ITBS Testing in Duluth and FAQ

I saw this email on the "Georgia Christian Homeschoolers" Yahoo group and thought Beth sounds really knowledgeable about standardized testing. In particular, I got a lot out of the FAQ portion of her email. She seems like she would be a good person to administer a test to your child if you test outside the home. Here is her email:

ITBS Testing - Beth
Age Group : Grades 3-8 only
Fee: $40 LEO members; $50 for nonmembers
9:00-11:00 Monday, May 19,
9:00-11:30 Tuesday, May 20, and
9:00-11:30 Wednesday, May 21
Location: Lifelong Educational Opportunities located at EPIC Family Life Center,  2650 Olde Towne Parkway, Duluth GA 30097
Register by 3/29/2014: http://lifelongeducationalopps.com/Testing_Registration.html

Meet requirements for Georgia standardized testing with the ITBS at LEO during May 19th through May 21st. We will offer the Core Battery of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). CORE BATTERY means Math and Language skills only. This DOES NOT include subject areas like Science.

To register http://lifelongeducationalopps.com/Testing_Registration.html

Cost will be $40 for LEO members and $50 for non members and includes all testing materials, shipping and results..

Contact Beth if you have any questions prior to registering. Please register early as space is limited.

FAQ:.

------------------------------ ------ Q&A in no particular order

--Can the children use calculators?
Calculators are allowed on specific sections of the ITBS, but are not necessary. All of the problems can be done by hand. It is left up to the parent or teacher to decide. My thoughts: If your children regularly use a calculator for math class, then they should use on the test. If they don't regularly use a calculator, it is likely to slow them down and introduce mistakes.

--What skills are tested?
I will be using the Core LA and Math skills from the ITBS. These include: Vocabulary
Reading Comprehension
Word Analysis (3rd only)
Listening (3rd only)
Language
Spelling
Capitalization
Punctuation
Usage & Expression

Math Concepts/Estimation
Math Prob. Solving/Data Interp.
Math Concepts/Problem Solving
Math Computation

Content specific areas will not be tested.

--Must I test my children in their public school grade?
I recommend that your child take the grade level test appropriate for his/her age, because the national norms will be most useful that way. However, there is no age requirement set by the testing company or me. If you feel that your child will be better served by testing a grade up or down, that's fine with me. (The tests don't actually have grade levels on them, just form numbers and letters.)

--Are there materials available for test preparation?
I don't usually recommend extensive preparation. Standardized testing is meant to test what your child has learned over the years, not over three weeks of cramming. However, if your child is prone to test anxiety, seeing the actual format of the test might help him be more relaxed in testing. On the other hand, some children become more anxious with more preparation. You know your child best. If you feel like you need preparation materials, I recommend Scoring High because the format is identical to the test: http://www.mariinc.com/testitbs.html
The Teacher Book is a must for third grade because the listening section is only in that book. It's nice for the older grades unless you want to work the test yourself. If you know other families with children in the same grade, consider buying one Teacher Book and passing it around.

--Does this test meet the State of Georgia Requirements?
(Like everyone else, I have to preface with I'm not a lawyer and this is my personal interpretation of state law)

The ITBS is a "nationally standardized" test as referenced in Georgia law on testing requirements for homeschool students:

Students in home study programs shall be subject to an appropriate nationally standardized testing program administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests to evaluate their educational progress at least every three years beginning at the end of the third grade and records of such tests and scores shall be retained but shall not be required to be submitted to public educational authorities;

I am certified to administer the ITBS.

--Can I test at home instead?
(Again, I'm not a lawyer and this is my personal interpretation) Absolutely! The above law does not mention location or group size at all. It does specify *consultation* with a trained person, but most companies that sell or lease tests, provide phone or e-mail support from trained personnel and training materials for you. (Some test companies are very specific about who has access to their test and these tests may not available for home testing.)

--Which is better group testing or home testing?
I'll share my thoughts on group vs. home testing. Ask around and you'll get a picture of what other parents think is best and why.

