so you are not scrambling to get good ACT/SAT scores come high school. 

Also, as Ellie said to someone on the Facebook group, if you think there is ever a chance of your child attending PS, then it's good to have the scores. 

[momto2Cs]

No.

 

ETA: Ds plans to take placement tests at the local jc, so he will be studying/prepping for those over the next school year. We've never done standardized testing though, since leaving the charter school when ds was in 3rd grade, so he's had one standardized test, and dd has had none.

Edited May 18, 2015 by momto2Cs

[AmyontheFarm]

I will test occasionally, just for my own information.  When a local busy body needed to be put in her place.  I calmly told her that we paid to have the children tested and the kids did extremely well.  This shut her up.  The only reason I told this person was because she was getting out of control and started talking about how Children's Aid Services should be monitoring homeschooling parents to make sure the kids were learning.   We could see this wasn't going to end well, and since we had tested the kids months earlier before she started up, I decided to share the info just to shut her up.  Ironically, years later she is one of my biggest fans and I hear from other people that she goes around telling others that they just NEED to homeschool because it is so much better for the kids and the family.

[TarynB]

Yes, we do standardized testing, in spite of no requirements to do so. I want DS to be confident and comfortable with the process, as his ACT and/or PSAT/SAT scores will be critical for his future college admission and potential merit-based financial aid. He has learned how to pace himself within the time constraints, avoid reading too much into the questions, fill in the bubbles correctly without skipping a question or skipping or doubling up on a row, and focus in a large group test environment. After a few years of going through the process, he now has zero test anxiety and he looks forward to testing (and seeing his results) every year.

[Ellie]

My state does not require homeschoolers to do any sort of testing. Most people I know who homeschool do test their kids for their own information beginning around 3rd grade. Most of these people also have some sort of public school background though.

 

Do you test your kids if not required by law? Initially I never planned to test my kids however, I now think I will at some point, so they will be familiar with testing when it's time for ACTs and SATs. I'm not sure if what it will look like at this point though.

 

I'm especially curious to hear from those of you with older children as my oldest is only 7.

 

Nope. I didn't feel the need to know how they compared with other children (which is what standardized tests really tell you). I could tell how they were progressing in the things I had taught and helped them experience, not all of which would have been included on a standardized test. *

 

At the point where my dc might have taken the SAT/ACT, I might have done some test prep, just so they'd be used to the format, but we did community college in California where SAT/ACT is not required for admittance.

 

* I do recommend that people who are planning to enroll their dc in public or private school test their dc before going down to the school office, even if it is not required for homeschoolers. Homeschoolers who show up with some sort of cumulative records, including test scores, seem to have fewer problems with the enrollment process than those who don't.

[Farrar]

We did one year. I keep meaning to start. Not so much to know where they stand or anything, but so that they get practice with testing. I don't think they need the academic practice, but one of my boys is prone to anxiety and I would hate for when he actually needs to do tests in high school for it to become a huge thing.

 

We have done things like the National Mythology Exam. One of my ds would like to do Math Kangaroo next year. So those are tests.

[wintermom]

No. We do Math Tests from a Canadian University where the marks/ranking can be used in the future on transcripts. Otherwise, our testing has been limited to quizes and tests within Coop classes and at-home tests.

[Cottonwood]

Yes, because I use it as measurement (or reassurance?) ... to see how far we've come in a year. The biggest thing I look at is how their current year compared to last year. Mine have spent as much time in public school as homeschooling, all told, and are familiar with testing practices so I guess I'm saying its a part of their whole picture, to me. I'm very data driven, as well, and both kids love seeing their results as well. So we do it. :).

[SereneHome]

My state is very laid back when it comes to HS, but I am not!!  So, yes, i will be testing, as soon as I can get someone from Seton on the phone to explain to me EXACTLY how it works.

 

I've been itching to test for a while.

[LatteMama]

Yes. I like having concrete proof we are doing a good job and DD is not behind her peers. (Yeah 99%!!)

[Starr]

We are required to test. I liked the ease of the untimed PASS test which we purchased from Hewitt.

[Junie]

We are not required to test, but we are required to prove forward progress.  For me, a week of yearly standardized testing is so much easier than keeping up with a portfolio for every child.  I am not that organized.

