ssavings Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Ihave time before I have to deal with this, but I'd like to know... portfolio evaluation or standardized testing? Why? To add, I live in a state that requires one or the other... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 We live in Florida, too. We usually do the portfolio review, mostly because I don't feel like taking the time and energy to search out standardized testing. I also enjoy putting together the portfolio as a keepsake, anyway. The exception to this is that once my kids get old enough to start taking the SAT/ACT, we sometimes just submit those results and call it a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 We live in Florida too and we've done standardized testing all along. I like it because I relate to seeing the assessment and numbers. It's just a personal preference. We've had the same tester for every year and she comes to the house to test for a few hours over 2 days. She is a very nice person and we've known her for so long that she is like family. The home testing environment is less distracting and stressful. The children are also learning how to feel comfortable with testing which is a nice thing too. I could do group testing via a local school or coop but like the home environment better. Ordering the test from BJU is a bit of a pain (lots of security regulations) but it is worth it for us. My son did great on the psat and sat which he took in a large group setting and I think the years of testing did make him more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I'm in Virginia. I did standardized testing with my older kids. I just ordered tests for their grade levels (the grade the local district thought they were in) from Seton and administered it. One year the local school system offered the Standford to local homeschool for a fee on a Saturday and we did that. Doing it this way: 1. easy for me 2. provided a record if I decided to enroll my dc in public or private school 3. gave my dc experience in test taking, which like it or not they will have to do forever (college entrance, AP, grad or professional school entrance, licensing and certifications, military entrance and careers) My older two dc do not have learning or intellectual disabilities which would impact test score to the degree this would be a problem. dd has mild dyslexia, but she performs above grade level in all subjects. My youngest has intellectual disabilities, I have not homeschooled him. I am considering it now because of his current school situation. If I did I would have to do a portfolio type evaluation for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I'm in Virginia. I did standardized testing with my older kids. I just ordered tests for their grade levels (the grade the local district thought they were in) from Seton and administered it. One year the local school system offered the Standford to local homeschool for a fee on a Saturday and we did that. In Florida, though, the test has to be administered by a certified teacher in order to "count." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I prefer standardized testing because it gives my kids experience with those types of tests. It also gives me information that I don't already have, meaning how they did on the test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 When I lived in FL, I did portfolio review due to the age of my dc. I did not plan to do standardized testing until middle school. I still have IRL Florida gfs who do bo both. They keep the standardized tests for their records but submit a portfolio review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 In Florida, though, the test has to be administered by a certified teacher in order to "count." Here, if you want you can find an evaluator to administer these tests. My local homeschool resource list has people who organize administration of standardized tests and people who do portfolio evaluations offering services. If I wasn't permitted to do it on my own I would have found a test administrator. I personally think the testing experience is good for the students because they will be subjected to testing through almost any career choice nowadays. Also, the idea of organizing porfolios is daunting to me. It's preference, not necessarily good or bad. You pick what fits your style and you goals just like anything in homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 When we lived in FL I did the Portfolio review, but that was because my oldest was 2nd grade and my next child didn't even need to be reported. Had the Navy let us stay in FL, I probably would have kept using the Portfolio review until middle school. Then switched to testing. Although I think now there is an option of joining an umbrella school so you would then be considered a private school and would just have to do what the umbrella requires. I don't remember this being an option when I lived there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.