Advantages of Group Testing:

- It is a controlled environment with no barking dogs, ringing phones, crying babies (I hope!)
- It gets the children used to the type of test administration that they will see in high school (PSAT, ACT, etc.)
- Some talent searches require independent testing
- Some specific tests do not allow home testing

Advantages of Home Testing:

- You eliminate much of the stress of the "testing environment" and might get a better measure of what students know.
- You avoid creating test anxiety if your student is too young to handle the formality of group testing
- You can test on your own schedule.
- You don't have to get in the car ;)

--What about the Georgia CRCT?
The Georgia CRCT is not designed to test general skills. It specifically tests children on Georgia Performance Standards. Unless your child is following the state curriculum, the test will not be very useful diagnostically. As far as I know the state does not allow homeschoolers to take the CRCT. You can pick up practice books at School Box if you are interested in what the state curriculum covers. This might be particularly helpful if you have plans to put your child in public school soon. (Interestingly, the law specifies homeschoolers take *nationally* standardized tests, so the CRCT wouldn't even meet our legal requirements.)

--What if I need to test a high school student?
I did not test at LEO last Spring, but if we have enough interest and another certified testing volunteer, we can add a 9th-12th group. (Because of different directions, sections, and timing, 3rd-8th cannot be tested in the same group as 9th-12th.) Here are some good choices for testing your high school student:

**Taking the PSAT in the fall is a good choice for 9th/10th graders. I'm not sure what local schools are homeschool-friendly up here, but usually private schools will allow homeschoolers to sit in with their students. Here's the info:
http://www.collegeboard.com/ student/testing/psat/reg/ homeschool.html (Registration deadlines are usually in Feb./March for October of the next school year, so don't delay if you are interested.)

**Homeschool students can also register for the SAT or ACT:
http://professionals. collegeboard.com/testing
/sat-subject/register/ homeschooled
http://www.actstudent.org/ regist/index.html

(This is available for 9th/10th grade students, also. It really helps some students to take these tests a year or two early, before they "count." They can get comfortable with the formal testing environment. Also, I always remind them that they are taking a test above their level, that they aren't expected to know all of the answers. This helps reduce some of the stress and sometimes one stress-free test experience is enough to reduce anxiety (and improve scores) on future tests.)

**A good ACT practice test for 8th/9th graders is the EXPLORE test, commonly given in middle school. I haven't heard of schools having homeschoolers test with them, but I don't think the ACT or EXPLORE are as popular in GA as in other states. ACT does offer a full length EXPLORE sample test to homeschoolers that parents can give and grade at home. It is nationally normed. It includes good information on interpreting scores and determining college/high school readiness:
http://www.actadvantage.org/ explore/

Georgia Homeschool Laws as of July 1, 2013

Read HSLDA's "Georgia PDF" which is A Legal Analysis, 2013-2014 Edition. This is a 1.5 page document that goes into detail about all of the laws for Georgia homeschoolers. Below I've posted some of the basics that are usually what people ask about when they're interested in beginning to homeschool, but check out what HSLDA has put together to get the FULL picture of what it looks like to homeschool in Georgia. If you haven't already, consider joining HSLDA. HSLDA members receive unique services, special discounts, and personal advice to support and equip their family's homeschool program.

~The “teaching parent” or tutor must have at least a high school diploma or a GED diploma.

~Compulsory Attendance Ages: Between their 6th and 16th birthdays. 

(Kindergarten attendance is not required in Georgia. -See ECS)

~Required Days of Instruction: 180 days

~Each school day must consist of 4.5 hours.

~The home study program must provide “a basic academic educational program” that includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science.

~Parents must submit a declaration of intent to utilize a home study program to the Georgia Department of Education within 30 days after the establishment of the home study program and by Sept. 1 every year thereafter.

~Parent must write an annual progress report for each child in the required subjects and retain it for three years.

~Children must take a nationally standardized achievement test every three years beginning at the end of the third grade.

*As of July 1, 2013, Georgia homeschoolers are no longer required to submit monthly attendance forms to the Georgia Department of Education.

Are Home-schooled Children Smarter?

Are homeschooled children smarter? No, I don't believe that for one second, and I think the title of this video presentation is misleading as to it's content. It should be titled, "The impact of schooling on academic achievement: Evidence from homeschooled and traditionally schooled students." Researchers studied 74 children ages 5-10 who were living in Canada, 37 homeschool students and 37 public school students. The public school students tested at or above grade level, and the students from a structured homeschool tested well above par. The interview is really interesting as they discuss why parents decide to homeschool, as well as two different types of homeschooling: structured and unstructured also known as unschooling. The results from this study show that unschoolers scored poorly on standardized tests.

Sandra Martin-Chang, Ph.D.

Part 3: Standardized Testing Companies

If you haven't read Part 1 and Part 2 of Standardized Testing, please do so.

Part 1: Can Homeschool Parents Administer a Standardized Test to Their Child?

