IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Our state requires testing in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, and local testing is available from $45 to $75. I'm looking for lower cost alternatives. So far I know of testing for $25 at www.christianlibertypress.com . Although the test they use (CAT 1970 edition) looks solid, I'd like to know if I have any other options. Thanks so much in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 My kids did the Stanford 10 tests online through Brewer testing. It was decent and took them two mornings. It was $40 for the Stanford 10 and I received their results within an hour of their last test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 My kids did the Stanford 10 tests online through Brewer testing. It was decent and took them two mornings. It was $40 for the Stanford 10 and I received their results within an hour of their last test. Thank you! This looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 Any other options out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 We've always gotten the CAT-E from HERE. It is $25. In NY we test in 5th and 7th (or you can choose to do 4th, 6th, and 8th) and every high school year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 We've always gotten the CAT-E from HERE. It is $25. In NY we test in 5th and 7th (or you can choose to do 4th, 6th, and 8th) and every high school year. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 A Beka Testing has the SAT10 online for $35. I've never used them though. I just ordered our first SAT10/OLSAT combo from BJU Testing... the SAT10 by itself is $29 for grade 4 and up... For some reason Grade 3 and below is $39. This is paper version. They also have the ITBS for $29. Does your state specify which tests are allowed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 A Beka Testing has the SAT10 online for $35. I've never used them though. I just ordered our first SAT10/OLSAT combo from BJU Testing... the SAT10 by itself is $29 for grade 4 and up... For some reason Grade 3 and below is $39. This is paper version. They also have the ITBS for $29. Does your state specify which tests are allowed? Thank you! I'm not sure about our state, but our district only accepts the (copy and pasted from their website): TerraNova Iowa Test of Basic Skills/Test of Achievement and Proficiency (ITBS forms A and B Metropolitan Achievement Tests (MAT 7 and MAT 8) Stanford Achievement Test Battery (Stanford 9 and Stanford 10) It looks like the SAT is our only online option that I'm aware of at present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 The local testers use the "CAT/TerraNova 2 test (Grades 1-3) and the CTBS/TerraNova 1 test (Grades 4-12)". Also, "an additional "Plus Test" can be taken for students in the 4th-12th grades. This exam will test additional subject areas including: vocabulary, language mechanics, spelling, and mathematic computation. It will give a broader assessment of the student's standardized achievement." I need to look into why one test is chosen over another, and I'm not sure what the CTBS is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 The local testers use the "CAT/TerraNova 2 test (Grades 1-3) and the CTBS/TerraNova 1 test (Grades 4-12)". Also, "an additional "Plus Test" can be taken for students in the 4th-12th grades. This exam will test additional subject areas including: vocabulary, language mechanics, spelling, and mathematic computation. It will give a broader assessment of the student's standardized achievement." I need to look into why one test is chosen over another, and I'm not sure what the CTBS is. The link you listed for TerraNova is the 3rd edition. The TerraNova 2nd edition is also called CAT6. And the TerraNova 1 is the first edition. I don't know what CTBS is either. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 The link you listed for TerraNova is the 3rd edition. The TerraNova 2nd edition is also called CAT6. And the TerraNova 1 is the first edition. I don't know what CTBS is either. :lol: Oh good! I'm not the only one. :lol: You mentioned that you're choosing the SAT. Is there a reason you picked it? For some reason I feel that the SAT is probably the most difficult of our testing options. I have no clue if that's true, and it's not that a more difficult test is a bad thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 A Beka Testing has the SAT10 online for $35. I've never used them though. I just ordered our first SAT10/OLSAT combo from BJU Testing... the SAT10 by itself is $29 for grade 4 and up... For some reason Grade 3 and below is $39. This is paper version. They also have the ITBS for $29. Does your state specify which tests are allowed? I don't know for sure why the SAT10 would be more expensive for the lower grades, because we use the ITBS, also from BJU Press. But I can tell you that in the lower grades, the ITBS response sheet is many more pages than it is in the later grades, because the kids fill their answers in directly in the student test booklet. I would assume that it costs more because it's more pages to print and score. I've always been happy with the testing service provided by BJU Press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 I don't know for sure why the SAT10 would be more expensive for the lower grades, because we