Testing? Beginning & End of the Year?

[mytwomonkeys]

I'm in a state where we have end-year evaluations with a certified teacher. My evaluator mentioned last year that she likes to see the same test given at the beginning of the year & then taken at the end of the year to evaluate progress (i do keep a portfolio that is huge by the end of the year & filled with obvious progress fwiw). Anyway, is there a free test online that might work for this? I wouldn't mind having it as a gauge, but I'd rather not pay for a test that my son needs to take 2x a year to simply show progress alone.

[amyrobynne]

That seems a little goofy - shouldn't the end of 1 year and the beginning of the next look pretty similar? If I was going to test twice, I'd think about Jan and May, not Sept and May.

[mytwomonkeys]

Yes, it is a little strange. I agree. I normally don't do any testing at all honestly, at least not common core standardized. It isn't required in my state (and my daughter started 6th grade at the public school this year after only homeschooling and transitioned fine, so I must be doing something good :)). I have a large portfolio that has clear samples of their work each month and displays obvious progress throughout the school year. I've never given a test at the beginning of the year though for the sake of simply giving it again at the end of the year to display progress.

 

Maybe if I give the same writing assignment now & again in May - to show his improvement? Maybe I could have him do copy work of a specific passage now & later, to show contrast in penmanship over the course of the year? Can you think of other things I could do for math, history, science, etc?

 

Does that make sense? I feel like this would work well & IMO serve as a better gauge for what she is asking.

 

Thanks for any thoughts!!

[boscopup]

There are some state tests available free online, like old TAKS and FCAT (Texas and Florida), but personally, I think testing once per year at the same time of year would be sufficient for seeing progress. So test in the spring this school year, then test in the spring next school year. You should see progress between those.

 

For reading and math only, you could do the DORA/DOMA testing. It's not free though. HSBC has each of those for $15. It's from Let's Go Learn.

[Ellie]

Well, if *I* were in your shoes--and I'm not, so there you go--I'd tell her no, I'm not going to do testing twice a year. She'd have to base her evaluation on the progress between the previous year's end-of-year test and this year's end-of-year test, plus any written work my dc had done. Even I can tell how a child has progressed based on that.

[melmichigan]

None of the public schools in my area test twice a year.  That would be a nightmare for them.  Does your state require twice a year testing?  If not I would politely decline.  I could understand more frequent reading testing when they are younger, such as with the DORA, our schools do that, but not across the board testing twice a year.  

 

 

[Tidbits of Learning]

A long time ago (lol) when I was in private school, we tested twice a year.  We tested in Oct. and April I think.  We did the IOWA test both times and it was fairly painless.  That was before test prep became a thing though and since it wasn't public school...it really was to see how we were doing an progressing.  Often times, it would help to move you up or down in reading group or math labs and the like.  I know how they used the results from Oct. to April and back again.  I can't really see how it would help in homeschool though b/c you aren't in reading groups by levels or math labs by level.  I don't know of any free alternatives that are going to give her the printout she is wanting to look at and evaluate.

It sounds like she wants to just use the tests to evaluate and not go over the portfolio.  You are paying the evaluator, right?  Do you get to choose your evaluator?  I might would tell her that I thought the portfolio was sufficient and the test from the previous spring to the current spring shows plenty of growth.  If she wasn't keen on that, then I would start asking around about a different evaluator.

The cheapest tests that I think you could do would be the CAT tests.  It is relatively painless to do them with CLP's computerized ones with instant results, but you are looking at $50 for 2 tests.  Unless you feel it is necessary, I wouldn't incur extra expense.  It honestly sounds like she doesn't want to put too much effort into evaluating and just wants to look at 2 tests scores, be done, and get her check.

 

 

[mytwomonkeys]

Thanks everyone. I'm just going to stick with the portfolio and I will have my son take a test at the end of the year. I've never given him an "end year" test before, so she won't be able to compare it to anything. However if he takes a 4th grade standardized test and does well, isn't that all that matters? That he as at grade level? I'm not worried about him. I know his strengths & weaknesses. He's a smart kid and is doing well. So I guess the only thing I'll add this year is a test to verify that. :)

 

Thanks for all of the replies!!

[GoVanGogh]

If I remember correctly, the ITBS states that you can administer their test only once per year.

