Email of the Day:
My 8th grade daughter is a part-time homeschool student this year. I am teaching Language Arts, Social Studies, and PE at home. She attends her neighborhood public school for math, science, foreign language, and electives.
I cannot find any concrete information concerning how we must meet the Annual Testing requirement, given that she goes to public school part time. I am unclear in what academic areas/subjects she must be tested in this year, and, if the standardized state tests given at school this year will suffice. At her public school, they will be giving state exams in Language Arts and math, for sure. I am hoping they will just include her for the LA test even though she does not take that particular class there.
Any advice appreciated re: what subjects must be tested and if the state exam would meet the requirement. Thank you!
Answer:
The law provides for homeschoolers to attend public school on a part time basis, but it does not provide for the converse. As such, your daughter is a homeschooler under the law. As such, she is not required to participate in the testing at the public school (though you are, of course, welcome to participate), and the law requires either “a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education is administered annually to the child by a qualified individual or that an annual assessment of the student’s academic progress is written by a certificated person who is currently working in the field of education.”
If the testing at the school is “a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education” (and you could call the SBE to verify — I suspect they will answer in the affirmative), then you have done your duty as a homeschooler. If not, we keep a list of institutions and individuals who provide testing and/or assessment here: http://washhomeschool.org/test-providers-washington/
Of note, as she is quickly coming into that age: the SAT, PSAT, and ACT all “count” toward the testing for homeschoolers, so you do not need to “double up” for testing in years that you’ve done one of those.
Warmly,
–Jen Garrison Stuber, WHO Board Advocacy Chair