Second Grade Testing
    Until 1997, fourth, eighth, and eleventh grade home school students submitted to annual testing in compliance with South Dakota Codified Laws Annotated (SDCLA) §13-27-3 and state department of educational and cultural affairs policy. In 1997, however, a new testing statute was adopted, SDCLA §13-3-55. For the first time, testing of second graders was made an issue.
    Because the state attorney general’s office proposed an unconstitutional interpretation of the statute, Home School Legal Defense Association is encouraging our member families to take a cautious approach.
    HSLDA recommends that home school families arrange to have a nationally standardized test administered to second grade children, but not file the scores when applying for the annual excuse from public school attendance. If you receive any response from your local school board on the second grade testing issue, please send it to us immediately and we will deal with each on a case-by-case basis.