Evaluations
The law requires that each home education student be interviewed and their portfolio reviewed by a qualified home education evaluator each school year. The evaluator’s written certification that an appropriate education is occurring must be submitted by the home education supervisor to the superintendent of the student’s district of residence by June 30 of each school year.
As the home education supervisor, you may select anyone to evaluate your student’s portfolios, as long as that individual fulfills one of the five qualifications. The choice of evaluator selected cannot be denied as long as that individual meets one of the following vocational criteria.
1. Licensed clinical psychologist. Click here to verify PA state licensing.
2. School psychologist.
3. Pennsylvania certified teacher: Official verification of credentials is checked online using the teacher’s PPID or name.
4. Nonpublic school teacher or administrator with 2 years PA teaching experience at the level they evaluate (K-6 or 7-12).
5. Persons with other qualifications: The superintendent of schools in the student’s district of residence may accept any other credentials or documentation they believe to be adequate. This is completely at the discretion of the superintendent. Some examples of requests include college professors, teachers certified in other states, experienced homeschool parents, professional curriculum providers, and teachers in “umbrella schools.”
Click here to find an evaluator in your area.
Testing
The law requires that homeschooled students take the statewide tests or other authorized tests in grades 3, 5, and 8. The results must be reported in the portfolio. There are a variety of ways that these tests can be administered. Because standardized tests are regulated, they are not sold directly to the public. Certain requirements must be met in order to administer them. You can fulfill your student's testing needs in a few different ways. REMEMBER, if you have chosen the "Private Tutor" option to homeschool your students, they are exempt from testing requirements.
1. Via an evaluator. Some evaluators offer testing and many have a favorite that they will administer. They can usually offer group testing or one-on-one tests. This will usually cost between $35-$50/student.
2. At a local school district. Your local school can administer the PSSA to cover your homeschooled student's testing needs. Contact your district for details. There is no cost associated with this option.
3. Online. These tests are given by an online administrator and can be taken from the comfort of your own home. You will need a computer that meets the sites requirements. These tests average around $40 / student. Seton Testing and Brewer Testing are a few of the better known online companies that offer testing.
As of 2017, the following tests are approved for your homeschool student:
*California Achievement Test
*Comprehensive Testing Program (CTPIV)
*Iowa Test of Basic Skills
*Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) <--NEW!
*Metropolitan Achievement Test
*Peabody Achievement Individual Test – Revised Version
*Stanford Achievement Test
*Terra Nova
*Woodcock-Johnson Revised Tests of Achievement III
*Woodcock-Johnson IV
*Wechsler Individual Achievement Test III (WIAT-III)
You can choose to test your student at ANY time during their school year - beginning, middle, or end. The only REQUIRED parts of the test your child will need to take / report are the Reading, Language Arts, and Math portion of each test. Some families choose to test their children every year in every subject, others do just the minimum required. Test results should be included with your portfolios when given to your evaluator.