Testing
Testing is a requirement in many states. We make it easy to comply with testing requirements by gathering information and resources for testing services all in one place.
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Testing and Assessment: What Do the Tests Tell Us?
Many parents arrive in the world of gifted education with a report full of tests resultssupposedly defining their child as "gifted." But more often than notparents have more questions than answers upon receiving those test results. And just as oftenthe short answers from the psychologistthe schoolthe teachersand other parents do more to confuse than clarify.
Educational Testing Services (ETS)
Educational Testing Services (ETS) is an organization that provides a range of products and servicesincluding researchtest administrationtest scoringand more. This organization develops and administers APGREand SAT testsamong others.
Piedmont Education Services
Piedmont Education Services offers the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III)along with test prep materials.
Future School
Future School online learning systems support your entire family in both the classroom and the home using only qualified teachers to ensure its educational services. They offer tutoring students in the homeclassroom and after school facilitiesproviding both face-to-facetelephone and online assistance in the two core areas of literacy and numeracy. Future School has also many years experience in the development of Basic Skill Tests in mathematics and English covering years 35and 7incl...
VORT Practical Tools
VORT's products are recognized world-wide as practical and effective tools for family-centered developmental assessment and instruction. Offers the HELP (Hawaii Early Learning Profile)curriculum-based assessment covering CognitiveLanguageGross MotorFine MotorSocialSelf-Help for working with children ages birth-six years and their families. HELP is used to identify needstrack growth and developmentand determine "next steps" (individual objectives).
ACT vs SAT: Key differences between the ACT and SAT
ACT vs SAT: which test is a better fit for your student? Students may take whichever test they prefer (assuming there are available testing locations for both tests). If you’re not sure which test your child would preferconsider the key differences between the ACT and SAT. Some students find that the ACT caters to their strengths more so than the SATand vice versa. Need a quick side-by-side comparison of the tests? Check out this ACT vs SAT Comparison Chart.
Thurber's Educational Assessments
Offering the California Achievement Test (C.A.T./5)specifically the C.A.T./5 Complete Battery and the C.A.T./5 Survey. They also offer TerraNova CTBS and TerraNova 2 (CAT/6) for homeschoolsprivate schoolsor organized groups. Test results are sent directly to youhelping you understand your student’s academic standing.
Seton Testing Services
Seton provides affordablenationally standardized testingincluding ability and achievement testspractice testsand test prep materials for homeschoolersprivate schoolsand home school groups. Testing services and materials are available for grades K-12. Tests include the Stanford 10 OnlineCAT E-SurveyIOWA Form Eand TerraNova 2/CAT 6. Ordering is easy and you will get test results returned within two weeks.
Trust Tutoring
Trust Tutoring offers an Evaluation of Basic Skillsa standardized test of readingwritingand math skills for ages 3-18.
National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Established in 1955National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is an independentnot-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. NMSC conducts the National Merit® Scholarship Programan annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships.
Catforms Testing Service
Catforms Testing Service offers the 1970 California Achievement Tests with their own answer sheets and computer scoring. Key features of this system include graphical results in colorcumulative comparisons from year to yearand a detailed analysis of strengths and weaknesses in each area of the test. In addition to the original 1970 normsthey also have their own normsthe Catforms Percentileswhich are updated annually from the tests they have on file. The Catforms Percentiles are not a n...
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review offers personalized private tutoringtest prepand admission products and services to help students knock down barriers and achieve their academic goals. Search for schools and careersfind test preparation coursesget information on scholarshipsand more. Covered tests include: ACTAPPSATSATSAT SubjectsTOEFLISEEMCATDATOATLSATGREGMATCFAand USMLE.
FairTest (The National Center for Fair & Open Testing)
The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing and to ensure that evaluation of studentsteachers and schools is fairopenvalid and educationally beneficial. They place special emphasis on eliminating the racialclassgenderand cultural barriers to equal opportunity posed by standardized testsand preventing their damage to the quality of education. Based on Goals and Principlesthey provide informationtechnical assis...
Testing in the Schools
John Holt's article in which he lists questions that should be asked of school districts' testing policies.
The College Board
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900the association is composed of more than 4,700 schoolscollegesuniversitiesand other educational organizations. Each yearthe College Board serves over three and a half million students and their parents23,000 high schoolsand 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissionsguidanceassessmentfinancial aiden...
