Homeschool Law

Homeschool law varies by state. Some states have statutes that mandate things like annual notification, required subjects, and academic assessments. Other states have few to no requirements. In fact, some states do not have homeschool statutes; in these states, parents typically homeschool under statutes designed to govern private schools. Click on your state to learn more about its requirements, or go inside homeschool policy to learn more.

Evaluation by a Qualified Third Party

One of the assessment options that might be available in your state is an evaluation by a qualified third party. So why choose this option? What does standardized testing really provide your family?

1. A Picture of Your Child’s working Academic Levels
A good standardized test (such as the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement) will give you a working level of your kids academic ability in each area. When you know clearly what level your child is working at you know what you want them to improve. You will also get good information about what and how you should be teaching them and be able to set clear goals for their education.

2. Kids Learn How to Take Tests without Being Stressed
So many kids and adults suffer from test anxiety. The pressure that is put on them to pass or fail has trained us to be nervous about testing. However, taking tests will continue to be a part of our lives. If your kids want to go to college they will need to take an ACT or SAT. There will be placement tests for classes, certification tests for different jobs or trades, and even a driver’s license test. We get to teach our kids, by giving them good testing experiences now, that a test is simply their chance to show what they know.

All we ask of them at Elevate Psychological Consulting Services is that they try their best, just like they should in everything they do. My kids, and all of the other kids I have tested, enjoy their testing sessions! They are excited to show me, and their parents how well they can do! They are learning to take tests, and handle this little bit of pressure now, so that they will be able to handle the bigger tests in the future.

3. A Chance for our Kids to Show Off What They Have Learned

When your kids take dance, cheer, karate, music lessons, or participate in other team sports they have tournaments, recitals, and/or competitions to show off what they have learned. What your kids are learning academically is important. A Standardized Test at some point at the beginning, middle or end of a school year, gives your kids a chance to show off what they have worked hard on in school, and all they have learned! They should have a chance to be proud of what they have accomplished in school.

4. You Receive Information About what Your Kids Need to Work on More.
I always tell kids before they test, to just do their best for me, because it helps me know what their parents need to teach them. I tell them if you don’t know something or its too hard, then it probably just means that they haven’t learned it yet, and that’s okay. Often after standardized testing, parents have seen areas that their kids may be struggling in. For Example, if your child reads well, but scores lower than you expected on reading comprehension, then you see where your kids may not be fully understanding the words they are reading. You then know you should shift your focus to teaching more reading comprehension strategies. You also know you should work on building vocabulary to increase what your kids are understanding.

I love using the Woodcock Johnson, because instead of just one reading score, you get separate scores for reading word and sentence fluency, comprehension, and letter/word identification. So if your child is struggling in an area you can usually pinpoint exactly what the problem is! The test works the same for writing and math skills! You can see exactly where your kids are excelling and what you may need to work on in each area.

5. Accountability
Completing a standardized test each year provides you with some accountability for what you are teaching them as well as evidence that they are making progress. You can see clearly that your kids are learning! Sometimes you may see your kids aren’t making as much progress as you think they are. Then you know you need to make changes, and figure out how you should teach in a way that is best for your family.

What is the Woodcock-Johnson IV Test of Achievement?

The Basic Woodcock-Johnson we administer consists of 10 sub-tests and measures reading, math, and writing in a variety of ways. This gives you a very clear picture of what your child’s academic working levels are.

A trained and licensed tester must administer the Woodcock-Johnson IV. At Elevate Psychological Consulting Services, all of the testers have worked in education for many years, and also have knowledge and experience with standardized evaluation methods. We take time to administer the Woodcock-Johnson to your child in a one-on-one setting. This takes the pressure off of you to test your own kids, and gives you an outside perspective. Also, we can usually complete the testing in one, two to three hour session. This is much less time than many other standardized tests take!

Who is the Woodcock-Johnson IV Test For?

This test is great for all kids whether they are working below or above expected grade level. It, also, very clearly shows you your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Your child will be tested with material that is just right for them. The test will start off easy for them, and gradually get harder. The test ends when the content gets too difficult. Your kids won’t be sitting answering questions that are way too easy or way to hard for them!

Also, the Woodcock-Johnson is an excellent option to gather information if you child is struggling or you have specific concerns. After administering this test we can often tell if your child has tendencies (we do not diagnose) towards a learning disability or difficulty in certain areas.