Homeschooling:  Testing
 

While we were homeschooling I didn't have to test my kids, so I didn't.  Because of this, I've got no cache of testing research of my own and you're going to have to click to other pages.  I've got nothing original here.  Luckily for you, there are many other people for whom testing is an engrossing subject, so there are many articles to choose from. 

You may notice none of the articles or websites I've picked are particularly flattering to testing.  I didn't much care for it when it was done to me, despite me continuously having 90+ percentile scores on standardized tests.  Testing well never got me out of boring schoolwork, and that was a couple lifetimes before the current craze for "high stakes testing."  I can't imagine what the kiddos go through today.

Yes, testing is a fact of life.  No, I don't have to pretend to enjoy it.

On this page:
Interpreting test scores
Information about testing
Articles
Blog posts
NHEN discussions
Test providers
 

Interpreting test scores:

• Interpretation of Test Results
• Iowa testing programs
• Some Things Parents Should Know About Testing
• Standardized test scores

Information about testing:

• Alfie Kohn:
  Rescuing Our Schools from "Tougher Standards"
• FairTest
  The Case Against High-Stakes Testing
  Accountability
• Hoagies Gifted Education:  Testing and Assessment

Articles:

• Alfie Kohn:
  Separating Wheat Children from Chaff Children
  Standardized Testing and Its Victims  (see comment on norm-referenced testing)
• Don't Let Saying No to Federal Testing Lead to the Federal Government's Involvement in Our Homeschools
• High School Graduation and Homeschoolers
• Interview with Patrick Farenga
• Interview with Susan Ohanian
• Lessons I've Learned From Standardized Tests
• Let's Keep Homeschoolers Out Of Public School ID Systems  (testing ID numbers)
• Newswatch - scroll down to:  Why Are All the Tests Changing? (school to work portion of ca. 1998 Goals, which became Goals 2000, which became NCLB)
• Say No To The Federal Homeschool Legislation (the test connection to increased oversight)
• Some find SATs don't 'define quality'
• Susan Ohanian:
  Button up the tests
  News from the Test Resistance Trail
  Stupid Test Items
• What Testing Was Like

Blog posts:

• Educational Abuse: Test-Induced Craziness
• NCLB, Homeschooling and You
• Quantifying quality
• Testing Makes Me Cranky, And Here’s One Reason Why  (poorly written tests)
   

NHEN discussions:

• Arguments against testing
• Standardized testing and alternatives

 

If you can't avoid testing, you can find tests and providers from:

Testing Services (from A to Z Home's Cool)

Seton Home Study School:  Seton will provide the CAT E test.  This test is useful for families whose study schedule don't mirror that of public schools and for whom other standardized tests might not accurately reflect their children's current level in relation to tests written to be in line with what is taught in schools.  An explanation of the difference in the California tests, and the specifics of other standardized tests, is at: TeachingMom.com:

• This test is available as the CAT-E which is a “survey edition” covering only the basics in math and language arts in grades K-12 or the CAT/5 (or CAT/6, both updates of the original CAT) which tests reading, language, spelling, math, study skills, science and social studies.