Test Prep Services for Homeschoolers
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review offers personalized private tutoringtest prepand admission products and services to help students knock down barriers and achieve their academic goals. Search for schools and careersfind test preparation coursesget information on scholarshipsand more. Covered tests include: ACTAPPSATSATSAT SubjectsTOEFLISEEMCATDATOATLSATGREGMATCFAand USMLE.
Testing Issues in the Homeschool
Testing and Assessment: What Do the Tests Tell Us?
Many parents arrive in the world of gifted education with a report full of tests resultssupposedly defining their child as "gifted." But more often than notparents have more questions than answers upon receiving those test results. And just as oftenthe short answers from the psychologistthe schoolthe teachersand other parents do more to confuse than clarify.
The Evils Of Mandatory Testing
As home schooling grows as a movementthere is increasing politics from anti-home school forces to try to interfere with or legislatively control home schoolers. This has come to include legislative attempts to force home school students to take standardized tests along with public school students. But mandatory testing doesn't work in public schoolsand it won't work for home schoolers.
The SAT vs. the ACT: Which to Choose?
Colleges will accept either the SAT or ACT. So which should you take? It's all about the numbers. Some students end up scoring substantially higher on the SAT; others do better on the ACT. The Princeton Review Assessment (PRA) is designed to help you determine which test is better fit with your abilities.
ACT vs SAT: Key differences between the ACT and SAT
ACT vs SAT: which test is a better fit for your student? Students may take whichever test they prefer (assuming there are available testing locations for both tests). If you’re not sure which test your child would preferconsider the key differences between the ACT and SAT. Some students find that the ACT caters to their strengths more so than the SATand vice versa. Need a quick side-by-side comparison of the tests? Check out this ACT vs SAT Comparison Chart.
Students Against Testing
This website offers an alternative look at standardized testing. Students Against Testing was created to be a strong force against the score-obsessed education machine known as standardized testing. At the same timeSAT also exists as an advocate for bringing positivecreative and real-life learning activities into the schools.
The Case for Authentic Assessment
Assessment is authentic when we directly examine student performance on worthy intellectual tasks. Traditional assessmentby contractrelies on indirect or proxy 'items'--efficientsimplistic substitutes from which we think valid inferences can be made about the student's performance at those valued challenges.
What does the SAT measure? Aptitude? Achievement? Anything?
When the first SAT was createdit was named the Scholastic Aptitude Testsignaling that its creators and the education world believed it to be a test of aptitudeora student’s ability to perform well in college. Aptitude tests supposedly measure talents that indicate possible achievement in the futurewhile achievement tests supposedly reveal how much someone has learned in the past. All these years laterwe know the test never really did measure anybody’s aptitude to do well in college.
It's Time for the PSAT/NMSQT
Although this article has some outdated date information in itit is a good discussion of the use of the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) for homeschoolersespecially those who are interested in qualifying for certain scholarships.
Testing in the Schools
John Holt's article in which he lists questions that should be asked of school districts' testing policies.
Testing ServicesSuppliers& Resources
Trust Tutoring
Trust Tutoring offers an Evaluation of Basic Skillsa standardized test of readingwritingand math skills for ages 3-18.
FairTest (The National Center for Fair & Open Testing)
The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing and to ensure that evaluation of studentsteachers and schools is fairopenvalid and educationally beneficial. They place special emphasis on eliminating the racialclassgenderand cultural barriers to equal opportunity posed by standardized testsand preventing their damage to the quality of education. Based on Goals and Principlesthey provide informationtechnical assistance and advocacy on a broad range of testing concernsfocusing on three areas: K-12university admissionsand employment tests. FairTest publishes a quarterly newsletterThe Examinerplus a full catalog of materials on both K- 12 and university testing to aid teachersadministratorsstudentsparents and researchers. They also have numerous fact sheets available on standardized testing and alternative assessment.
Catforms Testing Service
Catforms Testing Service offers the 1970 California Achievement Tests with their own answer sheets and computer scoring. Key features of this system include graphical results in colorcumulative comparisons from year to yearand a detailed analysis of strengths and weaknesses in each area of the test. In addition to the original 1970 normsthey also have their own normsthe Catforms Percentileswhich are updated annually from the tests they have on file. The Catforms Percentiles are not a national normbut are useful in comparing your students' performance with others from Christian schools and home schools today.
