What are the testing options for homeschoolers in Colorado? How does the process work? Find out in the newly revised Guidebook Chapter 6: Testing and Evaluations. We are indebted to Teri Spray for her work on this chapter.
Many Colorado home educators look beyond the legal testing/assessment requirement and consider this routine evaluation or assessment as an opportunity to determine the comparative progress of their home education program. They use the results to help them with curriculum selections and to address topics which may need additional drill or remediation.
However, other Colorado home educators have a different opinion on testing. Some may see it as an intrusion, an inconvenience, or unnecessary. Where do you stand?
Are you on the ‘A’ Team, or the ‘B’ Team?
A) Testing is a useful tool to measure our comparative academic progress.
B) Testing is a useless interruption of our home education process.
A) My children enjoy the challenge of the test as an opportunity to show their achievements.
B) My children are upset and anxious about the testing process.
A) Testing is a time to discover what others see as important in the education process.
B) Tests are irrelevant to our family because they don’t measure what is important to us.
A) Testing helps me to see where my children’s retention is strong and where it is weak.
B) Testing does not show me anything I don’t already know about our homeschool.
A) I consider testing an academic progress report which is similar to well-baby checkup.
B) I only test my children because it’s required by Colorado Homeschool Law.
The “I Want Testing Team”
If you are on the “A — I Want Testing Team,” then you will be glad to know that CHEC has information that will equip you to test your children. Whether you test at home or with a professional, you can obtain the information you need for your home school assessments for the “odd years” as required by law. We have included a chart of testing options below. See www.chec.org for current resources on testing and evaluation.
The “I Don’t Want Testing Team”
If you are more on the “B — I Don’t Want Testing Team,” then continue reading and you may be relieved to know that in Colorado other assessment options are legal in lieu of testing. If you are registered as a homeschool family with your local district, you can opt to do a portfolio evaluation with oversight by a professional evaluator and avoid testing altogether. If you are registered with the CHEC Independent School, you have the option to complete a Parent (as Teacher) Evaluation, which is a multi-page assessment of your student’s progress.
Chapter is continued in the CHEC Homeschool Guidebook, available for preorder now!
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