QUESTIONS ABOUT HOMESCHOOL TESTING IN NORTH CAROLINA Note: Sections with quotations marks indicate an exact quote from the North Carolina Dept. of Non-Public Education (DNPE). How often must I test my home-school student and what subjects must it cover? North Carolina law requires that all home schools "have a nationally standardized achievement test administered annually to each student. The test must involve the subject areas of English Grammar, Reading, Spelling, and Mathematics." What age students am I required to test? Students between the ages of seven and sixteen must be registered. Registration is optional for children younger than seven and older than fifteen, but if students are registered, regardless of age, they must be tested. So, unless the student is registered he does not need to be tested before the age of seven or after the age of sixteen. As a parent, does DNPE allow me to test my own student? This is probably the most frequently asked question. The answer is “Yes”. The Department of Non-Public Education (DNPE) regulates home schools in North Carolina. In addition to regulations which must be followed, DNPE makes additional recommendations regarding the operation of your school. These recommendations are suggestions, not law. DNPE does suggest that someone other than a family member administer the test to your student. This means that it is legal for you to do it yourself. It is your choice as the teacher. What time of the year should I administer the test? Spring is traditional, but you are not limited to that time of year. North Carolina law says annually. And while DNPE used to require that you have your results available for examination by the end of June, they now have a different interpretation. This information is taken from the DNPE website. "Tests, Nationally Standardized Achievement -- When to Have Them Administered? State law requires that they be administered annually. No exceptions are allowed for any reason. Once the home school has filed its Notice of Intent with DNPE, the student(s) must be administered the test within the first twelve months of DNPE's initial receipt of your Notice of Intent (Date shown on your Notice of Intent Acknowledgment Card) and then once during each of the following consecutive twelve month periods. For more valid comparison purposes, it is recommended that the student(s) be tested each successive year during that same month and during the same week of that month." We should point out that tests scored by the major testing companies are normed for when the tests are taken. This means that you can validly compare the results of a CAT/5 taken in September with one taken in May. Can these tests be modified for student’s with special needs? Teachers of students with special needs want a test that is not going to be frustrating. CTB McGraw-Hill gives options to the test administrator administering the CAT/5 to cover non-standard testing situations. Is it best to use a test that will be computer scored? Scoring reports are the final stage in the testing process. Your most accurate and easy to understand report is one that the test publisher itself scores. Some test providers have reports scored by an independent scoring service. While this approach may meet state requirement, these inexpensive reports lack the detail and easy to interpret format of a publisher scored report. Tests provided by Thurber’s Educational Assessments are always computer scored, never hand-scored. Computer scoring by the publisher of the test gives ther most comprehensive and accurate test reports. DNPE says to use a nationally standardized test. Which test is best to use? There are many good tests from which to choose. Three of the best are the California Achievement Tests®, published by CTB McGraw-Hill; the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills® and Iowa Tests of Educational Development®, published by Riverside Publishing division of Houghton Mifflin; and the Stanford Achievement Tests®, published by Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement. There are others, but these publishers have been in business for decades, and regularly refine and update their materials and norms. While these tests are equally good and measure similar skills, you will find the CAT or the Iowa easier to obtain. You must be specifically certified to administer the Stanford. Some providers of the IOWA require that you be a certified teacher. It is truly a matter of personal preference and material availability as to which test to choose. However, no matter which test you administer, make sure your test provider furnishes you with original materials. Making and using copies of testing manuals violates the publisher's copyright, and they do protect their interests. Thurber’s Educational Assessments always uses genuine CAT/5 materials both for testing and for scoring.