Homeschool~ Between years testing, who else has to test their kids?

[Quail_Antwerp]

I am not sure what all the homeschool laws are for each state except for a few. Here in Ohio, we have to prove our kids continue to learn while homeschooling. My kids are finishing up their testing today, and I'll be mailing them in for grading.

I have to send their scores to our local school. It's more or less to prove to the schools that the kids are "where they should be" acedemically so that they won't make me put them back in public school

Here's the kicker....it's the same Standardized Test the public schools give, or a version of it anyway, and while public school kids have to score a 75% or better, a homeschooler only has to score 25% or better What's wrong with this picture?!

We, the parents, aren't allowed to grade the test, or tell our kids when they are wrong. I went through a program that allows the parents to give the test and then we mail it back in for grading.

So, I've peeked

s at the reading section that my daughter has already completed...she's so far only missed one!(I didn't tell her that, though! She's going to have to wait until we get the scores back!) She's doing math this morning, and during the part where I had to read things aloud to her, she missed none!! She's into the word problems and stuff now, where she has to do it herself. I'm distracting myself by posting here so I won't watch her on her test. It's timed, she only has 15 minutes to complete this part of the test....She's about five minutes in...Is it OK that I'm nervous? lol

She has this part of the math plus one more part to math. Math is the subject I'm worried about, as it's not her strong point. She's still struggling with multiplication and division, and both of those are on this test. I doubt she'll do well with those, but that's OK as long as she passes, right?

Language (punctuation/spelling/capitalization) is all that's left after that Math parts. She should be done completely in the next 2 hours, and then I get to start DS on his test.

Really praying they both do well!

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Here's the kicker....it's the same Standardized Test the public schools give, or a version of it anyway, and while public school kids have to score a 75% or better, a homeschooler only has to score 25% or better What's wrong with this picture?!

Wow... Maybe because some homeschooled kids are homeschooled because they have extreme special needs?

I can't think of any reason to consider 25% passing. I don't even think Ds should be passing, but that's my own personal philosophy.

At least it sounds like your daughter will be in the 90th percentile.

Good luck with the testing!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Quote:
Wow... Maybe because some homeschooled kids are homeschooled because they have extreme special needs?

I can't think of any reason to consider 25% passing. I don't even think Ds should be passing, but that's my own personal philosophy.

At least it sounds like your daughter will be in the 90th percentile.

Good luck with the testing!

Thank you!

I sure hope she's in the 90th percentile! A 25% would not be acceptable to me!

 

[pdsavage]

In missouri you have to keep written records to prove they are doing the work...Thats if anyone decides to check your records...
I have know alot of kids whos parents claim to home school(diffrent state) and these kids are left to do what ever and learn nothing....

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

pdsavage, I hear that a lot from people. We mix some busy work with unschooling, and use daily life as lessons for learning. Everything is a learning experience.

I just called the place we get our tests through, and I think I'm going to enroll my kids in their curriculum. I pay a flat tuition, they send all the texts books and stuff, we send in the work, they grade it, and then my kids get regular report cards and if they complete the program, a nationally recognized Diploma.

It's not on computer, and it's still homeschool. We get 12 months to complete the grade level instead of it being all crammed into a few months. Plus, I'll still have the freedom to choose which days they do lessons on.

I think I'm going to like this new program!

Tuition even includes the cost of their end of the year testing! By using this program, my kids should have no problems keeping up with the kids their age!

 

[DuckyBoys]

In Colorado you test every odd grade level starting in 3rd.

The 25% isn't "passing". It is making progress. Homeschool kids don't "pass" anything. They move forward. If they are moving forward, then the parent is doing their job and that is the purpose of homeschool testing.

We also don't teach to a test like "schools" do, but most homeschoolers excel on their testing. My son's 3rd grade results put his language arts skills at about 8th grade and he is just your average kid. It will be interesting to see where he is at the end of next year (7th) because we skipped two grade levels in math since the last test.

Ohio is one of the more restrictive states for homeschoolers - they are constantly being challenged legally for violating their own homeschool laws.

Colorado homeschol law is...well, typical Colorado law. They stay out of people's business for the most part and that is why people live here.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Actually, there are no homeschooling laws in Ohio. The schools here cannot deny the parents the right to homeschool, even though they try.

There are agreed upon guidelines that Homeschooling Parents and the Department of Education both must follow.

My school district is in compliance, as when they send out the letter recognizing that I'm homeschooling they confirm I am in compliance.

My mom's school district where she homeschools my younger brother and sister is NOT in compliance, because they send my mom a letter giving her "permission" to homeschool.

Legally, we don't need permission, we are just required to notify and to give a list of all materials we will use or intend to use. They can't say, "You can't homeschool" and if they do try to say that, they have to prove their case in a court of law as to why they don't feel the parent should be homeschooling.

We are required to prove that the child learned something by one of the following three: testing, evaluation, or by submitting samples of the child's work.

Ohio's public school system doesn't want parents to homeschool, so they are constantly trying to prove where parents have broken the "rules" when there are no rules to be broken. It's either in compliance with the guidelines, or not.

 

[PotterWatch]

There is no testing of any kind required here. There technically are no homeschool options in California. Your child either has to be enrolled in some kind of public school program or some kind of private school program.

Some homeschoolers here sign up with a charter school of some sort which usually provides them with some materials and funding to use on materials and classes but requires them to meet with a representative on a regular basis and sometimes requires testing. Some enroll in a public program that requires them to log into their computer system daily and meet with a teacher every week.

Most of us register with the Dept. of Education as our own private school where we are only teaching our own children. We are required to teach the same basic subjects as they do in public school (english, math, history, etc); but there are no regulations as to how we have to teach them. We also have to keep on file an attendance record and a copy of the form we filled out establishing our private school.

I think having to do testing would make me really nervous. I know that compared to traditionally schooled kids, they are advanced in some areas and behind in others; but they are learning every day. I have no idea how they would do on testing since they have never had to do any kind of test. Let us know how the testing comes out but it sounds like your daughter will do great!

 

[DuckyBoys]

Quote:
What you just described was the homeschool law. Every state has one and Ohio's is not as permissive as most. I don't know if you are a HSLDA member, but Ohio is almost always on the roster for legal action and or interference.

 

[saddina]

I teach for a charter school here in CA, and they have an Ohio academy that uses the same program. Didn't know if you'd looked into it yet, but here it's minimal oversite (call students one month, meet with them at a coffee shop the next to collect work samples, 2 days of testing in late spring).

Ohio is a free state.

http://k12.com/enroll-or-buy/find-a-school-and-enroll/