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Standardized Testing (done at home)


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We’ve used a few, and I like the NWEA MAP best. It is adaptive, meaning it will adjust the level of the questions up/down until it pinpoints level. Each of the two sections (language and math) takes about an hour, though the test itself is untimed and you can take breaks as needed. The results are thorough and helpful. You can access it at www.affordabletests.com.

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I've done the CAT many times with my kids, sometimes through CLP and sometimes through Seton (I think? It was a catholic provider). Honestly I just use whoever shows up at the homeschool convention with a deal, lol. They have both online and print options.

You can't do it yourself but I'm a HUGE fan of the Woodcock Johnson if you can get someone to administer it. It's done in about 45 minutes, has no ceiling, and kicks out actual grade levels for everything, not equivalences or whatever. It will cost you a fuzz more, but you'll really like the data you get. But the CAT or whatever is fine too. Just google standardized testing service homeschool and I'll bet a scad of places turn up. There are more detailed tests like the Iowa, but I never fiddle around with them. I just test for our state reporting.

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We’ve used the Stanford 10 online. We get it through Seton. It’s untimed and completely online so it’s very easy to administer. You get the results quickly. They look like typical standardized test results. 🙂 Oh, and if you do the full battery test you also get your child’s lexile number. 

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I don't have a review of it yet -- but we went through homeschooltestingservices.com to use a Stanford Achievement Test. We haven't received it yet or used it but it was affordable, and up to date. According to the directions, she takes it, I seal it up and send it back for it to be graded. Untimed test (a big plus here) but she has 2 weeks to get it done once we receive it. Figured I'd throw that option out there. 

 

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For a standardized test that you could grade yourself, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) publishes several old STAAR exams and they are available on their website. You could give them one of those and grade it yourself. Your state may do the same. However, I don't know of any National Exam that you could grade yourself.

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35 minutes ago, Paradox5 said:

My dh has been pushing for the kids to take some kind of test for a bit . Where would I find someone to do this? 

 

I guess start asking around. I connected with a tutor who was able to administer it and then lost contact with her. Psychs can do it. 

If you're asking what else you would take, well I've done a quickie like the CAT from Seton or CLP just to satisfy the state. But in reality a test with no ceiling, something that cranks out actual grade levels, is more informative. BJU has a testing service or used to. Do they still? They had all the major names. I don't really care for a test that includes science, history, etc. I just want math and LA. 

I think it's good to do testing, just because it gets them over that hurdle of fear, newness, filling in dots, all that. But the results probably are going to tell you mostly what you already know. The results we've gotten with the CAT (very short, very cheap) have usually lined up with what I got with free tools (the tests included with SWR, math placement tests online, etc.) and what they've done on the $$$ professional tests like the WIAT and whatnot that psychs do. So to me, just depends on how much time you want to spend on this. The short tests are just shorter, not necessarily inaccurate.

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We do the paper ITBS at home (ordered from Triangle Education Assessments), mail it in, and get a PDF of the results emailed back in a few weeks. The Iowa E online is more expensive.

My only caveat (probably going to be true of any bubble test) is that the spelling section does not give an accurate assessment of the ability to spell words, only the ability to identify the one misspelled word in a list of four.

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We used ITBS, Terra Nova (CAT), and Standflrd 10 at home. (And MAP but that was through our cover school years ago and I don’t think NWEA has an option for individuals).  Of those Stanford 10 was the easiest to administer and gave good info. We used Seton Testing services.

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2 minutes ago, Targhee said:

We used ITBS, Terra Nova (CAT), and Standflrd 10 at home. (And MAP but that was through our cover school years ago and I don’t think NWEA has an option for individuals).  Of those Stanford 10 was the easiest to administer and gave good info. We used Seton Testing services.

 

NWEA MAP is offered to homeschoolers at www.affordabletests.com.

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