chiraeth

Hello, I'm new here.

My children currently attend public
school, but I am researching the
unschooling option.

One question I have at this
particular time is this:

Is SOL and/or SAT testing
required at all for unschoolers?
(we live in Virginia in case there's
anyone here with first-hand
experience in unschooling there).

The reason I'm asking is that
the unschooling approach
looks very relaxed (which imo
is a good thing!) that it almost
seems as if there is no form of
testing lurking in the futures of
those who practice this method
of learning.

Thanks in advance for any
input on this little detail! :)

Chaela

jlh44music

"chiraeth" <chiraeth@...> wrote:
> Is SOL and/or SAT testing required at all for unschoolers? (we live
in Virginia in case there's anyone here with first-hand experience in
unschooling there).>

Check here as a starting point for what's required in VA:

http://www.nhen.org/leginfo/detail.asp?StateCode=Virginia

Each state is different. I'm in MA and we have a choice as
homeschoolers (I don't tell them we're unschoolers, they wouldn't have
a clue!) for the methods of assessment. I'm sure there's someone on
this list from VA who can give you more particulars!
Jann

Deb

I'm not in VA but I looked up the legal stuff and you have 2 options
as far as evaluation (providing you are homeschooling under
the 'homeschool' option and not under a religious exemption or tutor
option): 1 - you can submit results of -any- nationally standardized
achievement test (not just SAT or SOL, look into the PASS test
http://hewitthomeschooling.com/test/tmain.asp) and the resulting
composite score must be above the 23rd percentile (4th stanine) -
that means that 86 of 100 people taking the test did better than
your child, and your child did better than 22 of 100 people taking
that same test at that same time, not that they got 23% correct. So,
if 22 kids got 1 correct, your child got 2 correct and 86 kids got 3
correct (out of 100 questions let's say), that's still 23rd
percentile, even though your child got 2 percent correct.

The test need not be administered through or by the school system.

2 - you can submit an evaluation or other assessment which
shows "an 'adequate' level of educational growth and progress".

We don't have to test (we don't even file notice or keep any sort of
records either here in CT) but "lurking" is not a word I've heard
folks I know in other places use. It's more like testing is just
another hoop - no great shakes, just something that gets done one
day a year to keep the other 364 free. And something like the PASS
test (which was designed for homeschoolers) can be done at home,
untimed, relaxed. Also, check out http://sandradodd.com/tests for
more ideas on dealing with tests without them making a big impact on
real life.

--Deb

chiraeth

Thanks for the info! :)

--- In [email protected], "jlh44music"
<jlh44music@...> wrote:
>
> "chiraeth" <chiraeth@> wrote:
> > Is SOL and/or SAT testing required at all for unschoolers? (we live
> in Virginia in case there's anyone here with first-hand experience in
> unschooling there).>
>
> Check here as a starting point for what's required in VA:
>
> http://www.nhen.org/leginfo/detail.asp?StateCode=Virginia
>
> Each state is different. I'm in MA and we have a choice as
> homeschoolers (I don't tell them we're unschoolers, they wouldn't have
> a clue!) for the methods of assessment. I'm sure there's someone on
> this list from VA who can give you more particulars!
> Jann
>

chiraeth

Excellent -- thanks!

--- In [email protected], "Deb" <soggyboysmom@...> wrote:
>
> I'm not in VA but I looked up the legal stuff and you have 2 options
> as far as evaluation (providing you are homeschooling under
> the 'homeschool' option and not under a religious exemption or tutor
> option): 1 - you can submit results of -any- nationally standardized
> achievement test (not just SAT or SOL, look into the PASS test
> http://hewitthomeschooling.com/test/tmain.asp) and the resulting
> composite score must be above the 23rd percentile (4th stanine) -
> that means that 86 of 100 people taking the test did better than
> your child, and your child did better than 22 of 100 people taking
> that same test at that same time, not that they got 23% correct. So,
> if 22 kids got 1 correct, your child got 2 correct and 86 kids got 3
> correct (out of 100 questions let's say), that's still 23rd
> percentile, even though your child got 2 percent correct.
>
> The test need not be administered through or by the school system.
>
> 2 - you can submit an evaluation or other assessment which
> shows "an 'adequate' level of educational growth and progress".
>
> We don't have to test (we don't even file notice or keep any sort of
> records either here in CT) but "lurking" is not a word I've heard
> folks I know in other places use. It's more like testing is just
> another hoop - no great shakes, just something that gets done one
> day a year to keep the other 364 free. And something like the PASS
> test (which was designed for homeschoolers) can be done at home,
> untimed, relaxed. Also, check out http://sandradodd.com/tests for
> more ideas on dealing with tests without them making a big impact on
> real life.
>
> --Deb
>