use the ITBS, also from BJU Press. But I can tell you that in the lower grades, the ITBS response sheet is many more pages than it is in the later grades, because the kids fill their answers in directly in the student test booklet. I would assume that it costs more because it's more pages to print and score. I've always been happy with the testing service provided by BJU Press. BJU does the ITBS? I got the impression from their website that the offer training if you want to become an administrator, but I didn't clearly see that they offer homeschoolers the testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 This is all I could find about BJU ITBS testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Administering the ITBS does not require training. Anyone who sells it to you should be verifying that you're qualified to administer it (most administrators qualify by having a bachelor's degree). It's about the same price where I got it, http://www.triangleeducationassessments.com/home.php?cat=249 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 This is all I could find about BJU ITBS testing. If you click on the button "Homeschools: Order the Iowa Tests," and then click on the grade level you want at the bottom of the resulting screen, you'll be able to order the tests. I believe you have to send them a copy of your college diploma before they'll consider you an "approved administrator" and sell you the tests. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 If you click on the button "Homeschools: Order the Iowa Tests," and then click on the grade level you want at the bottom of the resulting screen, you'll be able to order the tests. I believe you have to send them a copy of your college diploma before they'll consider you an "approved administrator" and sell you the tests. Best wishes! Okay, this isn't an option for us because I don't have a bachelor of arts or science degree or teacher certification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Oh good! I'm not the only one. :lol: You mentioned that you're choosing the SAT. Is there a reason you picked it? For some reason I feel that the SAT is probably the most difficult of our testing options. I have no clue if that's true, and it's not that a more difficult test is a bad thing. I chose SAT because it's what they use in schools (public and private) in my area. I even remember taking the SAT when I was in school, since 1st grade. :D I think SAT and ITBS are supposed to be equivalent in difficulty. BJU Testing allows you to order paper tests from them. You need to sign up to be an administrator, but it's an easy process - tell them when/where you got your degree in (Bachelor's is required), and watch a 6 minute video if you're doing SAT. ITBS doesn't require the video. The video is free online at BJU, so it's not a big deal. The approval takes a few days, and then you can start ordering tests. You give it at home, send it back, get the scores back in a couple weeks. You can order SAT10, OLSAT, ITBS, and CogAT from BJU Testing. They don't have an online option currently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtney_Ostaff Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 .... I'm not sure what the CTBS is. Terra Nova® Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) Plus Edition (grades K-12) $50 http://www.brewertesting.com/TerraNova.htmlFWIW, the state of WV, and most other states, used the CTBS test for *years*. It is a norm-referenced test. It got replaced by criterion referenced tests when NCLB came around. RTT has created PARCC and Smarter Balance. criterion-referenced tests involve a cutscore, where the test taker passes if their score exceeds the cutscore and fails if it does not (the ACT, for example) norm-referenced test (NRT) identifies whether the test taker performed better or worse than other historical, test takers (E.g., IQ tests) ipsative assessment is the practice of assessing present performance against the prior performance of the person being assessed (what most teachers do) ​Mostly from Wikipedia Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 CTBS was the test that I used all through my personal elementary/middle school years. This was in Florida (during the early/mid 70s). Florida puts its focus on the FCAT. I don't believe the CTBS is used as widely today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 It looks like the CAT (and also here with an online version), SAT, and Terra Nova are all possibilities. Thanks ladies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I just wanted to say thanks to the op for this thread, and to Arcadia for the Brewer recommendation. I wanted to do a test this May to wind down our school year. We've hs'd for 3 years now w/out testing. I'm definitely opting for the online Stanford 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtney_Ostaff Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Slightly off topic, but here's a good explanation of cut scores: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/29/the-scary-way-common-core-test-cut-scores-are-selected/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Has anyone used the OLSAT test? I'm curious how much more info I would get by doing the OLSAT along with the SAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Has anyone used the OLSAT test? I'm curious how much more info I would get by doing the OLSAT along with the SAT.My kids did the OLSAT with SAT10 combo. Nothing that I didn't already know but it was useful for hubby to see how our boys score on the OLSAT. My 2nd grader did the 4th grade OLSAT with the 3rd grade SAT10. What info do you hope to get from the OLSAT score? