Homeschooling: Standardized Testing

Depending on your experience, perhaps you have some concerns about what standardized testing is supposed to look like for your homeschool.

In fact, many families have chosen to homeschool in an effort to remove their children from some of the things that go along with the increased testing requirements in their local school system.

Many states require that homeschool students complete a yearly standardized test, but fellow homeschool parent, there is no need to fret!

Standardized Tests And Homeschooling

More than anything, please remember: standardized tests are simply a tool – a tool that can actually be helpful to you in some ways!

Benefits Of Standardized Tests for Homeschoolers

• Whether we like it or not, standardized tests have become a part of the educational culture. At some point, your child may choose a path that requires them to take the SAT, ACT, etc. Participating in standardized testing when the stakes are low provides them with practice for when they may take these placement tests later. Some families who aren’t required to complete an annual standardized test will choose to do so anyway, for this reason. Completing practice tests is also a great option if you choose.
• Annual testing is a snapshot of your child’s progress. Specifically with our daughter who has special needs, it has been really helpful for us to see her growth from one year to the next. Her test results have been a really helpful tool for us as we continue to monitor her struggles and adjust our curriculum choices to best suit her needs. For us, the beauty of homeschooling is that we’ve been able to do this for all of our children.
• Your state may allow you to use a cognitive abilities test or adaptive test, instead of criterion-reference tests. This gives you an unique insight into how your child’s mind works, rather than place an emphasis on comparing your child to other students their age.

Do Your Students Need To Take A Standardized Test?

Each state has their own assessment criterion for homeschooled students, and you’ll need to check your state’s homeschooling requirements.

The quickest way to find them is to check out the HSDLA website.

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State homeschool laws vary state by state.

For example, you may be required to gather together a portfolio of the year’s work…

Or to complete some sort of standardized testing.

You can hop over to HSDLA and look up your specific state requirements.

Thankfully, there are many options when it comes to finding a nationally-standardized test that is low-key and low-stress, and most states that require testing allow for a variety of different testing options.

Options For Standardized Achievement Testing

Most states that require a yearly achievement test don’t care too much which test you choose – just that you do one.

Learning a bit about the different types of tests available can help you make the best choice for your child.

Here are some things to consider:

• Timing – Do you want to choose a timed test? Many tests have some portion of them that are timed, but there are others that are completely untimed. This can be helpful for students with reading difficulties, for example, or for young children in the early grades.
• The Test Itself – You may want to use the same test each year or you may want your children to gain experience taking a variety of different tests.

Interpreting Test Scores As A Homeschool Parent

Most standardized test results will have three different set of scores. Here’s how to interpret them!

• Percentile Ranking simply shows how your child did compared to all other students who took that same test at that same grade level. It is not a “score”, as you would score a worksheet. For example, if your child scored in the 65th percentile, this doesn’t mean they only got 65% of the questions correct. It means that they scored as well or better than 65% of the test taking group.
• Stanine Ranking is a nine-part standard curve. It actually comes from the words Standard NINE – the more you know! It basically takes the percentile rankings, and divides it into nine even sections. Scoring in the lower three stanines is “below average”, while the middle three stanines are “average” and the upper three stanines are “above average”. It’s simply another way of looking at your student’s achievement in comparison to the broader group.
• Grade Equivalent is perhaps the most straight-forward test result. You’ll see them listed like “6.5 GE”, for example. The first number is the grade and the second number is the month. So, a student with that 6.5 GE result is testing as you would expect a sixth grader in the fifth month of the school year to do. A 16-year-old with that score might need some extra help in that subject, while a 10-year-old with that score is “ahead”.

It’s important to hold all of these scores with an open hand.

They are nothing but a snapshot of your student’s knowledge during a certain time, on a certain day.

My encouragement is to not get too caught up in your child’s test results. Simply pay attention to any outliers.

For example, if your student scores about the same in most of the subjects but has a noticeably low science score, you can use that information to pivot your curriculum strategy for next year. 

In Summary…

Your child is fearfully and wonderfully made! Learning at home with them is going to be an incredible journey for your family.

Your state requiring standardized testing doesn’t take away from that.

Know your requirements, choose your annual test with your family’s specific situation in mind, and make the test day as low stakes as possible.

Use testing time as an opportunity to celebrate your child’s knowledge!

On testing day:

• Whip up a yummy breakfast.
• Greet them with some balloons or streamers hung somewhere just for fun!
• When testing time is finished, go out for ice-cream!

When you receive the results, read them with a grain of salt –

Use the feedback to make any changes that you deem worthy, and then carry on!

Would you believe my oldest was in middle school before he ever even saw his scores from a standardized testing? That was only because he asked how he did.

In our homeschool, we do not make testing time anything other than a chance to celebrate all the ways we are learning and growing. I so very much wish the same for you in your homeschooling experience.