| 1;When performance is measured performance | | | | test administration has not been coached on the |
| improves. When performance is measured and | | | | questions. It is common for a student to feel their |
| reported the rate of improvement | | | | studies have been lacking especially when test |
| accelerates.” | | | | questions cover subject material they are not |
| Quote from Thomas S. Monson | | | | familiar. If the test questions are proper for |
| There are many different types of testing. As | | | | subject mastery, the questions then illustrate a |
| home school parent teachers we test all the time. | | | | deficiency in subject acquisition and understanding. |
| We ask questions of our children. Asking questions | | | | The student should be encouraged to continue |
| of what they have done is a form of testing. | | | | studies, and counseled that a test is solely a |
| Testing in and of itself can be good or bad. The | | | | measuring stick. |
| deciding factor is how we use it; how we | | | | A danger of state governmental required testing |
| administer it. | | | | is the temptation to teach based on the test. A |
| What is the purpose of testing? | | | | student needs an understanding of the subject, |
| First off, let us eliminate testing required by | | | | not answers to test questions. Mastery of a |
| government regulation or law. This type of testing | | | | subject is different than memorization of answers |
| has a purpose in itself separate from the testing | | | | to test questions. |
| the parent needs to evaluate the child or | | | | The parent teacher’s response to test |
| student's academic progress. With this type of | | | | results can negatively affect a child’s |
| testing the government is attempting to | | | | attitude of themselves. We must always |
| determine whether you the parent teacher is | | | | remember not to compare one child to another. |
| providing a proper education for your child. | | | | Within a family you will find one child able to |
| If a regulating governmental body was not | | | | master a skill easily while another child finds it |
| present, would testing be advantageous? The | | | | difficult. We must not compare one child to |
| question about testing is do you need to know | | | | another. When there is a noticeable difference |
| where your child is in his or her education | | | | they may see and compare themselves. As |
| achievement. Where is your child deficient in their | | | | home school parents, we must work to |
| education acquisition? You are not testing to | | | | encourage the child having difficulty. A student |
| compare your child against another within or | | | | having difficulty in one area usually has other |
| outside your family sphere. You are testing to | | | | areas where their performance is exemplary. We |
| determine what understanding of a subject(s) | | | | need to praise where praise is deserved, and help |
| your child has acquired. It is irrelevant whether the | | | | motivate, and assist where added attention is |
| child next door or across the country has a | | | | required. This is where a good home school |
| superior or inferior knowledge or mastery of a | | | | environment shines. As a parent teacher you |
| given subject(s). Your concern is solely with your | | | | have the motivation and time to assist each child |
| child. Does he or she understand the subject? | | | | in their development individually. |
| When and how often should we test? | | | | A test should be challenging. If a test is not a |
| Many home school families mirror their teaching | | | | challenge, the test was not adequately chosen to |
| instruction cycle with that of the public school | | | | that child’s knowledge level. We are not |
| system. The public school system instruction is a | | | | testing to record ninety percentile or above |
| nine month per year cycle. If this is your school | | | | results. The purpose of testing is to determine a |
| cycle it is recommended that the instruction year | | | | child’s subject knowledge achievement. A |
| start off with testing to establish a scale to | | | | student does not usually progress in a straight line |
| measure future progress. This also allows the | | | | in all subject matter. Often a student will have |
| parent to see what knowledge the child has a full | | | | special interests. These special interests cause the |
| subject understanding and what subject | | | | child to excel in one area over other areas. Over |
| knowledge needs remedial work. A student | | | | a period of time, the student’s interests |
| testing at the end of the instruction cycle before | | | | change and their knowledge will progress in their |
| summer activities may score higher on specific | | | | new area of learning discovery. As home school |
| subject matter than they do at next | | | | parents, we need to be aware of this growth |
| year’s beginning cycle. This may indicate | | | | development and adjust our instructing and |
| the child had not fully acquired an adequate | | | | testing to their specific needs. It is possible for a |
| subject understanding. This is normal; this first | | | | student to be at multiple knowledge levels, junior |
| test is valuable to assist the parent teacher in | | | | high, high school, and college level all at the same |
| remedial instruction efforts. | | | | time. Our job as home school parent teachers is |
| Whether you are using a professionally designed | | | | to assist and guide our child in the areas they are |
| curriculum or a curriculum designed to match your | | | | deficient while providing them opportunities to |
| child’s specific interests, periodic goals of | | | | develop in their areas of interest. |
| subject mastery is important. Minimal testing is at | | | | Teaching the test (see No Child Left Behind) |
| the beginning and end of the school year. To keep | | | | The goal of testing is to determine the subject |