Part 2: Standardized Tests Homeschool Parents Can Administer

So from Part 2, I've decided to administer the Terra Nova, Second Edition, CAT/6. I know it will either be the Complete Battery Plus or the Survey Battery Plus. I'll probably choose the Survey Plus because it's a shorter test. Last year, I didn't realize the Survey Plus included Social Studies and Science, so I ordered the Complete Battery Plus, and it was pretty time consuming.

Now I'm looking at which testing company will best suit my needs. A few years ago, I used Seton Testing. Last year, I used Bayside School Services. Those are the two companies I'll be comparing. Take a look at what I've learned so far.

Cost:
Bayside has lowered their cost from $55 to $50 as of 2013.

Seton's test costs $45.

Ordering:
Both Bayside and Seton say you should order your testing materials at least 3 weeks before testing week.

Bayside says you will receive your testing materials on the Saturday before your requested test week. Also, just because you request a particular week to be your test week, they do not guarantee you will receive your materials prior to that week.

Seton says you will receive your testing materials 1-2 weeks before your testing date.

Returning Materials:
Bayside gives you exactly one week to complete the entire testing process. You must have your testing materials postmarked by the Saturday following your test week. If it is postmarked after that Saturday, late charges will apply.

Seton says you need to return testing materials immediately after testing and materials must be returned within 30 days of the test date.

Results:
Bayside says results are usually sent to you within 6 weeks but that it is typcal for that to take anywhere between 4-8 weeks.

Seton says they usually have results ready within 2 weeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Overall, it appears to me that Seton is more flexible. The main thing that strikes me is the fact that Bayside expects your testing materials to be returned and postmarked the Saturday after your designated testing week. This added a lot of pressure on me last year, so I really like that Seton doesn't state it has to be postmarked by a certain date. Although Seton wants you to return it "immediately after testing is completed," they give you a 30 day window or should I say, some breathing room. I also like that Seton will send you your testing materials 1 - 2 weeks prior to your test week, so you have plenty of time to look over the materials and prepare to administer the test. This also means you could start testing sooner if you wanted to; you're not locked into a particular week.

Although I think Bayside is an excellent choice and I'm so appreciative of their service to the homeschool community, personally, I'm going to use Seton this year. I've already created an account with Seton and signed their Administrator Agreement form. Which reminds me, by the way, if you sign this form electronically, your signature should look like this:

/s/(space)First Name(space)Last Name

/s/ Jane Doe

Happy Testing!

Part 2: Standardized Tests Homeschool Parents Can Administer

If you haven't read Part 1 of Standardized Testing, please do so.

Part 1: Can Homeschool Parents Administer a Standardized Test to Their Child?

So from Part 1, we've established that a (Georgia) homeschool parent can administer a standardized test to their child and that the HSLDA is recommending the complete battery form be used in order to evaluate Social Studies and Science as well as Reading, Language Arts and Math.

Here is how the HSLDA has it written in their 2012-2013 Legal Analysis of Georgia Homeschool Laws PDF. 

"Standardized Tests: Children must take a nationally standardized achievement test every three years beginning at the end of the third grade. The test must be administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests. Since science and social studies are required subjects and the testing is required to evaluate the student’s “educational progress,” HSLDA is of the opinion that the complete battery form of the standardized test should be used. Test scores must be retained but are not required to be submitted to public school authorities. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(7)."

The options, for those of us who wish to test our own children, are the CAT, CAT/5 and the Terra Nova 2, CAT/6. Let's compare.

CAT:
The California Achievement Test, CAT E/Survey, Grades K-12, is a nationally normed standardized test that measures achievement in the areas of Reading, Language Arts and Math. It meets most states’ requirements for an annual assessment for homeschool and private school use. This is a Core Battery/Survey Edition and takes approximately 2½ hours to administer. NO BACHELOR’S DEGREE REQUIRED!

Again, HSLDA recommends Georgia homeschoolers test Reading, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science since those are the subjects we are required by law to teach, and the CAT does not test Social Studies or Science. Therefore, I'm scratching that one off my list.

CAT/5:
Although the CAT/5 does test Science and Social Studies, there is no longer publisher support for this product. I found this information on Bayside School Services website: 
"The California Achievement Tests, Fifth Edition, known as the CAT/5, has been discontinued and is no longer being supported by the publisher,  CTB McGraw-Hill. While some test providers are still offering the CAT/5, you should be aware that there is no publisher support for this product. The scoring reports are not at all like those provided by CTB. The most notable difference is the lack of the Skills Mastery information, perhaps the most useful data you receive with genuine reporting."