 

Up until last year (when I tested the kids myself), the dc took their tests at our church's private school.  My kids thought it was so much fun to go to school with all of their friends from church.  They were disappointed when I decided to test at home (for half the cost).

[lllll]

..

[dirty ethel rackham]

We are not required to test.  I  have them take a nationally normed test (usually IBTS) once during the elementary school years just to confirm what I think I already know about them and to help me see if there is something I may be missing (like comprehension issues or some subset of math skills not as good as I think they are.)  With my middle child, we did find some hidden learning disabilities through testing related to comprehension in certain situations.  If they test super high (which really doesn't tell me anything other than they're smart), then I consider out of level testing.  We did the SAT with my oldest through a talent search when he was in junior high.  Through that, I found that my oldest has some issues with critical reading.  He was getting by with his almost eidetic memory, but not analyzing the information appropriately.  This information was useful to us and I made changes to our approach as a result.  During high school, we do some  test prep for SAT and ACT and a few trial runs in order to maximize scholarship opportunities. 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

Yes.

 

One child does ACT annually for NUMATS.

 

Other child does basic standardized test every other year.

 

I like having the record/validation that they are doing just fine. Also, it's verification should they need to go back to public school.

[idnib]

Yes, we test. DS has a processing disorder and would qualify for extra time on tests. The slow speed v. time allotted makes him flustered so I want him to be as comfortable as possible before the tests really count. He's sped up quite a bit just by becoming comfortable with the bubbling in and the format of different tests. I would say he's shaved at least a quarter off his time. I don't really care about grade placements. I just look at it as a rough spot and each time we do one we're running sandpaper over the spot and smoothing it down. Without the processing speed issue, I doubt I would test him.

 

ETA: Another thing I learned was that language mechanics was his weakest spot. He was so used to copywork without thinking or writing non-fiction summaries with no quotations, that he messed up quite a few questions when he had to find errors in sentences with quotation marks. That was good to know and we remedied it.

[HS Mom in NC]

No.

 

The first test my older two took was the placement test at the local community college. 

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

We will not do it this year. We did it last year as it was required in our previous state. I think I will do it on occasion to see, but not every year. I already know he is doing very well, and I know his trouble spots too. I may test next year to see how one trouble spot has improved after a lot of work. But I don't feel I need to do it either.

[Rachel]

You all have given me lots to ponder, thanks for the input. I'm still leaning toward no testing through the elementary years, we will see as they get older. I have a lot of time to make this decision.

[Mommy22alyns]

I do not test.  I've considered it, but decided not to.  I might give them something standardized in 8th grade or so, to get their feet wet for SAT/ACT/whatever.  We'll see.

[jenn&charles]

I like and hate testing...and I've done it and not done it. How's that for an answer? ;-)

 

If I was doing everything over again, I probably would not test during the elementary grades, because I have enough experience now to know if a kid is on track or not. I also have enough experience not to panic if a kid is not on track. Tests are so limited in what they tell you and there are so many different tests out there. Do I really need to know that my kid is in the 65th or 99th percentile in a specific category with artificial measurements? Will it change anything I'm doing? Probably not. Maybe if I was JUST starting out and had never homeschooled, I might want the reassurance and want to shut up naysayers with good scores. Otherwise, it's not worth the bother.

 

I've had to prepare for state testing when we were homeschooling through a charter school, and it was a real pain. Tests don't take into account that you might be learning something different, or something at a different pace. I don't give them too much credit for the outcome of my homeschooling long term goals. 

 

Having said all that,  I would start some testing in late middle school to prepare for the SAT and/or ACT and just to get an older child used to testing for college purposes, etc. It wouldn't really be for me to see how s/he was doing as much as it would be for the experience.

[MrsWeasley]

My eldest is 8, and there's a standardized test requirement for a class I want her to take, if she scores high enough. Barring a specific reason, though, we wouldn't test.

[StillStanding]

We are not required, but I do test them. Starting in 3rd grade, and testing every other year. It is the only time they get timed testing in a standardized situation. I think it helps them not be so stress over "testing" later on when they have to take the ACT.

