bkpan Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 My state does not have mandatory testing, but Id like to test some of my kids to find out where they are at. I was thinking of having my 11yo, finishing up mostly 6th grade work tested, and maybe my 9yo, finishing up 4th grade, as well. So, a group in my area is doing the SAT tests. Could I have my dc, at their ages, take that? Or should it be another test? It looks like it takes 2 days? (Cant believe that I dont know this yet!:tongue_smilie:) Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Assuming that you are referring to the Stanford Acheivement Tests (and not the Scholastic Aptitude Test, given in high school for college entrance), then YES, that would be a good option for your kids. These tests are untimed, I believe, and are administered in a group setting. A homeschooler can administer it to her own children, but only if she simultaneously administers it to a child NOT her own. Another option, if you have a college degree, is to give them the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills). You can administer this at home, and take as much time as you want. The tests are timed, but there is no rule regarding how many tests are given on the same day. For first time testers, this is a good option because you can gauge your children's reactions, and stop before they get stressed. Again, you need to have a college degree to administer this test yourself. I've done both the Stanford and the ITBS with my kids, and got similar results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkpan Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Assuming that you are referring to the Stanford Acheivement Tests (and not the Scholastic Aptitude Test, given in high school for college entrance), then YES, that would be a good option for your kids. These tests are untimed, I believe, and are administered in a group setting. A homeschooler can administer it to her own children, but only if she simultaneously administers it to a child NOT her own. Another option, if you have a college degree, is to give them the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills). You can administer this at home, and take as much time as you want. The tests are timed, but there is no rule regarding how many tests are given on the same day. For first time testers, this is a good option because you can gauge your children's reactions, and stop before they get stressed. Again, you need to have a college degree to administer this test yourself. I've done both the Stanford and the ITBS with my kids, and got similar results. Thank you for the help! So, is it the ITBS that you get through Bob Jones? Or can you get it from somewhere else? Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 You can get either the Stanford or the ITBS through Bob Jones. Go to http://www.bjupress.com, then follow the links by clicking on Homeschools, then Testing and Evaluation. Click either Stanford or ITBS to see the requirements for administering it yourself. I just looked, and you need a bachelor's degree in order to be an administrator. I've done it, and it's no problem. You just need to fax them a copy of your diploma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacklyn Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 http://www.pesdirect.com I have ordered the ITBS from them for several years, and I have been very pleased. You do have to have a bachelor's degree to administer the test. My kids actually enjoy their week of testing--which was why I started giving it to them. I wanted them to get used to taking tests but not be terribly stressed by it. Best wishes, Jacklyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 We did the ITBS, also. Just for ease, I took a digital photo of my (framed!) diploma and attached that to the app. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Another less expensive ($25) option is the CAT from Seton http://www.setonhome.org . A degree is not a prerequisite for administering the California Achievement test. We've done the CAT and ITBS here. The ITBS is longer, the CAT takes 2 to 2.5 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 The ITBS or SAT are excellent tests to use. Having it administered in a group (like future college entrance tests will be) is preferable. Plus, you can only administer the SAT as a parent if you test several non-related children at the same time. I would say go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 My dd is 9 and in the 3rd grade. We are doing the SAT test through our homeschool group this year to be sure that what we think are her strong/weak areas really are. I was told to get the practice book from Rainbow Resource to get her used to testing in this manner, and it was eye opening that she had no idea how to take a 'real' test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 we did the Iowa this year through Piedmont. It was very easy. Yes, it is timed, but you can spread it out. Locally, the groups take 3 days (about 2 hours/day) to complete the elementary/jr high test. We did it in 4 days spreading out the number of tests. Yes, you do need a bachelor's degree to administer the test. Correct me if I am wrong, but this is a requirement of the manufacturers of the test and not just Piedmont. BJU has additional requirements and I think they reflect SC state law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hewitt has the PASS test. I gave the ITBS one year and the PASS the next. I liked how the PASS test worked. You can learn more here: http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com/test/tmain.asp Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Ny State also accepts the PASS test. I'll use it again this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 My state does not have mandatory testing, but Id like to test some of my kids to find out where they are at. I was thinking of having my 11yo, finishing up mostly 6th grade work tested, and maybe my 9yo, finishing up 4th grade, as well. So, a group in my area is doing the SAT tests. Could I have my dc, at their ages, take that? Or should it be another test? It looks like it takes 2 days? (Cant believe that I dont know this yet!:tongue_smilie:) Kim There are certainly some benefits to the group test experience (working at one's own pace while other students work faster or slower, learning to do the test with some distractions, listening to the directions of the proctor), if you are going to test at home and you are looking just for a spot check of holes in what you might have covered, there are other ways too. You could administer the sample tests in a practice book. I have used the Spectrum series test prep books. There are pretests, sections that teach how to consider various types of questions (for example how to answer a question with words like always and never) and then a sample full length test. The current Spectrum books (which is not aligned to one specific test) run about $10 each. I have also occasionally given my kids the multiple choice tests for the Virginia Standards of Learning. You can find released tests from the VDOE website. These tests are aligned to the Virginia public school standards but can still help you spot if there is something your kids haven't learned or retained (for example, I realized that I hadn't taught my kids about amphibians). Since these are the actual government tests, they are available for free. I'm sure you can find other practice exams for other states. I was familiar with Virginia's SOLs so I've gone back to use them. One other comment. If you're just testing for your own info and considering using Bob Jones, they give a discount on tests administered in the fall, which is a slower time for them. I'm planning on testing in October because our school year got very misaligned this year and I don't have to submit test scores to anyone this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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