Read Alouds

Yes, You CAN Homeschool Your Children! is a great page on Face Book.

check out the post on Read Aloud.

Check this out as well.

this is a great piece on reading aloud.
...http://www.fallacydetective.com/articles/read/reading-aloud/

deadlines the 2009-2010 School year materials must be submitted 6/30

The time line for the end of the year is June 30, 2010.
You must have all records to the district by that date.

You can also submit the 2010-2011 affadavit at the time you go into the distrct or when you pick up your papers (if the school keeps them and you want it back).
The new affadavit for the 2010-2011 has to be in no later than August 1, 2010.

You are required by law to keep such records, but now some districts do not collect a portfolio for review. They only take the test scores (if a testing year) and the evaluator's letter. After all, the evaluator already saw the materials and having the district review again is DOUBLE oversight. No other students in the state are reviewed twice. But, that is how the law is written, Act 169.

more about the approved tests

Thanks to Cathy who gathered a lot of info on the tests. BUT, many tests on the list are not easy to get nor easy to find someone that would use these tests. Best bet is to find a group setting via a support group or a home school business.

1, The C.A.T./5® Survey: This is the short form of the Complete Battery. It is available for Grades 2 - 12. For the very shortest Basic Skills test, order the Survey and do not give the subtests social studies, science, word analysis (grades K - 3) or study skills (Grades 4 - 12). Requires 2 hours or longer and cannot be administered by the parent.

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2. Comprehensive Testing Program (CTPIV) - This is not something that a home school family could find helpful.

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3. Iowa Test of Basic Skills (group testing only) (ITBS)- Group administered achievement test battery; not sold individually
SPECIAL NOTE: This test is usually administered by home school support groups.

This is a top-rated nationally standardized achievement test designed to evaluate thinking skills. This test takes less time to administer than the Stanford and permits a wider grade range of students to be tested at the same time. This test is considered to be among the most difficult tests. Grades 3-8 may be tested together; grades 9-12 may be tested together. Qualifications for test administration: a 4-year baccalaureate degree in any field. Directions for administration are supplied at no additional cost. Tests are supplied and returned to suppliers for scoring. Tests are given orally through grade 2. Administered over a 2 day period (i.e. 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. with break for lunch for 2 days)
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4. Metropolitan Achievement Test The Metropolitan 8 tests student achievement from kindergarten through grade 12. The content of test questions ranges from foundation skills to critical thinking processes and strategies. Metropolitan 8 tests include reading, mathematics, language, writing process, writing, spelling, science, and social studies. I lost contact with the only person I knew that had this test for homeschoolers.

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5. Peabody Achievement Individual Test – Revised Version
this is an untimed test, but again, I cannot find anyone that has this for homeschoolers at a reasonable cost.

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6. Stanford Achievement Test (not to be confused with the SAT test for college admission) expensive

The Stanford 10 is the latest version in the Stanford Achievement Test Series. It contains content and multiple choice questions aligned with state and national standards. The test is administered untimed (within flexible guidelines). Areas of assessment include reading (sounds and letters, word study skills, word reading, sentence reading, reading vocabulary, reading comprehension), mathematics (problem solving, procedures), language, spelling, listening, science, environment, and social studies
A top-rated nationally standardized test for K-12. Listening skills are included for K - 8th grade. The test administrator must have a baccalaureate degree in any field, plus meet additional test administering guidelines. The publisher of this test has strict guidelines that must be followed when testing any relative. The test supplier can supply you with specifics before ordering the test. Qualifications for test administrators and directions for administration must be purchased.

This test can be purchased from Bob Jones University on an individual basis, but there are some hoops to jump through to be able to administer the test if you have no proof of prior experience with administering tests, including filling in a online application and, if need be, purchasing a CD on test administration.
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7. Terra Nova
TERRA NOVA 3 - through CTB McGraw-Hill - what I can gather from this website, the test can only be administered in group settings.

TERRA NOVA, the 2nd edition (CAT/6) - through CTB McGraw-Hill - same as above, only group testing
Terra Nova, The Second Edition (CAT/6) includes both multiple choice and constructed response items and measures important basic and applied skills. Test content reflects national standards derived from curriculum guides, teacher groups, and state frameworks. CAT Multiple Assessments include an integrated reading/language arts test along with mathematics, science, and social studies tests.

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8. Woodcock Johnson Revised Tests of Achievement III (can be administered individually, but must be by a qualified examiner)
It is designed for people between the ages of 5 and 90. Many areas are covered in the basic achievement test: letter/word identification, passage comprehension, math calculation, math applied problems, spelling, writing, general knowledge.
The total test time varies, depending upon which tests are administered. The basic achievement test takes about 1.5 hours.

what tests are accepted to fulfill the law for testing in 3, 5, & 8th grades?