[FriedClams]

Yes, we test and are not required to do so.

 

Here's why-

+ Testing is a skill. It's takes practice and comfort to do well.

+ I don't want their first real, in a new place, with new people, test experience to be the SAT or ACT.

+ After having seen friends having to our kids in school on short notice for a variety of reasons (cancer, divorce, etc) I think sone regularly accepted documentation is a good thing.

+ It helps me to hone in on things we need to work on. We don't prep for the tests, so it's a fairly accurate assessment.

[Peaceful Isle]

Every few year, I do. If I miss a year, it is no big deal. The kids love to see how they are doing, and I think it is good test taking practice. We don't do "tests" per say, in school. 

[happypamama]

I'm required to test in grades, three, five, and eight, so I do. I do not test any child in other grades. When we get to high school, we will test as needed for SAT, etc. Fwiw, my oldest is finishing seventh grade this year.

 

The required tests have told me absolutely nothing that I didn't already know, and they really don't accurately reflect my children's knowledge. I only consider them to be very, very slightly indicative of an increase in math and language skills (and only because the test is literally the same questions for third and fifth, so I see that they got more right in fifth because they've learned a little more math and grammar by then). Therefore, I do not see the point in paying for tests in non-required years.

 

(I do see your point about understanding the test taking format, so I could see testing in eighth or ninth if not already required, so as to work out any kinks before they take the college tests.)

[J&JMom]

We test annually using ITBS for my 10 and 12 year old because: 1) practice for testing, 2) verify the boys are improving, 3) I want to know how they compare with their peers, 4) ease the process when sending them back at some undetermined time. I also make them work the state assessments that I print out, just because I want to know if they can do it. I am very data driven and look at deficiencies to emphasize and advance where they excel. The validation from an outside, unbiased source is inspiring.

[Desert Strawberry]

No. They will take tests when there is a reason to. There is yet no reason to test.

[Mom22ns]

We tested once just for my piece of mind and to see if ds could do standardized tests without accommodations. Getting accustomed to standardized tests before 11th grade when it becomes high stakes certainly doesn't hurt. I wouldn't stress out or let the kids be stressed out by it though.

[Wabi Sabi]

Not yet, but it's one of those things I've been intending to start soon with my oldest. My state does not have any testing requirements, but there is a decent chance that my children will choose to go to public school when they are older, and if so I want them to have had a couple of no-pressure opportunities to become familiar with taking standardized tests before they potentially have to face one where the stakes are much higher. 

[cintinative]

I have a question. We did a portfolio review again this year in lieu of testing (we have not done testing yet--our state requires either the portfolio or the testing).  Anyway, I have a rising 4th and a rising 3rd. My rising 3rd hates timed stuff, but also relies a lot on me when he does his work, so I have some hesitancy about proctoring for his testing. Would DORA and the math one--ADAM be good options for us? I know they are online tests, so presumably that removes me from the equation?  If those are a good option, would you do it next spring, or do it in the fall? TIA!

[idnib]

I have a question. We did a portfolio review again this year in lieu of testing (we have not done testing yet--our state requires either the portfolio or the testing).  Anyway, I have a rising 4th and a rising 3rd. My rising 3rd hates timed stuff, but also relies a lot on me when he does his work, so I have some hesitancy about proctoring for his testing. Would DORA and the math one--ADAM be good options for us? I know they are online tests, so presumably that removes me from the equation?  If those are a good option, would you do it next spring, or do it in the fall? TIA!

 

I'm not familiar with DORA and ADAM but I do know the Stanford 10 online is untimed. I haven't given it so I can't answer any questions, but you might want to check it out.

[Tawlas]

In my province, because I've got the kids enrolled in a (VERY open-minded) DL school, we're required to test in grades 4 and 7. there are some in highschool too but I doubt we'll enroll for high school. So we do a test every year in May or June just for the sake of practicing and to ease some anxiety. I love to see how they're improving, where they nee work. I'm mostly concerned with how they compare to the previous year.

