Be my own assessor

[Jpoy85]

HOW can i ask and be approved to be my own assessor? The law gives me the option " person mutually agreed upon....". 

 

If you have asked and been approved in the past, HOW did you ask? 

 

I cant find anything online about how to ask, what to say, etc. Everything is about the narrative or testing. I KNOW there are others that are out there!  :confused1:  :confused1:

[freesia]

What state?

 

Here in Ny, I just wrote the superintendent a letter and asked if I could do the testing myself.  I think I wrote my credentials, but I'm not sure if that made a differnce (BA, ten year of public/private school teaching).

 

Before that, when I wanted to write the narratives, I just stated in my third quarterly that I was planning to write the narrative and let them write back and complain.

 

Other states, I don't know.  I would guess it is whomever you report to.

[Jpoy85]

Im in ohio. Im not a teacher, just a mom who homeschools. 

 

 

[freesia]

I just looked at the law.  It says mutually agreed upon by the parent and the superintendent.  So that's who you write to.

 

However, it also has the option of a person duly authorized by the author of the test.  Different tests have different requirements.  The Iowa requires a bachelor's degree.  If you have one, you are duly authorized.  Check the BJU testing website for more details.

[Jpoy85]

What state?

 

Here in Ny, I just wrote the superintendent a letter and asked if I could do the testing myself.  I think I wrote my credentials, but I'm not sure if that made a differnce (BA, ten year of public/private school teaching).

 

Before that, when I wanted to write the narratives, I just stated in my third quarterly that I was planning to write the narrative and let them write back and complain.

 

Other states, I don't know.  I would guess it is whomever you report to.

 

What did you write in your letter asking? " Can i please be my own assessor?" 

[Jpoy85]

I just looked at the law.  It says mutually agreed upon by the parent and the superintendent.  So that's who you write to.

 

However, it also has the option of a person duly authorized by the author of the test.  Different tests have different requirements.  The Iowa requires a bachelor's degree.  If you have one, you are duly authorized.  Check the BJU testing website for more details.

 

I know who it goes to but not what to ask specifically. Im not doing testing. ive been doing narratives by teachers in past years but they dont even look at their work. I pay them to sign a piece of paper. 

[freesia]

I said something like:

Dear Superintendent,

I homeschool my 4 children in xyz district.  I am writing to ask permission to do the portfolio review and and narrative assessments for my children x and y this year.(Then I went into my background, but I'm not sure it was necessary, but you could mention a college degree if you have one).  (You could also add that as the primary teacher of your children you feel that you would be able to provide a more detailed assessment of you child.)

Sincerely,

Homeschooler Extraordinaire

[Jpoy85]

Thanks! Ill try that

[PeterPan]

It would be totally illogical for the superintendent to approve such a request. You can do the CAT from Seton or CLP for just $25 and you don't need any special credentials to administer it. 

 

It sounds like the people you had doing your assessments weren't worth much. You'll probably learn more from testing, and your kids are at an age where the practice and dessensitization is useful to them. :)

[HSmum23]

It would be totally illogical for the superintendent to approve such a request. You can do the CAT from Seton or CLP for just $25 and you don't need any special credentials to administer it. 

 

It sounds like the people you had doing your assessments weren't worth much. You'll probably learn more from testing, and your kids are at an age where the practice and dessensitization is useful to them. :)

 

Illogical for the Super to allow an option in the law??? 

 

I dont want to learn more from testing because i dont want to test them They dont need practice or "dessensitization". Do adults walk around getting tested from the state for their jobs? 

 

Im asking what people wrote to their super to ask to be their own assessor.  :cursing:

 

ETA: not sure why it changed my SN, but its still me JPOY85

Edited October 20, 2017 by HSmum23

[Jpoy85]

That was weird... Sorry! Point still stands though. 

[PeterPan]

The point of the assessment is to show objectively that the dc is meeting basic standards. (functioning at ability level or above the 25th percentile)  I'm surprised any superintendent would allow someone to assess their own kids. Obviously one did, but it's so contrary to the whole point of the law that I don't see why any other superintendent logically would do it.

 

Many kids have anxiety the first time they do testing, and having experience with testing is recommended by SWB in her talks. Also, many people who do not test at all get unhappy surprises later. If you've done testing, then it's really a nothing to send in the results. You only have to send in the *composite* score at the bottom of the page, not even the subtest scores. You can literally cover them over with a sheet of paper, copy, and only send in the composite score.

 

 

[Sherry in OH]

I know who it goes to but not what to ask specifically. Im not doing testing. ive been doing narratives by teachers in past years but they dont even look at their work. I pay them to sign a piece of paper. 

 

The teacher skims the portfolio and/or talks with the child and parent to gauge whether progress has been made.  She/he only look deeper if it appears the child has not made reasonable progress or issues are brought up.  You could ask the evaluator for a more in-depth review, but you may need to pay more to get it. 

 

I know a few homeschooling parents who did their own children's assessements.  The parents were former public school teachers who had kept their certifications up to date.  They signed the form letter as certified teachers not as homeschooling parents.  In most cases they switched to standardized testing in the middle grades.  

 

When I began homeschooling the other person mutual agreed upon clause was explained to me as being for cases of extreme special need.  The mutually agreed upon person would be a specialist not the child's parent.  

 

The only paperwork the superintendent wants to see is the form letter or standardized test scores.  

 

[PeterPan]

If you have a degree, you can also switch to operating under the "08" laws, which would eliminate the notification/assessment issues entirely. 

[freesia]

Illogical???

 

I know lots of folks in highly regulated NY who do their own assessments. The point of an assessment is to pinpoint how the child is doing and if they are making progress. It's not to check up on the teacher. It seems way more logical that the primary teacher does the assessment.

[mom2scouts]

I have heard of people who aren't teachers who've gotten permission from their superintendent to do their own portfolio assessment. They write about any degrees they have, how long they have homeschooled, and the success of any graduates from their homeschool. Many superintendents will say no, but since any homeschooling parent who's kept a teaching degree can sign off, some superintendents don't care and allow it.

[luuknam]

Here in Ny, I just wrote the superintendent a letter and asked if I could do the testing myself.  I think I wrote my credentials, but I'm not sure if that made a differnce (BA, ten year of public/private school teaching).

 

Before that, when I wanted to write the narratives, I just stated in my third quarterly that I was planning to write the narrative and let them write back and complain.

 

 

I know this thread is about OH, but I'm also in NY, and I and some others I know simply put in their 3rd quarterly that the child will take the [CAT/ITBS/etc], to be administered by [write your own name]. We figure that if the district doesn't write back to say that it's not okay, that it's "mutually agreed upon". Also, the districts around here seem to be fine with stating the kid scored >33rd percentile... no need to give the actual composite score (but, again, this is not OH, and even in NY, some districts are pickier than others). 

Edited October 22, 2017 by luuknam

[mom2scouts]

I know this thread is about OH, but I'm also in NY, and I and some others I know simply put in their 3rd quarterly that the child will take the [CAT/ITBS/etc], to be administered by [write your own name]. We figure that if the district doesn't write back to say that it's not okay, that it's "mutually agreed upon". Also, the districts around here seem to be fine with stating the kid scored >33rd percentile... no need to give the actual composite score (but, again, this is not OH, and even in NY, some districts are pickier than others). 

 

Giving an exam that can be administered by the parent is *always* an option in Ohio and never requires permission. She's asking for something totally different in that she wants to sign the form for a portfolio review. It's supposed to be signed by someone with a teaching license unless you have permission from the local superintendent. Some homeschoolers have gotten their superintendent to agree and they don't ever have to test or pay a licensed teacher to sign the form.