The options homeschool families choose depend largely upon the state in which they live and the corresponding laws and regulations. Each state determines the guidelines for standardized testing of homeschool students.
In states such as Minnesota, the law might dictate that the homeschooled child takes a standardized or norm referenced test once each year. In these cases, families have many choices when it comes to the design and testing method used.
The CAT measures across the curriculum and can be administered by the homeschooling parent in the home. Tests are available through many sources, including the Family Learning Organization (FLO) and Christian Liberty Press.
Ordering Standardized Homeschool Tests
Parents can order the tests and administer them at home during a time frame that works for the family and is accepted by the school district. When ordering the CAT from a vendor such as FLO, homeschool parents have the option to choose the testing week months in advance. The advantage is that the parent can plan the testing schedule to ensure a week with as few of distractions as possible.
The disadvantage to this option occurs when testing several children at varying grade levels. In order to make sure that all children in one household can test during the same week the tests need to be ordered sometimes months in advance if the testing is done during the spring, the busiest time of year for test vendors. Otherwise it is not always possible that multiple grade levels requested are available the same week.
When ordering the CAT from Christian Liberty Press, orders are taken over the phone. The tests are then sent to the home and there is no strict return policy on the length of time homeschool families keep the tests, allowing for much more flexibility.
The version available through Christian Liberty Press is considered the older version and it does not test beyond Language Arts and Mathematics. If there are other subjects that need to be tested for a particular state, it is the responsibility of the homeschool parent to assess those areas.
Homeschool Tests Administered by Parents
Students usually test over a period of several days for up to 2 or 3 hours each day. Depending upon the test version and grade level, parents will read the directions and give an example or two, then instruct the student on the time allowed for the specific section.
When the student has finished the entire test, the parent returns the answer key and test supplies to the testing vendor. Each vendor has guidelines for this process, and each vendor has different time periods allowed for this process.
Standardized Test Results
Parents should make copies of the answer keys and retain them for personal records. There have been instances where testing materials have been lost in the mail and parents were able to supply the exam key copies for grading purposes so that the students did not have to retake the tests.
Once the tests have been graded by the test vendor, results are sent to the homeschool parents. Those test results give varieties of statistics, including average rankings, for each subject tested.
Homeschooling parents are responsible for following the laws of their states for conducting the standardized tests and collecting those results. In Minnesota, for example, homeschool parents are not required by law to supply those results to any school official. The parents accept the responsibility to evaluate those results, and agree to seek further academic assistance for their children when falling below the 33rd percentile in rankings.
Homeschool students who are testing for the first time or who are nervous about the process sometimes benefit from practice tests. Spectrum publishers have grade specific consumable workbooks in a standardized testing format. Students gain practice with tests that require them to shade in circles to represent answers and timed versions of tests.
Homeschoolers Have Choices for Standardized Tests
There are standardized tests available to homeschooling children other than the CAT, such as the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Some tests are oral exams given by an outside tester, and others are sometimes administered in homeschool group settings. It is up to the parent and the laws of the state to determine which test is most appropriate.
There are many choices for standardized testing of homeschooling children and various vendors for these products. The California Achievement Test is popular among homeschooling families, but is not the only option. As long as state laws are met, families can also choose to try different tests throughout different years in order to find one that meets their needs.
Chris Oldenburg - The homeschooling mother of four children, I am also a freelance technical writer. After more than 10 years of homeschooling I enjoy the ...
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