[email protected]

Hi Everyone,

Pennsylvania requires standardized testing every other year as a condition of
being allowed to homeschool. How do any of you get around mandatory testing?
I'd love to find a loop hole here.

Julie (New to the list)

Shyrley

On 1 Nov 02, at 10:00, JAnn1027@... wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> Pennsylvania requires standardized testing every other year as a
> condition of being allowed to homeschool. How do any of you get around
> mandatory testing? I'd love to find a loop hole here.
>
> Julie (New to the list)
>
If PA is anything like VA then the state will allow the parents to
administer the test (you can order the CAT test).
The place you order it from grades it and send you back the
scores. You then give the scores to the state.
Simple.
No-one watches to see who fills in the little circles......so you can
avoid testing your child (happy unschooler) and the state gets a
piece of paper with a grade on it (happy state).
It's not 'cheating' cos the piece of paper is simply to make the
state happy. It is meaningless.

All of the above is my opinion....

Shyrley


"You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you are all the same."

Fetteroll

on 11/1/02 10:00 AM, JAnn1027@... at JAnn1027@... wrote:

> Pennsylvania requires standardized testing every other year as a condition of
> being allowed to homeschool. How do any of you get around mandatory testing?
> I'd love to find a loop hole here.

It says at the PHEN website:

>> Under the PA home education law a standardized test must be administered in
>> grades 3, 5 and 8. The parent or guardian cannot administer this test.
>> However, the parent/guardian may purchase the test and allow a friend,
>> sibling, other family member (who is not the parent/guardian) or anyone else
>> to administer the test in the peace, comfort and privacy of the child's own
>> home.

There might be some PA'ers here who can help. There might also be some under
the PA thread in the Around the Continent folder on the message boards at
Unschooling.com There's at least the archives.

The \http://www.phen.org has information and a list of test suppliers.

There's also the [email protected] From what I've heard, they
tend to be more eclectic but they should have some ideas for you.

Joyce

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/1/02 8:02:58 AM, JAnn1027@... writes:

<< Pennsylvania requires standardized testing every other year as a condition
of
being allowed to homeschool. How do any of you get around mandatory testing?
I'd love to find a loop hole here. >>

I think it's "evaluation," not "testing."

I'm not in Pennsylvania, but unschoolers there use an option involving
portfolios and a visit by an evaluating teacher. And they know which people
understand and approve of unschooling.

Sandra

kayb85

Hi Julie,
I'm in Pennsylvania, about an hour north of Harrisburg. Where are
you? I would love to meet another unschooler. :)

In answer to your question, the law requires standardized testing in
grades 3, 5, and 8. No way to get around that IF your child is in
grades 3, 5, and 8. The IF is the loophole. ;) Nowhere does the law
state that your child has to be in grades 3,5, or 8. Nowhere does
the law say that you have to report your child's grade level to the
school district. Just the age. So you can use a "K-8 ungraded
curriculum", never have your child in grades 3, 5, and 8 and never
have them tested. You don't have to use the school district's
affidavit. You can use your own, using the law as your guide or you
can download an affidavit from www.phen.org. If the school asks you
for a grade level, politely tell them that you aren't required by law
to give them that information.

That doesn't mean that you will get away with it. It depends on your
district. I have a friend who tried it and the school automatically
labeled her 8 year old as a third grader, just because of age.
Whether or not you eventually give in to a pita school district
depends on your comfort level with being fined with truancy and
taking the case to court.

And call your representative and senator and ask them to support
HB2560 so we don't have to go through this nonsense next year!!!

You can get good info on complying with the law on the pa-hs list.
To subscribe to the Penn Homeschooler send an email message TO:
hub@...
Leave the subject blank but in the text body type exactly: subscribe
pa-hs

This site will tell you everything you need to know about achievement
testing in PA.

Feel free to ask me any other questions.

Sheila



--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., JAnn1027@a... wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Pennsylvania requires standardized testing every other year as a
condition of
> being allowed to homeschool. How do any of you get around mandatory
testing?
> I'd love to find a loop hole here.
>
> Julie (New to the list)

kayb85

> If PA is anything like VA then the state will allow the parents to
> administer the test (you can order the CAT test).

In Pennsylvania, anyone may administer a homeschooler's standardized
test except a parent or guardian. It doesn't say anything about
grandparents, friends, or even siblings. ;)

Sheila

> The place you order it from grades it and send you back the
> scores. You then give the scores to the state.
> Simple.
> No-one watches to see who fills in the little circles......so you
can
> avoid testing your child (happy unschooler) and the state gets a
> piece of paper with a grade on it (happy state).
> It's not 'cheating' cos the piece of paper is simply to make the
> state happy. It is meaningless.
>
> All of the above is my opinion....
>
> Shyrley
>
>
> "You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you
are all the same."

kayb85

> I think it's "evaluation," not "testing."
>
> I'm not in Pennsylvania, but unschoolers there use an option
involving
> portfolios and a visit by an evaluating teacher. And they know
which people
> understand and approve of unschooling.
>
> Sandra

Nope! We get to do portfolios AND be evaluated by a teacher AND have
our children tested in grades 3, 5, and 8 AND hand in a book log of
what our kids read that year. And if we're lucky enough to live in a
school district that interprets the law to say that a book log is a
daily list of educational activities and we don't feel like going to
court or paying truancy fines, we get to hand in a daily log of
activities. AND we hand in an affidavit AND objectives. AND
(depending on one's interpretation and one's school district's
interpretation of the law) an attendance record, proof of
immunizations and required medical tests or exemptions to them.

Want to move to Pennsylvania? ;)
Sheila