 

Fwiw, right now I only use the Gates-McGuinitie reading test at my kids' ages. Even my Ker gets one, he's very proud ;)

[Incognito]

I have a question. We did a portfolio review again this year in lieu of testing (we have not done testing yet--our state requires either the portfolio or the testing).  Anyway, I have a rising 4th and a rising 3rd. My rising 3rd hates timed stuff, but also relies a lot on me when he does his work, so I have some hesitancy about proctoring for his testing. Would DORA and the math one--ADAM be good options for us? I know they are online tests, so presumably that removes me from the equation?  If those are a good option, would you do it next spring, or do it in the fall? TIA!

 

We did the ADAM and DORA last summer - they were both good tests, but they are online assessments, so they give a snapshot and they reflect a child's comfort with computers in their results.

 

A warning on the ADAM, it is very long and comprehensive (which is great), but ONLY if your child guesses on questions they don't know.  One of my kids finished with the ADAM really fast, and I didn't realize until someone mentioned it on these boards that if a child answers "I don't know" to questions then they are not tested on other information in the same area that is expected to be at a higher level (if that makes sense).  For my child that actually did the ADAM thoroughly, I found the information interesting.  For my other child it just affirmed in a basic way that my child was on track (but didn't show areas of knowledge that I knew were there).  

 

DORA was moderately interesting - it affirmed for me things I knew about my children's reading abilities, but it did not show the true struggles of one of my kids (or the true strength of my other child).  Because of how the test is set up, if your child is old enough/reads at a high enough level, the test skips the phonics portion.  

 

So for my child that could read "beautiful" as a stand alone word, but couldn't read a paragraph, spell bird, and was generally phonics deficient, the results seemed very inflated to me - and it skipped the phonics assessment which was what was really needed (but for my child that reads fluently pretty much anything set in front of them, the results seemed a bit low, but it DID the phonics assessment, because that child is younger).  BUT, I am nit-picking here a bit - the results were appropriate for what it assessed, and it served as a clear, basic assessment for both kids.

 

As far as if they remove you from the equation - well, I wish I had sat next to my child who finished the ADAM so fast, because I would have seen what was happening and stopped it (and gotten more useful results), but other than that my kids did the tests totally independently and I do not recall any portions being timed.

[8filltheheart]

Unless required by law, I don't. We move quite a bit, so my kids have tested in states where required.

 

My thoughts--the tests have never told me something I do not already know.

 

I also do not see a correlation between annual assessment type tests and the ACT and SAT other than filing in bubbles. I personally think that the scenarios are very different, and my kids who scored I the 99th percentile on every yrly assessment still had to prep for the SAt and ACT. The yrly testing did nothing to prepare for those 2 tests. If that was my objective, I would focus instead on just giving those as practice tests at home under timed conditions.

[tm919]

A warning on the ADAM, it is very long and comprehensive (which is great), but ONLY if your child guesses on questions they don't know.  One of my kids finished with the ADAM really fast, and I didn't realize until someone mentioned it on these boards that if a child answers "I don't know" to questions then they are not tested on other information in the same area that is expected to be at a higher level (if that makes sense).  For my child that actually did the ADAM thoroughly, I found the information interesting.  For my other child it just affirmed in a basic way that my child was on track (but didn't show areas of knowledge that I knew were there).  

 

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As far as if they remove you from the equation - well, I wish I had sat next to my child who finished the ADAM so fast, because I would have seen what was happening and stopped it (and gotten more useful results), but other than that my kids did the tests totally independently and I do not recall any portions being timed.

 

This is so interesting! We did DORA and ADAM last year and DORA was OK, but for ADAM my daughter finished too quickly and wasn't tested on much -- probably she didn't guess! Ugh!

 

We'll do them again this year. My daughter still asks to do the "Monkey game" (DORA).

[BlsdMama]

We are not required but choose to occasionally test. It helps me tweak and be more aware of their strengths and weaknesses as well as any curriculum weaknesses. If you are working with your child then you are probably aware of their strengths and weaknesses within the use of the curriculum you own.

 

Also? It's just fun. The kids enjoy playing school two days per year, lol, but we taken them at a local homeschool program which is a perk not rveryone has.

 

As far as PSAT, I really think every academic kid should take it NO LATER THAN sophomore year and parents should strongly consider freshman year.