I'm scratching the CAT/5 off my list too. That leaves me with the Terra Nova...

Terra Nova, Second Edition, CAT/6: 
The TerraNova test is a nationally-recognized, norm-referenced, standardized achievement test that meets most states’ annual testing requirements. This edition was renormed in 2005, allowing homeschools and private schools the ability to purchase this test for the first time. It provides a series of tests that are easy to administer, stimulating to take, and most importantly, extremely accurate in their assessment of student achievement. NO BACHELOR’S DEGREE REQUIRED!

It appears to me that whether you use the Terra Nova Complete Battery Plus or the Terra Nova Survey Battery Plus, you will be testing Reading, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science. Seton has provided a Terra Nova PDF for comparison. My understanding is that as long as you use one of the "Plus" tests, you will test all subject areas.

So after looking closely at these three tests, I've decided I'm definitely going to use the Terra Nova, Second Edition, CAT/6!

In another post, I'll share about testing companies.

Part 3: Standardized Testing Companies

What Standardized Tests Should My High School Student Take?

Recommended Schedule of Testing for High School Students:

9th Grade: ITBS, Stanford or Terra Nova 2/ CAT 6

10th Grade: PSAT

11th Grade: PSAT, SAT and/or ACT

12th Grade: SAT and/or ACT

Part 1: Can Homeschool Parents Administer a Standardized Test to Their Child?

Many homeschoolers don't know that they, as homeschool parents, have the option of administering a standardized test to their child. I have gathered some information and am sharing it here with you in what I hope to be a clear and logical order. Don't take this as legal advice, and always consult the HSLDA for legal advice. Also, please use the links I have provided to double check everything for yourself.

Let's read how this law is written from the Georgia Department of Education website:

"Students in home study programs shall be subject to an appropriate nationally standardized testing program administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm referenced tests. The student must be evaluated at least every three years beginning at the end of the third grade. Records of such tests shall be retained"

This is how it is stated on the LexisNexis website as well. If you'd like to read it from there, visit their website and search for Georgia Code 20-2-690.

Here is how the HSLDA has it written in their 2012-2013 Legal Analysis of Georgia Homeschool Laws PDF. 

"Standardized Tests: Children must take a nationally standardized achievement test every three years beginning at the end of the third grade. The test must be administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests. Since science and social studies are required subjects and the testing is required to evaluate the student’s “educational progress,” HSLDA is of the opinion that the complete battery form of the standardized test should be used. Test scores must be retained but are not required to be submitted to public school authorities. Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(7)."

So at this point, we've established that the test must be administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests. Now I want to share with you that the testing suppliers determine who this "trained person" administering the test is.

Taken directly from the GHEA website this morning, we read under Testing and the Homeschool Law: 

"Georgia’s Home Study law (GA Code Ann. 20-2-690-(c)(7), requires that children take a national standardized achievement test every three years, beginning at the end of the third grade. These test scores are NOT to be submitted to public school authorities, but are only to be seen and kept on file for at least 3 years by the parents. There is NO exit exam required of home school high schooled students to graduate. 

The teaching parent may use any nationally normed standardized test. The testing companies set the rules as to the qualifications of the person administering the test and under what circumstances the test should be given. The home schooling parent is responsible for the cost of the test and having their children tested. The state does not provide this service."

I think it's important to note that the women that are in charge of the GHEA have been politically active in the past and therefore have first-hand experience communicating with congressmen about all sorts of homeschool issues. I feel confidant this information is still accurate and up-to-date, but if I ever question that, I will simply give HSLDA a call!

I think it's worth noting that although each of these three sources (GA DOE, HSLDA and GHEA) have shared the same information regarding what the law is, the HSLDA and GHEA have added some additional and beneficial information. From HSLDA, we are informed of the law and we also learn that they are of the opinion that the complete battery form of the standardized test should be used since science and social studies are required subjects in Georgia. This makes perfect sense. From GHEA, we again are informed of the law, yet we also learn that testing companies set the rules as to who can administer their tests as well as the fact that test scores are not to be submitted to public school authorities. One might be able to interpret that for themselves from the law, but I don't think so because many people have been surprised when I've told them this. It sure is nice to have these important issues elaborated on by the HSLDA and GHEA.

Hopefully, this information will help homeschool parents make an informed decision that best suits the needs of their family. In another post, I'll share information about tests and testing companies. 

Part 2: Standardized Tests Homeschool Parents Can Administer 
Part 3: Standardized Testing Companies