| subject mastery performance on schedule testing | | | | knowledge level of a student. Teaching a student |
| in the middle of the school year is advised. This | | | | to memorize a test’s answers is not |
| will allow the parent to judge whether adequate | | | | testing for subject mastery. The student has |
| progress is being made. It provides the parent | | | | simply memorized an answer and may not have |
| teacher with information and time to make | | | | any idea why that answer is correct. Our public |
| course adjustments to meet your year’s | | | | school’s have fallen into this trap because |
| knowledge level goal. If you home school year | | | | of the law “No Child Left Behind.” |
| round, you may want to consider testing on a | | | | Testing for subject mastery should not present |
| quarterly basis. | | | | any undo pressure on the student. The student is |
| Positive Testing Attitude | | | | presented the opportunity to answer questions. |
| When children have spent time in public schools | | | | The answers to the questions are then used to |
| they may acquire a negative attitude toward | | | | evaluate that specific students understanding of |
| testing. Testing is common in our public school | | | | subject material. A student should study for |
| system. Often teachers will test the students at | | | | subject mastery; not test mastery. The test |
| the end of the week on the material covered | | | | should offer a challenge to the student. A test |
| during that week’s instruction. | | | | where the student scores highly does not give |
| There is nothing wrong with this testing | | | | the teacher the information the teacher needs. As |
| methodology except the way it is recorded and | | | | a home school parent you need to know where |
| reported. The test scores are adjusted to a | | | | your child student is academically. If you have |
| statistical norm. A student in a class with other | | | | given them a test where they have scored in the |
| high achievers may find a test score of | | | | ninety percentile, you need to retest with a more |
| ninety-two percent be graded a | | | | challenging test. You need to know what they do |
| “C.” That same test result in | | | | not know. I do not believe most home school |
| another class may be awarded an | | | | families home school so they are in competition |
| “A” grade. Testing to be a useful | | | | with the public school system. We home school |
| tool to judge performance of the student should | | | | because we know we can educate our children to |
| be a comparison of that student against a set | | | | excel above those taught by government public |
| standard and the student’s past | | | | schools. Testing our children is done to determine |
| knowledge achievement level. A comparison scale | | | | what we need to do to assist our children in their |
| judging the student against another student has | | | | development and growth. |
| minimal value in helping a child acquire knowledge | | | | Standardized Government Tests |
| or in measuring that child's knowledge | | | | Standardized tests are not designed to evaluate |
| achievement. | | | | individual students. These standardized tests |
| Comparing students against each other creates an | | | | compare a child’s progress to the |
| environment of competition where competition | | | | progress of other children. When the results of |
| should not exist. There is nothing wrong with | | | | these tests are reported to the child they can |
| competition. Competition in and of itself is good | | | | create self esteem problems. No two children |
| and healthy for society. In a learning environment | | | | learn at the same pace. The information obtained |
| where subject mastery is the goal, testing | | | | from these standardized tests is of minimal value |
| competition becomes a negative motivation factor | | | | if the desired goal was to assist an individual |
| to those in the average or below average of the | | | | student. |
| norm. This is true whether the norm be of high | | | | Tests can be good or disastrous to a |
| achievers or average to low achievers. | | | | student’s enjoyment of learning. A test |
| The goal of the teacher should be to build a | | | | comparing one student to another can destroy a |
| student’s mastery of a subject. | | | | student’s creativity and willingness to take |
| Competitive knowledge games can and should be | | | | risks. Life requires us to take risks. When we limit |
| used to make learning fun and exciting. Learning | | | | the risks we take to protect ourselves, we limit |
| and discovering knowledge is fun. It is our duty as | | | | our opportunities to learn. In our public schools |
| parent teachers to keep the love of discovery | | | | where tests are used to compare one child to |
| alive in our children. | | | | another child creativity and risk taking are stifled. |
| As parent teachers we create the proper | | | | No one wants to be ostracized. The grading |
| environment for learning by acknowledging growth | | | | system in our public school’s does just |
| and performance. We need to continually | | | | that; it ostracizes one student one from another. |
| encourage our children in their discovery of the | | | | A child will either try to fall in line with others or |
| world. Doing this creates a positive attitude to | | | | rebel. Both of the chosen options are destructive |
| discovery, learning and testing. | | | | to the child and to society. We must be careful |
| Testing Danger’s – Negative Side | | | | how we use tests. In large families we must be |
| Effects | | | | careful we do not compare one child to another. |
| After completing a test or series of tests a | | | | We are all individuals with our own strengths and |
| student often feels they had been studying the | | | | weaknesses. |
| wrong information. A student tested using proper | | | | |