As of June 30, 2009 the approved list of standardized tests consists of the following:

1. California Achievement Test
2. Comprehensive Testing Program (CTPIV)
3. Iowa Test of Basic Skills
4. Metropolitan Achievement Test
5. Peabody Achievement Individual Test – Revised Version
6. Stanford Achievement Test
7. Tera Nova
8. Woodcock Johnson Revised Tests of Achievement III

curricular and extra-curricular activities at the school for home educated kids

FYI Someone told me today that their school said they cannot
participate in extra-curricular activities at the district. This is wrong.

All districts must allow the home educated child participate to in
extra-curricular activities at the school district where they live if
they choose.

(See definitions of these two types of activities below.

Only some districts allow the home educated child participate to in
curricular activities (instructional activities) See FAQs below


FAQ
Can my child participate in curricular (instructional) activities at the
school district where we live?

The school district where you reside has the discretion to make school
curricular courses available to home-educated students. Many school
districts have established a written policy on participation of
homeschooled students in curricular programs, such as science classes,
computer labs, and foreign language courses. Please contact your local
school district for this information. Please remember, however, that
school districts are not required to allow home-educated students to
participate in curricular courses.

Can my child participate in extra-curricular activities at the school
district where we live?

Yes. Act 67 of 2005 amended the home education law to allow a student
in a home education program per Sec. 13-1327.1 to participate in the
types of activities referenced in 24 P.S. § 5-511
in
the school district where the student lives. These activities may
include: clubs, musical ensembles, athletics and theatrical
productions, interscholastic athletics, varsity sports and intramural
sports, with certain qualifications. School districts have established
policies which identify what programs are Sec. 511 activities and are
therefore, available for home education students' participation.

my 2 cents......I have also found that those districts that said "yes" above are the "friendlier, more accommodating districts" in most all other areas as well.

medical records with the affadavit should not be needed!

Seems to me that we should be able to
send the schools a letter saying that our affidavit attests to that fact that
we are providing the proper medical care. Then state that the records
are on file at the doctor's office and that you don't want to have them
at the school since they are private records and that your students are
not coming onto their property and are not in their buildings. A simple
letter in our own words should suffice.
BUT
This is what the PDE says, accept as far as medical records: (1) a form
completed by the physician; (2) a letter from the physician saying the
services were completed and immunizations done; or (3) a letter by the
parent of religious objection to the services/immunizations.

I'd add a fourth.
a letter by the parents saying that the records are private and on file
at the doctor's office. I see no need to spend money at the doctor's
office for a piece of paper saying that the services were completed. You
just tell the school that they were completed and sign it. After all,
you are the supervisor of the program and signed the affidavit.

Most of us have used affidavits that attest to the fact that we are following the law, ie. have a high school diploma and the affidavit is evidence thereof, have no felonies and the affidavit is evidence thereof, etc.
BUT, for some reason, the affidavit is NOT enough for the medical care and that records need to be provided or the physician needs to provides a letter. It seems that if the parents address the issue that they are providing the care as directed, actual records would not be needed (unless the student is participating in a school district sport or other activity). So, a student that is solely home educated, the affidavit attests that the records/care is at the doctor's office without attaching the actual records, but now, the school districts are not reading that in the BEC. The districts are saying they need the actual records or physician's letter. This is more paperwork and cost for the parents and oversight on the part of the districts. This is a bit different than parents that object to the actual services; this is objecting to sharing this private information when their child is not involved in school activities.


I think that the following are reasonable options:

those that had children in the district previously, if they had medical
records on file from that time does not have to resubmit records, just
let them know they are on file, and which school they were in.

or a letter saying you object to specific medical care, ie
immunizations, dental exams, medical exams, etc.

or a letter indicating that we have objections to filing medical
information with the school is also acceptable.

even if the affidavit attests to the fact that the child/ren are
receiving appropriate medical care then schools are just asking for
documentation that would cover them if they were audited. That does
not sound inappropriate. Apparently a letter stating that we object to
providing the info is enough.

You should be handing in at the beginning of the year: Affidavit and
objectives ( and a letter saying your are handling the medical care as
in the code).

New PA Dept of Education Contact Person

There is a new PDE Contact Person since Sarah Pearce retired.
This is a "better" source of information than your local district. The local district is dealing with their own students and often don't have time to study the law.

Suzanne Tallman
Education Administration Specialist
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street, Harrisburg PA 17126

Phone: 717.214.8212
Fax: 717.214.4389

Email:
Web: