WA WTMers doing high school: Annual testing?

[WTMCassandra]

We in Washington State have to test every year and retain the scores. I get that. It's easy for the lower grades up through grade 8. But what do you do in high school?

 

Can I start letting my children take the ACT and or the SAT early and use that as my test every year?

 

What do you folks do?

 

Thanks!

[jananc]

I'm bumping this because I'm curious, too. We have to test yearly in NC as well.

 

Anyone?

[NancyL]

For the 9th and 10 graders I liked the PSAT or the PLAN. They are shorter tests and seem like they would be a nice way to acclimate to this type of test. The PLAN has kind of a built in interest questionaire for careers, plus the different breakdown of concepts included in the English and math. They are reasonable in price, and can be used as a starting point for prepping. You don't want them to be burned out --when it counts! The PSAT is given usually the first week in October in the highschools (on a Sat--is the only one the homeschoolers can try) They also offer it on Saturday to encourage the other grades to try it. The school itself gives it to the 11th graders for free during the week (we are not allowed to go to that one) The Sat. one is OK, but you only get the one Saturday. I have been able to get the test book (once) and then with the answer sheet you could figure out which ones they missed and went over them.

[Crissy]

Can I start letting my children take the ACT and or the SAT early and use that as my test every year?

 

 

If you decide you want to take that route, you are certainly in compliance with state law. Here is a list of some of the tests approved by the State Board of Education.

[KAR120C]

I'm bumping this because I'm curious, too. We have to test yearly in NC as well.

 

Anyone?

The ACT is fine for NC's annual testing requirement, but not the SAT -- it has to be an "achievement" test, and the SAT is considered a "reasoning" test.

 

Hope this helps!

[Maverick]

My 9th grader took the PSAT this year. He'll take it again next year, and probably also take the ACT at the end of 10th.

[Brindee]

We did the ITBS (Arrrrgh, what's it called for highschool?) with our oldest, and will do that with our ds whose going into 9th next year. We've always done ITBS and we understand how it works, so have stuck with it. It's easy for me to give my kids the test as well. I used to proctor it at a local Christian school, soas I said, we're just used to it.

[WTMCassandra]

The PLAN sounds interesting--is a parent allowed to proctor, or does this need to be done in a group somewhere?

[Susan M in WA]

I had my 9th grader take the PSAT in October and then again in 10th grade. She will take it for real in 11th grade as well as start taking the SAT in 11th and 12.

 

Her older sister took a combo of ITBS, PSAT, and SAT tests during her high school years.

 

PSAT and SAT are both appropriate tests for homeschoolers in WA.

 

If you have a 4 year degree, you can become a proctor for the ITBS which is what we used prior to the college board tests.

[yslek]

Don't have a highschooler yet, but I'm in WA.

 

I plan on having them take the SAT once we get to that point. Even though I wasn't hsed, I took the SAT in 7th grade and found that having the actual testing experience before it "counted" was the best practice for the real thing (in high school).

 

HTH

 

Kelsy