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| Date: From: Subject: | 8/9/2011 4:07:49 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Iowa--Homeschoolers Prevail: State Repudiates its Restriction on No-Cost Testing |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Iowa--Homeschoolers Prevail: State Repudiates its Restriction on No-Cost Testing Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: After homeschool advocates worked furiously behind the scenes, the Iowa Department of Education finally acknowledged last week that dual-enrolled students have a right no-cost testing without taking public school classes. We first alerted you to the developing problem on September 29 and October 10, 2010. Around that time the Department announced a new policy that dual-enrolled homeschoolers should not get no-cost testing unless they also signed up for public school classes. The Department began the process of turning its policy into an official regulation. The Department soon backed off from creating a regulation, but did not change its policy. Families discovered that public schools were suddenly denying access to no-cost testing unless the student also took at least one public school class. I pointed out to the Department that Iowa law states plainly that a dual-enrolled student "shall not be required to pay the costs of any annual evaluation under this chapter." It's a matter of equity: the state demands a year-end assessment, so the state says it will cover the cost in specific situations. After I made my point, we received word in November that the Department was going to revisit the issue. But when the Department published the 2011-2012 version of the CPI (competent private instruction) form, it had removed testing from the list of services a family could receive under dual enrollment. The Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators (NICHE) sent the Department stacks of proof showing that--for two decades--the Department itself agreed that the law entitles homeschoolers to no-cost testing without taking classes. NICHE representatives told the director of the Department that NICHE would consider legislation if the Department refused to follow the law. The Department subsequently announced that all students--even those not dual enrolled--could get free testing as a "courtesy". This magnanimous yet perplexing statement side-stepped the real issue: whether a dual-enrolled student has an actual right to no-cost testing. NICHE kept the pressure up. On August 2, the Department did an about-face. It fixed the CPI form and publicly announced that no-cost testing is available even for students who don't sign up for other classes! If you have already filed your CPI form for this year, you probably used the old version which did not list testing as an available service. If you want testing, and didn't pencil in "testing" as a service you wanted, we recommend that--before the August 26 deadline--you file an updated CPI form indicating that you want testing. To reduce the likelihood of confusion, either ask your school system to give you back your old form, or pencil in "updated" on the top of your new form, and be sure to keep a copy. Sincerely, Scott Woodruff HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Is customer service an art or a science? For us, good customer service is both an art and a science -it should appeal to our members and be effective. Consider what our members say about us: The freedom HSLDA allows me to have as I homeschool is wonderful! They handle the law and I get to dedicate the time to my daughter. - National City, CA HSLDA members since 1993, our membership is just as important to us as our children's curriculum. 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