So . . . you’ve decided to assess your child via standardized testing (or your state law requires it). The next questions are what and where: what standardized test should you choose, and where should your kids take it?
This article will help walk you through this process and hopefully get you started on the right path!
1. Pick a standardized test
Here is a chart with some basic information about a few popular standardized tests.
SOME POPULAR STANDARDIZED TESTS:
| Iowa Assessments Form E | Stanford Achievement Test (SAT10) | TerraNova2/CAT 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade levels | K–12 | K–12 | K–12 |
| Administration requirements | Bachelor's degree preferred | Bachelor’s degree for paper test; no requirement for online | No degree requirement; proctoring rules may vary |
| Timed/untimed | Timed (untimed for K–2) | Timed and untimed available | Timed |
| Format | Paper and online | Paper and online | Paper |
| Subjects covered | Reading, language arts, math, science, social studies | Reading, language arts, math, science, social studies | Reading, language arts, math, science, social studies |
| Notes | More rigorous than some other tests | More rigorous than some other tests |
Please note that this information varies based on the test center you choose, so it's best to check a test center's website for specific details (more about this in Step 2).
These are just a few popular options, you can find more by doing a quick internet search.
2. Find a test center
Test publishers establish rigorous standards for how their tests are to be administered to ensure fairness and valid scoring. Private testing centers or providers then make the tests available to the public and score them.
Different testing centers offer different tests and even different versions of those tests. They also offer various lead times (how far in advance you must order a paper test), turnaround times for scoring, proctoring options, timing options, and grade levels.
POPULAR TEST CENTERS
This is just a quick-start list—you can find even more options by typing “standardized testing for homeschool students” into your internet browser.
- Abeka offers tests and practice tests for the Iowa Assessments Form E paper booklets (K–12) and Stanford 10 Online tests (3–12).
- BJU Press Testing and Evaluation sells Iowa Assessments Form E paper booklets (K–12), Iowa Assessments Online (1–12), and practice tests (K–12).
- Hewitt Homeschooling features the Personalized Assessment of Student Success (P.A.S.S.) which is non-timed and uses a pretest to determine the most appropriate level test for each student to take in three subjects: reading, math, and language.
- Seton Testing Services sells the Iowa Assessments Form E paper booklets (K–12), Stanford 10 Online tests (3–12), TerraNova 2/CAT6 (K–12) paper booklets, CAT E/Survey options (4–12), and some test prep materials.
- University of Minnesota (Minnesota Statewide Testing Program – MSTP) offers online and paper tests, including the Iowa Assessment Form E, Stanford 10, and CogAT. The Iowa and the CogAT can be ordered by families out of state, but the SAT10 is only available for MN residents.
- Homeschool Boss offers the NWEA MAP Growth test which is available for grades K–12 in an online and untimed format, covering math, reading, language, and science.
Spend some time browsing center websites and maybe chatting with online or phone representatives. Some testing center websites offer step-by-step instructions so that you can become familiar with their procedures, from ordering the test to receiving the results. The list above is a great place to get started.
If you decide to administer the test at home on paper, it’s ideal if you can schedule your testing and order the test early enough to allow wiggle room for things like sickness and mailing delays. That way you can be sure you’ll receive the scores back in time for your state’s deadline (if it has one). It’s also wise to build in extra time in case you want to retest your child.
3. Decide who will administer the exam
Each testing center has administration and proctoring guidelines in place to comply with the test publishers’ integrity requirements. When homeschooling parents commit to follow these rules, they help to protect testing as a valid, fair, and objective way to measure progress—not just for their own kids, but for all homeschoolers.
- A test administrator is the person responsible for giving a test to a student. Some tests require that administrators have a bachelor’s degree. As long as you—the homeschool parent—fit whatever the requirements are, you can administer a test to your own child.
- Some test centers have an option that allows non-qualified parents to serve as proctors and supervise their own children taking a test, with the test center itself serving as the administrator.
Whether a parent is the administrator or the proctor, these two options boil down to the same thing: the parent does not need to find a third party to help give the test to their child.
However, testing your own child isn’t always possible or even desirable—it depends on your state law as well as what you believe is best for your student. Keep reading for a few other options.
4. Choose a test setting
You may want or need to have your child tested by someone other than yourself—or you might decide your child would benefit from being tested in a location other than your home, or with a group of other children. You have options!
- Your local or state homeschool organization may offer group testing. Co-ops regularly coordinate testing days for their member families.
- Testing centers and services such as the ones listed below can often help you find local test administrators.
- Some public school districts and local private schools offer testing services to homeschoolers. Just call them and ask!
- If your family homeschools under an umbrella school, the umbrella may offer testing services. Even if you are not part of an umbrella school, check with those in your area (if your state allows for this form of homeschooling) and find out if they offer testing to nonmembers.
- Coordinate your own testing group. This could be a great way to serve your homeschool community! Depending on the test your group uses, you or another parent (or parents) might need to qualify as test administrators.
Whether your child will be tested by you or by someone else, there’s one thing that only you can do—and that’s prepare your child to take the test. Read Part 5 for ideas about this topic!