Homeschool Evaluations

Evaluations and the Law

The following is from the Colorado Department of Education website:

"A home school student must take a nationally standardized achievement test to evaluate their academic progress when he/she reaches grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. An alternative to taking a national standardized achievement test is having a qualified person, as defined in Colorado Home School Law, evaluate the student's academic progress at the parent's expense. It is the parent's obligation to report the test or evaluation results to the school district that receives the written notification for the home school." (http://www.cde.state.co.us/choice/homeschool)

The website goes on to define a qualified person:

"'Qualified person' means an individual who is selected by the parent of a child who is participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program to evaluate such child's progress and who is a teacher licensed pursuant to article 60.5 of this title, a teacher who is employed by an independent or parochial school, a licensed psychologist, or a person with a graduate degree in education." (http://www.cde.state.co.us/choice/homeschool_law)

I hold a current teaching license in the state of Colorado, so I am qualified to perform an evaluation that fulfills this requirement.

What Does an Evaluation Look Like?

According to the CDE link listed above, the purpose of the evaluation is to demonstrate that a child is “making sufficient academic progress according to the child’s ability.” I request that you save work throughout the year, so I can verify academic progress. The following is a general guideline of materials that you can provide:

  • 3-5 writing samples
  • 5 book titles read by your child
  • 5 math assessments or work samples
  • Math program(s) used
  • 3-5 science work samples and/or descriptions of topics/activities
  • 3-5 social studies work samples and/or descriptions of topics/activities
  • May also include info about electives, such as art, PE, or music

Please keep in mind that the purpose of the evaluation is to demonstrate progress. Choose work that allows me to see your child's growth in content knowledge and skills.

I recommend starting a portfolio at the beginning of the year and simply adding to it as the year progresses. Feel free to use pictures of activities and projects to demonstrate work. A binder with sheet protectors makes a great portfolio. A portfolio can even be as simple as a folder that contains the work samples and descriptions listed above.

I’m happy to work with families of every educational philosophy, including unschoolers. The listing above of recommended materials and information is simply a general guide. The important thing is that you provide materials and information that demonstrate growth in each academic area, especially language arts and math.

Please let me know if your child has any learning disabilities, difficulties, or special needs. I have worked with children with a wide range of abilities, from gifted to special needs, so I'm happy to take this information into account as I perform the evaluation.

During the evaluation, we will go over the materials provided. I will discuss any concerns I may have and answer any questions.

My evaluations are designed to empower the home educator. My goal is to help you review the progress your child is making, so you have the information you need to plan your child's education.

One evaluation costs $35. If you're having more than one child evaluated, each additional evaluation is $25. I expect each evaluation to last 30 minutes or less.

Why Choose an Evaluation over Standardized Testing?

When you put together a portfolio, you're able to see the knowledge that your student has gained over the course of the school year. You can capture the 21st century skills your student has worked on, such as servant leadership, innovation, communication, and creativity. A portfolio tells a story of the journey you've taken as a family. As a teacher, a portfolio helps you to see your student's strengths and weaknesses.

Assessing how your student handled the content and skills that you specifically worked on provides you with valuable information. This information helps you to evaluate and adapt your learning environment. Standardized tests are problematic because they don't necessarily test students on the content and skills they learned that year. Plus, they don't take into account any learning differences.

Fees

Homeschool evaluations are $35. Evaluations meet the testing requirements for homeschoolers. If more than one child is evaluated, each additional child is $25. I expect each evaluation to take 30 minutes or less.