[AimeeM]

Huh? That seems a bit silly.

There are only a few months between the end of one school year (and only a couple months in some areas), and the beginning of the next.

[Arcadia]

 I've never given a test at the beginning of the year though for the sake of simply giving it again at the end of the year to display progress.

The virtual academies are using Scantron to do beginning and end of year testing. They are checking for progress. The brick and mortar schools do beginning of year testing for reading comprehension and math because of backsliding during summer.  For some students, the reading test results are lower at back to school than before summer holidays.

 

Just explaining why it is done.

[mytwomonkeys]

The virtual academies are using Scantron to do beginning and end of year testing. They are checking for progress. The brick and mortar schools do beginning of year testing for reading comprehension and math because of backsliding during summer. For some students, the reading test results are lower at back to school than before summer holidays.

 

Just explaining why it is done.

That helps. Thank you! I can actually understand the value of it for schools. I think I will just give him a test at the end of our year in May. It may not show progress, but it will show he is on target, and that should be sufficient IMO. I'm actually not required to test at all, so this will go above and beyond what is needed. Our portfolio will have plenty of work samples too.

[Ellie]

That helps. Thank you! I can actually understand the value of it for schools. I think I will just give him a test at the end of our year in May. It may not show progress, but it will show he is on target, and that should be sufficient IMO. I'm actually not required to test at all, so this will go above and beyond what is needed. Our portfolio will have plenty of work samples too.

 

You're not required to test at all? Then oh heck no. In fact, if you're doing a portfolio, and testing isn't required by law, then I wouldn't even test at the end of the year.

 

Probably it's a good thing that I homeschooled in California where homeschoolers have no accountability, lol.

 

And yes, testing once a year *does* show progress (if progress has actually been made from the previous year). Is this person new at her job???

[mytwomonkeys]

I'm in FL and the way I'm registered as a homeschooler requires me to keep a portfolio and meet with a certified teacher at the end of each year. My evaluator is really super nice & actually has homeschooled herself up until this year. I wanted to comply with what she asked to make things easier - that's all. My portfolio is supposed to have beginning, mid-year, and end-year samples to show progress. That is all. I keep way more than that & our portfolios definitely show that my kids are not dawdling. I actually moved here from SC (where I didn't have to meet with anyone) so I know our portfolios are over the top because I find the whole thing very stressful, and I over prepare because of it. My son may go to public middle school in a couple of years (like my daughter) so I am definitely aware of where he needs to be and probably follow the PS scope and sequence more closely than a lot of homeschoolers. Even if I give my son an end-year test, I will probably choose something free or cheap. To pay for the evaluation and also a test, is money that requires budgeting, and I'd rather not spend more than I have too.

[mytwomonkeys]

I agree. I wouldn't test at all if I didn't have to. We have to test on some years. I have found it to be a complete waste of time and money.

Why did you find it a waste? Just wondering.

[Ellie]

I'm in FL and the way I'm registered as a homeschooler requires me to keep a portfolio and meet with a certified teacher at the end of each year. My evaluator is really super nice & actually has homeschooled herself up until this year. I wanted to comply with what she asked to make things easier - that's all. My portfolio is supposed to have beginning, mid-year, and end-year samples to show progress. That is all. I keep way more than that & our portfolios definitely show that my kids are not dawdling. I actually moved here from SC (where I didn't have to meet with anyone) so I know our portfolios are over the top because I find the whole thing very stressful, and I over prepare because of it. My son may go to public middle school in a couple of years (like my daughter) so I am definitely aware of where he needs to be and probably follow the PS scope and sequence more closely than a lot of homeschoolers. Even if I give my son an end-year test, I will probably choose something free or cheap. To pay for the evaluation and also a test, is money that requires budgeting, and I'd rather not spend more than I have too.

 

Well, the law does not require you to do standardized testing. Overcompliance with the law is rarely a good thing. If the law gives *you* the option of testing or portfolios and you choose portfolios, and the says that your portfolio is supposed to have beginning, mid-year, and end of year samples, then that's all you have to provide, and it's what the evaluator must use. Don't provide more than the law requires, because not only is it a burden for you--even though you're used to it--you're setting up the same situation for other homeschoolers.