Bayside School Services
Bayside School Services offers do-it-yourself standardized achievement testsavailable all year. Bayside gives you original publisher materials plus genuine CTB scoring reportsincluding free practice tests for all grades where available. Test prices include shippinghandlingscoring and all practice tests. Special pricing available for group orders.
Curriculum Associates
Offers BRIGANCE Screening and Inventories products. Designed for use in elementary and middle schoolsthe CIBS-R is a valuable resource for programs serving students with special needsand continues to be indispensable in IEP development and program planning.
The College Board
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900the association is composed of more than 4,700 schoolscollegesuniversitiesand other educational organizations. Each yearthe College Board serves over three and a half million students and their parents23,000 high schoolsand 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissionsguidanceassessmentfinancial aidenrollmentand teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SATthe PSAT/NMSQT®and the Advanced Placement Program®(AP).
Future School
Future School online learning systems support your entire family in both the classroom and the home using only qualified teachers to ensure its educational services. They offer tutoring students in the homeclassroom and after school facilitiesproviding both face-to-facetelephone and online assistance in the two core areas of literacy and numeracy. Future School has also many years experience in the development of Basic Skill Tests in mathematics and English covering years 35and 7including the materialsdeliverymarkingpsychometrics and reporting to Education Departmentsschoolsand parents.
Educational Testing Services (ETS)
Educational Testing Services (ETS) is an organization that provides a range of products and servicesincluding researchtest administrationtest scoringand more. This organization develops and administers APGREand SAT testsamong others.
VORT Practical Tools
VORT's products are recognized world-wide as practical and effective tools for family-centered developmental assessment and instruction. Offers the HELP (Hawaii Early Learning Profile)curriculum-based assessment covering CognitiveLanguageGross MotorFine MotorSocialSelf-Help for working with children ages birth-six years and their families. HELP is used to identify needstrack growth and developmentand determine "next steps" (individual objectives).
Hewitt Homeschooling Resources/PASS Test
The PASS Test was developed specifically for home schoolers. It has certain similarities to other achievement tests in that it estimates student achievement in the subjects of readinglanguageand math. But is has important differences. It introduces four major improvements over most achievement tests presently available. Firstit was designed for parents to administer at home. This can greatly reduce the stress level of testing. Secondit is untimedwhich helps students to relax. Thirdthe student's approximate achievement level within his or her grade is initially identified by use of a brief accompanying placement test. This assigns each child to a test level where he or she is more likely to succeedand it also allows for shorter tests. Finallytesting results show overall achievement as well as performance in each subject. The test is standardized and children's scores are compared with both national and home-schooling populations. This does not mean that the test is nationally normedbut that the scores are equated to those of public school students taking one of the nationally-normed tests. The states of AlaskaNew Yorkand North Carolina have officially approved the PASS Test for purposes of state reporting. In other states which require testingyou should check with your local school district to make sure it meets their requirements.
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review offers personalized private tutoringtest prepand admission products and services to help students knock down barriers and achieve their academic goals. Search for schools and careersfind test preparation coursesget information on scholarshipsand more. Covered tests include: ACTAPPSATSATSAT SubjectsTOEFLISEEMCATDATOATLSATGREGMATCFAand USMLE.
Featured Resources
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The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home
This book will instruct youstep by stepon how to give your child an academically rigorouscomprehensive education from preschool through high school. Two veteran home educators outline the classical pattern of education—the trivium—which organiz...
Home Schooling from Scratch : Simple LivingSuper Learning
Parents learn what they really needhow to find or create materials and opportunities for less moneyand how to organize their household for economicalhappy learning.
The Way They Learn
The learning-s expertCynthia Ulrich Tobias, gives parents a better understanding of the types of learning approaches that will help their children do better in school and at home. She offers practical advice for teaching in response to y...
LeapPad Game - Mind Wars Interactive Game
Bring a friend and try this brand new way to play with your LeapPad! Travel around the board in this fast-pacedhead-to-head game as you hit your buzzer before your friend can steal your question! Be the first to close all five windows and you will ...
Real Lives: Eleven Teenagers Who Don't Go to School
Grace Llewellynauthor of the The Teenage Liberation Handbookoffers the stories of 11 teens who made the decision to reject traditional schooling methodologies and take their education into their own hands. The essays highlight offer a day-in-the-...
