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| Date: From: Subject: | 4/30/2009 2:29:14 PM Home School Legal Defense Association HSLDA's Homeschooling Thru the Early Years Newsletter |
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--------------------------------------------------------------------- HSLDA's Homeschooling Thru the Early Years Newsletter April 2009: End-of-Year Assessments ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Spring has sprung, and many a homeschool parent's thoughts drift to--testing! As a homeschool parent, you observe your child on a daily basis and can probably determine pretty accurately in which areas he is strong and in which areas he could use some maturity or additional help. His verbal interaction with you, his hands-on activities, written work, periodic subject-matter tests (if you use them), and his achievement of goals you have set for him are all informal indicators of his progress. Many parents find it reassuring to have some sort of guidelines for academic milestones, such as Robin Sampson's "What Your Child Needs to Know When" http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6459 --with checklists for evaluating progress in language arts, math, science, and social studies (K-8th) as well as character development. However, in some states http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6460 , the law may require that you periodically demonstrate academic progress. Some states require standardized testing, while others may allow for a teacher letter or some other form of evaluation. Regardless of the legal requirement, you may want to conduct a more formal assessment for your own purposes. Let's face it--when the results come in, you often feel like those results are yours, not your child's! So how can you lessen the anxiety--for you and your student? CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS The method you choose for your child will depend upon your state's legal requirements, if applicable, and/or your family's philosophical preference. Consider also the format that will best reflect your child's true progress: While a visual learner may test well on paper, a hands-on or auditory learner may be better assessed by an evaluation or a test utilizing personal interaction, rather than a paper-and-pencil test. In that case, you might choose to administer a standardized test first, leaving time for a follow-up if the results don't match what you've witnessed in his day-to-day progress. Or you may opt for an untimed test to reduce testing anxiety. Visit our site for more information about the three most commonly used methods of assessment: > Standardized http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6461 > Evaluations http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6462 > Portfolio submission. http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6463 KNOW THE DEADLINES Be aware of your state's deadline to turn in results of testing or performance assessment. Be sure to order your tests in time to receive the scores back before that deadline. Check with the company for the expected turnaround time (for example, some testing sources are swamped in May and have 7-week turnarounds then, but April or June may be 2-week turnaround times). Remember to test early enough to retest if desired. RETESTING "Why would I retest?" you wonder. If your child scores below the acceptable percentile (which varies by state) or you believe his score was low for any of various reasons, you might want to consider retesting or using another form of evaluation or assessment. (For example, you sent the test materials in for scoring and the next day he broke out in the measles, or later that night you realized he had a fever and could barely read the questions, or found out the next week that he needs glasses, etc.) If you have reason to believe that the results were not an accurate reflection of his achievement, a retest or re-evaluation is an option. PREPARE YOUR STUDENT The test will have questions ranging from below the testing grade level to well above grade level, so it is important for your child to understand that you do not expect him to know all the answers. Otherwise, he may panic when he encounters material with which he is not familiar. As parents, we must remember that if and when we test our children in everyday studies, we do it to check that they have learned all the material presented and we expect (hope for?) a score of 100. Consequently, it is critical that the child understands that we don't expect him to know all the answers on this test, but we simply want to find out how many he does know, that some of them are--deliberately--too hard for him, and he should just do his best. If a timed test is too stressful for your child, consider an untimed test such as the Stanford 10, or another method of assessment (if possible). Be sure to visit our website for more information on testing tips http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6464 and test resources http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6465 , as well as other options such as evaluations and portfolios. KEEP THE RESULTS IN PERSPECTIVE Even if your child doesn't do as well as you might expect, think of the test or evaluation as simply a tool to assess progress, to let you know the areas in which he is doing well and the areas in which you may need some work. Maybe he did as well as you'd hoped, or maybe you overestimated his understanding of a particular subject area. As you review the results, consider the goals http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6466 you set earlier in the year. How did you do? http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6467 Are you on target or do you need to adjust the course a bit to reach the desired destination on this "journey" of home education? Remember that a test or evaluation is just one "snapshot" of his academic progress and of your child as a person. He is more than the sum of his test results! This time of year can be a wonderful reminder to thank God for this uniquely-gifted child He has given you--and to trust Him to continue to guide your choices and approaches. Encouraging you in the home stretch for this year, Vicki Vicki Bentley HSLDA Early Years Coordinator www.hslda.org/earlyyears 540-338-5600 earlyyears@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Have you ever yelled into the wind, only to hear the sound of your voice blown back at you? It's hard to be heard in the midst of a storm. Trying to influence federal legislation is much like yelling to be heard while standing in a fierce wind. Yet when 80,000 voices join together, they become a powerful force that cannot be drowned out. Join HSLDA to be heard above the tempests that threaten homeschool freedoms. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1939 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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