Students in grades 3, 5 & 8 who are
homeschooled under Act 169 are required by law (Read the law) to include in their portfolios the
results of a nationally normed standardized achievement test in reading /
language arts and mathematics. Parents cannot administer these tests to
their own children (in those grades). The state department of education
recognizes eight tests (see the list at www.hslda.org/hs/state/pa/20090625.asp).
The California Achievement Test can be administered by another homeschool
parent, if you prefer to work in tandem with other homeschoolers. You
can test their child or children one day; they can test your child or
children another day, or even the same day in separate rooms.
Test results may take as much as two months to be returned to you, so plan
ahead. You may want to plan to send your test order in by mid-February,
and test sometime during April.
Some districts will test homeschool students with public school students.
Contact your school district in the fall to find out if this will
be possible. Before deciding to have your child included in public school
testing, make sure that they offer one of the eight approved tests (see the list at www.hslda.org/he/state/pa/20090625.asp). Also consider the attitude homeschool students encounter at your
particular school district - it could affect your child's test scores, and
may not be worth the monetary savings.
NOTE: It is not advisable for you to accept your district’s offer to allow
results from a test not included on the approved list.