Standardized Testing

STANDARDIZED TESTING OPTIONS

As a support group, we are committed to complete cooperation with the N.C. home schooling laws re-garding standardized testing. The law requires that a nationally standardized test in the areas of grammar, reading, spelling and math be administered to each student on a yearly basis and the results be maintained on file for one year, subject to inspection by a duly authorized representative of the State. We regard this mandatory annual testing requirement as a better alternative to scrutiny by state or local officials of daily les-son plans or curriculum reviews.

COMMONLY USED TESTS

The following information is provided to assist you in your efforts to fulfill the testing requirements for your home school.  

While this is not a complete list of all the tests available for use, it does represent some of those commonly used in our area.

ITBS (Iowa Tests of Basic Skills &Tests of  Achievement & Proficiency)

For the past several years, F.A.I.T.H. used the Iowa for its group testing. Educational researchers gener-ally agree that the Iowa, as well as the Stanford, is a little more comprehensive. They test “higher order think-ing skills” that show how well children think and reason along with performance in each subject area.

Depending on the grade level, this test covers areas such as listening, word analysis, vocabulary, read-ing comprehension, language, reference materials, mathematics, science, and social studies. It measures year-to-year growth in academic skills; compares the student's achievements with others in the same grade level and shows the student's academic strengths and weaknesses.

This is a machine-scored test. 1st & 2nd graders record their answers in a test booklet, while older stu-dents use an answer sheet. Parents receive a computer printout of raw score, grade equivalent & percentile ranking, along with a narrative report explaining highlights of the results.

The Iowa is convenient to administer to several students at once. (Gr. 1 & 2 must each be tested sepa-rately since the teacher reads much of the test aloud; gr. 3-8 and 9-12 may be tested together.) The cost is generally around $30-$40 per test, plus postage.

CAT (California Achievement Test)

This is another popular choice for many home schoolers. The C.A.T./5® Complete Battery is the full-length test for grades K – 12. The student report shows how your child compares with others in the same grade. It also shows how well your child has done in mastering specific learning goals. The test is standard-ized and compared on a national average norm. For a more limited test, called "Basic Skills", order the same Complete Battery but do not give the Social Studies, Science, Word Analysis or Study Skills subtests. The cost of this test is around $20, plus postage.

Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement

This is an annual achievement test which must be administered by an approved testing administrator for K-12. It is given to each child individually. Because large parts of the test are administered orally, it is a good test for children who are not reading well or who might find written tests stressful.

This test measures individual academic achievement in

Reading- comprehension, vocabulary, basic skills, phonics & word attack.
Mathematics - computation, reasoning & application of basic skills.
Language - knowledge, skills, expression, punctuation, spelling, & grammar.
Knowledge - general science, social studies, & humanities.

The WCJ provides friendly, personable testing in your home or other comfortable location. The test is not timed. The test is primarily verbal. Only 2 of the 8 sections involve writing and much of it is visual. It provides you with immediate feedback on your student's performance and requires only one to two hours of your time. At the end of the test, your child's performance is discussed and insights are shared with you. A computer printout providing detailed analysis will be given to you at the time of testing or mailed to you within one week.

The one disadvantage of this test is the cost. Costs vary from $45 -$75 per student depending on the tester.

PASS (Personalized Achievement Summary System)

The PASS test was developed specifically for home schoolers. Available only for grades 3 through 8, your student must read at least at a third grade level. This test can also be administered by the parent and is not a timed test, which can greatly reduce the stress level of testing.

The student's approximate achievement level within his or her grade is initially identified by use of a brief accompanying placement test. This assigns each child to a test level where he or she is more likely to suc-ceed, and it also allows for shorter tests. On most achievement tests, where the difficulty of the items varies greatly, students are frequently presented with items that are either too easy or too hard, creating problems in assessing academic achievement.

Testing results show overall achievement as well as performance in reading, language, and math. The test is standardized and children's scores are compared with both national and home-schooling populations. This does not mean that the test is nationally normed, but that the scores are equated to those of public school students taking one of the nationally-normed tests.

Because this test has only been officially approved for purposes of state reporting in the states of Alaska, New York, and North Carolina, be aware that you may not get the full scope of comparisons. The cost is $26, plus postage.

ACT - The American College Testing Program

This is a college entrance exam. It is accepted along with the SAT by many colleges. However, unlike the SAT, the ACT is approved by the NC division of Non-Public Education to fulfill the state’s yearly testing re-quirements.

Students between 16 and 18 who wish to drive must still test yearly. In light of this, the ACT can be a good choice to fulfill the law, as well as give an opportunity to gain practice on college entrance exams. The ACT allows you to submit scores to your home school only. Of course, once the student is ready to use the scores for college entrance they can be sent to the colleges of your choice.

The cost of the ACT is around $30 but can only be taken on specific dates.

TESTING OPTIONS

The following list of test providers and testing services is also not complete but will give you some options.