Laura Corin Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 How does it work? The UK government is trying to take control of home educators - I think it's inevitable, but the portfolio route might save us from being too regimented. The boys and I are seeing our Member of Parliament tomorrow to discuss the issue, so I'd like to be able to make suggestions. How does it work in your state? What problems have you had with it? How do you wish that it worked? What kind of person can review/certify the portfolio? Thanks Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommylawyer Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 While I live in the US and in my state I don't have to submit a portfolio, I've decided to make one each year just in case anyone ever decides to investigate my homeschooling further. Here's a link to my blog with a detailed description of what I put in my DD's portfolio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 In my state (PA) we need to put together a portfolio that gives 10 - 12 examples of the student's work throughout the year in each subject. In grades 3, 5, and 8 they also need testing from an approved test - with the results in the portfolio. It gets looked at by a homeschool evaluator (someone who is certified to teach in the grade the student is in), she adds her certification, and then it is turned in to the school district where the student lives. I seriously doubt the school district looks at ours. One year my youngest took out ALL his math between the time the evaluator looked at it and we dropped it off. I'm still not quite sure WHY he did it, but nonetheless I found the papers on a chair in our living room. I kept expecting a call from the school - figuring I'd take the papers with an apology... I got a call - come pick the portfolios up - all is fine with them. They have stacks and stacks of portfolios. To look through them all would be quite time consuming. Interestingly enough, our evaluator told us PA is considering dropping the portfolio requirement... We will still keep them though. Mine are now in (or almost in) high school and I want to be sure colleges won't want something before anything gets dismembered. Personally, making portfolios doesn't bug me in the least. I've been glad there has been some sort of accountability as, in general, I like to know those that homeschool are educating their children. Some people I know don't give their children much of an education... (those folks live in a no-restriction state). PA doesn't require a college-bound education, but there is at least some accountability to be taught something like, say, reading... and basic math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 It gives me a sense of achievement to see what we have done each year. Thanks for the information about how this works with certification. I was just digging through my wardrobe to find something to wear to meet a Member of Parliament. Luckily, I just bought a much-reduced blazer in the Lands' End sale. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyboys Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 How does it work? The UK government is trying to take control of home educators - I think it's inevitable, but the portfolio route might save us from being too regimented. The boys and I are seeing our Member of Parliament tomorrow to discuss the issue, so I'd like to be able to make suggestions. How does it work in your state? What problems have you had with it? How do you wish that it worked? What kind of person can review/certify the portfolio? Thanks Laura Good luck! Don't have any portfolio wisdom to share. Just wanted to wish you the best in standing up for homeschooling there, recent news articles have been surprising....at least to me. Has this been brewing for a while? Hoping that the trend toward more and more gov't takeover of various institutions and industries here stateside doesn't result in a similar initiative in the not-too-distant future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 It's really just an extension of increasing central government control of schools (state schools have a compulsory national curriculum) added on to a certain amount of child-protection hysteria. To be honest, I'm not completely against regulation. I just want to be a voice of reason, making suggestions about how the government can tick boxes whilst leaving home educators the flexibility to work with their children. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I am also in PA. The evaluators have to be certified to teach (even if they no longer do). We get to choose our evaluator. The key is finding an evaluator that is compatible with your family/teaching style and is working more for you than for the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I lost my original post, so here's a fast summary. I'm only required to teach "broad categories", such a social studies, math, science etc every year. I can select the exact topics we cover and don't need cover the standard order or topic that the schools cover. I can also select the teaching materials and methods. The state doesn't require testing at any age for homeschoolers, which gives me even more freedom from the public school curriculum. It also helps those with LD's. The school system may review my portfolio upto 3x's per year, though mine does it only 2x's. My reviewer is an employee of the school district, so there is no fee. The portfolio requirements are mailed to homeschoolers at the beginning of the year and a month before the review. However some homeschoolers just can't seem to pull things together, from some comments. The major problems I could see are reviewers who are ati-homeschool and disorganized or non-teaching parents. Unschoolers may also have a problem pulling a portfolio together. One great advantage here is that I don't need to show ds learned the material (ds had LD's) I just need to show that I made a good effort to teach him. BTW, my reviewer mentioned that from the quality of ds's work, he would no longer qualify for ed support in the classroom. He does better than many of the current students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 You are helping me to clarify my thoughts. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 We keep a portfolio that is evaluated by a certified teacher of our choice here in FL. All the officials see unless they request a special inspection is a paper signed by the teacher stating the student is working on a level commensurate with his/her ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I live in a state where I have the option of a portfolio assessment or testing. I opt for the portfolio method. I can choose my assessor. They have to be a certified teacher in the state of Ohio. There are no requirements as to what has what needs to be in the portfolio, but it is generally accepted that you show samples of the children's work in each subject for each quarter. I did read an advertisement from an assessor the other day that said she wanted to see the intended curriculum you submitted to the BOE at the beginning of the year and then work samples to support it. My assessor looks at the kids portfolios, asks them a few questions in my presence and then signs a form stating she has reviewed the children's work and they are working to their ability. She puts her certification information on the form and I mail it to the BOE with my next Notification of Intent to Homeschool. No one ever sees the actual portfolio of work other than the assessor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 (edited) Each province in Canada has different requirements. In Alberta and British Columbia, the provincial PTB have chosen the carrot over the stick; funding is available for those who report, basically. In our province homeschoolers have two options: registration and enrollment. (Don't you love how bureaucrats picks synonyms for completely different things?) Registration means the parents file a form once a year with a school of their choice stating that they plan to homeschool their child. End of story. Enrollment means the parent enrolls the child as a student similar to distance education. They receive up to $1000 funding for curriculum. (This is still a good bargain for the school or school boards, as opposed to the $5,400+ spent for each p.s. student.) In return they agree to follow the provincial curriculum and submit samples of the student's work to an assigned teacher three times a year. Portfolio requirements (that I am familiar with for the elementary years) usually involve 3-5 samples of math, two writing assignments, a sample from any other language arts area such as grammar or spelling, two samples each for social studies, science and art. Anecdotal comments usually suffice for P.E. and our version of Health known as Career and Personal Planning. There is a lot of teacher discretion, with some teachers more easily satisfied than others. This can lead to happy homeschoolers with a fair amount of flexibility and freedom along with the accountability. Or in the case of more particular teachers, it can drive homeschoolers right back to registration. Edited July 3, 2009 by KathyBC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 We mail our directly to the county homeschool coordinator; I do not bother having it reviewed. At the beginning of the year we designate a particular box/bin/drawer/folder/whatever as a place to put finished assignments. At the end of the year we go through them and toss anything on which Yacko has drawn pictures. :glare: Then we toss anything that doesn't really tell you WHAT the assignment was about. Everything else is bundled up and mailed in to the county. That's it. Some curriculums make this VERY easy. For 2009/2010 we're using CLE for math & language arts (all we're required to report at this stage) so each child's portfolio will consist of the final tests from each lightunit they finish. I have a three-ring binder with three three-pocket poly folders inside it (one folder per child.) Each folder is organized into three catagories: tests not yet taken, math tests completed and language arts tests completed. Next June we'll take each bundle of completed tests sort out all the math and language arts, then put each into a cheap paper folder (math on one side, language arts on the other) for each child and mail those in to the county. Our state law requires the student's portfolio show "adequate progress", but doesn't define what that means. In practice, as long as it's obvious the child is learning SOMETHING and progressing year to year, you're good to go. Using the final test from their lightunits accomplishes that with almost no work at all for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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