Evaluations/Progress Reports

Proof of Progress - More things I see as a homeschool evaluator

Proof of Progress: More Examples from Homeschool Evaluations

You might like to hear about what I’ve been seeing while in the thick of homeschool evaluation season in Virginia. I meet with families, and they tell me what they’ve been learning about and show me evidence of progress. I write a letter documenting that progress as one way of satisfying our state’s annual homeschool requirements. I've previously shared some of the things I have seen when I review homeschool learning. Here are more ways homeschoolers have shared their learning with me. Continue reading »

proof of progress: things I see as a homeschool evaluator

Proof of Progress: Reviewing Work as a Homeschool Evaluator

Have you considered using a homeschool evaluator? Take a peek at some of the rich learning experiences that one homeschool evaluator has seen in her evaluations. Continue reading »

Homeschool Legalities: What you should do now to plan for homeschool end of year requirements

Plan Now for Homeschool End-of-Year Requirements

Many homeschoolers have to submit an end-of-year homeschool progress report of some kind to meet state, school division, or charter school requirements. Plan now to save yourself turmoil and make that process easier by asking yourself these questions now to prepare for spring requirements. Continue reading »

Screenshot of homeschool transcripts with text: Homeschool Transcripts Explained : includes free transcript templates

Homeschool Transcripts Explained—Spoiler Alert... They're Easy & Free!

One of the things that intimidates people the most about homeschooling high school is how to make homeschool transcripts. Thankfully, the solution is much easier than homeschoolers expect it to be, and it's free—you don't need a homeschool transcript service or expensive record-keeping software in order to create a homeschool transcript to send to colleges. There are several ways to produce homeschool transcripts for your student, including availability from various organizations, online planner services, or creating your own. We have made it easy to print your own transcripts with our free homeschool transcript template for Excel—just input the information, set the print area, and print the spreadsheet. You'll find the link at the bottom of this page. Continue reading »

TheHomeSchoolMom Blog: When Grade Level Matters (Or, Jumping Through Hoops)

Grade Level: When It Matters in Homeschooling

In a previous post, I encouraged parents not to obsess over grade level to the detriment of their child's actual engagement and learning. However -- yes -- I concede there are times you do have to think about grade level, and your child and your homeschooling efforts will benefit if you do. Continue reading »

Kids Blogging Unit Studies

What do you get when your child combines a unit study and notebooking with a blog? You get the homeschool version of a Virtual Learning Environment (a fancy way of saying learning that is enhanced by the Internet). In my role as a homeschool evaluator in Virginia, I teach about and encourage other uses of blogs—most commonly as documentation of learning—a blogfolio or electronic portfolio. The two uses are slightly different, because the blog as a portfolio is an evaluation tool (to be used by "others"), and the blog as an online unit study—a virtual homeschooling notebooking project—is actually a learning tool (used by the learner). Of course, sometimes there is a cross-over.

Homeschool Evaluation Instead of Testing

Some states require end-of-year evidence of progress for homeschooled kids in order for them to homeschool in subsequent years. There isn’t actually any evidence that this improves homeschooling outcomes (and many homeschoolers believe it interferes with the educational process), but it is the law in some parts of the United States. Using an evaluator may be one of the options you can choose if you are in a state that requires evidence of progress. A homeschool evaluation can be a more holistic approach than standardized testing. An evaluator can use a "whole child" approach that takes into account accomplishments that do not show up through testing. Continue reading »

EdSpeak or Educationese for Progress Reports

Learning activities that we once knew by simple names have been given new industry-generated names in recent years that are supposed to be more descriptive of subtle differences. Called "edspeak" or "educationese", these words or phrases are often used by professional educators. If you are required to file some form of proof of progress to your school district, you may find some of these terms helpful in describing your child's activities. Additionally, if you are working with a school system because your child has an IEP, the ability to understand the language commonly used by professional educators is helpful. Continue reading »

Homeschool Testing: Evaluating Learning by Asking Questions

Homeschooling parents are sometimes asked about how often they test their children. Some do give tests that are associated with specific text books or curricula. However, many never give tests, and others only assist their children with learning test-taking skills when there is a practical reason, such as preparing for a state-required standardized test, a college readiness test such as the SAT or ACT, or helping a child prepare to enter a more formal learning situation. Continue reading »

What Standardized Test Scores Don't Tell Us

Springtime usually means "testing time" for homeschoolers. And if you're at all like me, it is not your favorite time of the year. Although standardized testing is a state requirement for many homeschoolers, it can easily become the most dreaded part of homeschooling. Why? Because many of us feel like test scores are a definitive measure of... well, something. Something, uh, important. Good scores mean we're doing a good job, and bad scores mean we're not. Or good scores mean our kids are really smart and bad scores mean they're not. Or good scores mean our children are learning what they need to know and bad scores mean they're not. Good scores mean homeschooling is the right thing for our children, and bad scores mean we need to shift to some other educational option. Right? Continue reading »