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 My kids did the OLSAT with SAT10 combo. Nothing that I didn't already know but it was useful for hubby to see how our boys score on the OLSAT. My 2nd grader did the 4th grade OLSAT with the 3rd grade SAT10. What info do you hope to get from the OLSAT score? Well, that's sort of my question. What kind info does it provide? Will it help define areas of weakness as relates to learning disabilities? (Although I already know their strengths and weaknesses from working with them and observation, sometimes it's nice to have it on paper for other people (like the husband, as you said.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Well, that's sort of my question. What kind info does it provide? Will it help define areas of weakness as relates to learning disabilities? There were two sections, verbal and non-verbal, each with 36 questions. The non-verbal is basically logic questions. It is a timed test. I did look while they were doing and the OLSAT won't be able to identify any LD. My 8 year old is more of a VSL and he got all his non-verbal correct except he ran out of time. Both my kids hit the 99th percentile for OLSAT which made my hubby pay up for the CTY JHU SCAT tests. If you look while your child is taking the test, you can see what kind of questions would cause you child to take a longer time. For example my 8 year old took a long time to read the wordy questions but he did get them correct. So for him, reading speed and pacing is the issue. My 9 year old finish ahead of time and his mistakes were due to not reading carefully. If the logic questions are the time taking ones, then it could easily be due to less exposure to logic puzzles. I didn't look at all the questions but they remind me of the MENSA quiz kind. ETA: Now I can't find the sample OLSAT report. What else you need to know, I can just type from my boys' reports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 If you have a BS/BS degree or higher, you can get qualified to administer the IOWA tests on your own. Takes 5 minutes through BJU Press and the test costs $29. ETA: Oops! I just read where this isn't an option for you. Anyone with a BS/BA degree can administer the test, though, for the same price (parent, neighbor, spouse); they just have to fill out the forms at BJU Press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 If you have a BS/BS degree or higher, you can get qualified to administer the IOWA tests on your own. Takes 5 minutes through BJU Press and the test costs $29. ETA: Oops! I just read where this isn't an option for you. Anyone with a BS/BA degree can administer the test, though, for the same price (parent, neighbor, spouse); they just have to fill out the forms at BJU Press. I hadn't thought of this. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
There'sNoPlaceLikeHome Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 We have used ABeka Testing for the Stanford 10 (SAT) for the last two years. Each student must have his own computer and each grade level must have a separate phone line for the entire test. A proctor administers the test to students over a conference call. It runs M-F mornings, twice per year. ABeka also has Iowa Basics, but we have never used that test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 There were two sections, verbal and non-verbal, each with 36 questions. The non-verbal is basically logic questions. It is a timed test. I did look while they were doing and the OLSAT won't be able to identify any LD. My 8 year old is more of a VSL and he got all his non-verbal correct except he ran out of time. Both my kids hit the 99th percentile for OLSAT which made my hubby pay up for the CTY JHU SCAT tests. If you look while your child is taking the test, you can see what kind of questions would cause you child to take a longer time. For example my 8 year old took a long time to read the wordy questions but he did get them correct. So for him, reading speed and pacing is the issue. My 9 year old finish ahead of time and his mistakes were due to not reading carefully. If the logic questions are the time taking ones, then it could easily be due to less exposure to logic puzzles. I didn't look at all the questions but they remind me of the MENSA quiz kind. ETA: Now I can't find the sample OLSAT report. What else you need to know, I can just type from my boys' reports. Thank you. This is helpful. It sounds like (for me), it wouldn't be worth the extra $40. I appreciate you taking the time to answer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 We have used ABeka Testing for the Stanford 10 (SAT) for the last two years. Each student must have his own computer and each grade level must have a separate phone line for the entire test. A proctor administers the test to students over a conference call. It runs M-F mornings, twice per year. ABeka also has Iowa Basics, but we have never used that test. This is great. Thank you! 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.