Saxon
math placement test (http://www.saxonhomeschool.com/pg/index.jsp)
Use this free test to assess your child's math
grade level. Scroll down to bottom of page to "Placement
Tests.)
Reading Competency Test at www.nrrf.org/readtest.html.
Use this free test to assess your child's reading level.
Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and the
Reading Proficiency Tests (RPTE) Free and updated
every year - no grading - use for your own use only.
Administer
a learning-styles assessment
to both you and your child.
Use these resources to determine if there any holes
in your child's basic skill development.
1.
The Checklist by Cindy Downes
for K-12th.
2.
Select according to grade level. Daily
Summer Activities, Moving from Kindergarten to Grade One
,
Daily Summer Activities, Moving from First to Second Grade
,
Daily Summer Activities, Moving from Second to Third Grade
,
Daily Summer Activities, Moving from Third to Fourth Grade
,
Daily Summer Activities, Moving from Fourth to Fifth Grade.
Free,
printable PreK/K assessment forms.
Preparing
Elementary and High School Students to Take Standardized
Tests (Chicago Public Schools). Information
and free practice tests.
Classwork
& Homework Assessment Rubics, Rubic Creator:
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/
If
you think testing is hard today, check out the final exam
for an 8th grade education in 1895.
This
is good news since the most accurate way to determine if a
child is learning is to watch his daily progress. This is
easy for homeschool parents, especially during the early years.
Evaluation for all years can be done through verbal discussions,
written assignments, hands-on projects, portfolio
review, portfolders,
or testing. Check out the exam for 8th
grade education in 1895!
Give
your children practice in test-taking even though it is not
required. Tests are part of our culture. Children can
learn to improve their test scores. Use some of the testing
resources below to practice test taking.
Keep
testing in perspective. Test results can be helpful, but
not always accurate. Low score can mean the child had a bad
test day, the subject matter was never covered, or the child
has not mastered that subject.
Be
careful in interpreting test scores, especially grade equivalent
scores. The first number is the grade level, the second
number is the month of the school year. 8.4 means the child
is performing at a level equivalent to that of an average
8th grader in the fourth month of school. A score of 13.4
in math does not mean that the eighth grader can do the equivalent
of a college freshman! The eighth grader has never taken college
level math (trigonometry, calculus) and the eighth grade test
does not cover those subjects. It only means that the student
does eighth grade math extremely well.
Types
of tests:
- Norm
referenced standardized tests (Stanford Achievement, Iowa
Basic Skills): identify learning problems and gaps in
basic knowledge.
- Criterion-referenced
standardized tests: evaluate the effectiveness of school
instruction programs. These tests are designed for public
schools. Criterion-referenced tests can be a problem for
Christian homeschoolers as they include questions the
deal with evolution as fact as well as other objectionable
materials.
- PSAT/SAT/ACT
- needed for college and financial aid. See College
Admissions Test-Preparation resources below for info.
California
Achievement Test. Available from Thurbers.net.
(http://thurbers.net/teatests.html)
or Bayside School Services (http://www.baysideschoolservices.com/).
Complete battery for K-12th grade. No special qualifications
needed to order the tests.
Christian
Liberty Academy. 502
W. Euclid Avenue. Arlington Heights, IL 60004. Phone:
847-259-4444. Available for 2nd-12th grade. No special
qualifications needed to order the test. Easier than
some other tests. Percentage scores may show higher when
compared with other tests. Subjects: Reading: vocabulary
and comprehension; Mathematics: computations, concepts
and problems; Language: mechanics, usage, structure,
and spelling. NORM DATE: 1970s.
Personalized
Assessment Summary System (PASS).
Hewitt Research Foundation. www.hewitthomeschooling.com
Hewitt Research Foundation offers a special standardized
test that is accepted in some areas. The test fee pays
for a placement test to determine which test level is
needed, the actual PASS exam, scoring, and a detailed
analysis, and suggestions for dealing with areas of difficulty.
Available only for 3rd-8th grade. No special qualifications
are required to order or administer this exam. Call Hewitt
at 800-890-4097, 360-835-8708 for more information or
to place an order, or order online. Fax: 360-835-8397.
Iowa
Test of Basic Skills. Available through
Bob
Jones University Press or http://www.homeschoolertests.com/.
Test Administrator must fulfill certain qualifications.
See website for more details.
Metropolitan
Achievement Test. Available from Family Learning
Org. (http://www.familylearning.org/testing.html).
Family Learning Organization. P.O. Box 7247. Spokane,
WA 99207-0247. 800-405-TEST or 509-467-2552. NORM DATE:
1992
Seton
Home Study School, 1350 Progress Drive, Front
Royal, VA 22630, 540-636-9990. Available for K-12th grade.
No special qualifications needed to order the tests. Call
to order by phone. NORM DATE: 1988
Stanford
Achievement Test. Available through Bob
Jones University Press, Greenville, SC 29614 800-845-5731.
K-12th grade. Anyone can place an order for the
tests, but materials will only be shipped to a
qualified tester who must administer the test and
return for scoring. The test scores will be returned
to the person who initially ordered the test. Test
administrator must have four-year degree, be a certified
teacher, or be a working teacher in a conventional
school. Subjects covered: Reading: vocabulary,
word analysis skills, and comprehension; Mathematics:
concepts and computation; Language: spelling, capitalization,
and punctuation; Word study skills: map reading,
graphs, tables, knowledge, and use of reference
materials. Must provide proof of homeschooling
in the form of a signature on the order form. Form
available on their website. (http://www.bjup.com)
Summit
Christian Academy.
Email: info@SCAHomeschool.com.
P.O. Box 2769, Cedar Hill, TX 75106. 800-362-9180. Complete
battery for grades 3-12. No special qualifications required
to order test. Tests in March on Iowa Basic, so orders
must by in by February 28, 2005. NORM DATE: 1995
Test
of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP).
This is the high school version of the Iowa Test of Basic
Skills. Bob Jones University Press http://www.bjup.com
Greenville, SC 29614 800-845-5731. QUALIFICATIONS: See
information above.
Subjects coveredt: math, language arts, science, and social
studies. NORM DATE: 1995 *Must provide proof of homeschooling.
Form available on their website.
Standardized
Test Practice for ___ Grade and others
in the series by Teacher Created Materials.
.
Achievement
Testing Resources 
Includes
four full-length practice ACT exams on CD-ROM, one
full-length practice exam in the book, and The Princeton
Review Assessment Exam, a full-length diagnostic exam
that will predict your scores on both the ACT and the
SAT. All of our practice test questions are like the
ones you will find on the actual ACT exam, and we include
detailed explanations for every answer. ISBN: 037576318X.