I don't believe in testing, but am required to by laws here in 3rd, 5th and 8th grades. We use the CAT test.. it's really pretty painless and I don't have to find someone special to give it (though I'm not supposed to give it myself). If I remember rightly, when Garrett took it in 3rd we were done in about 2 hours with all of it. It could have been broken down into a few minutes a day for a few days if that is what we chose to do.. but he was done with each section WAY before the time limit, so we just kept plugging along... errrr he and his test giver
I went ahead and purchased the CAT test from Seton https://www.setontesting.com/cat/ Got it in the mail Saturda, looked it all over yesterday and we will be starting it today. I will let you know how it goes. But so far just looking at the test (and knowing my child) I can tel you that she will get about 95% of the questions right. If you want to make sure you are teaching your child everything that they "should" know, but don't want to test them, then just get the test and look it over. You will be able to see if you have missed anything. Thanks so much for all of your help / advice ladies. I Love this great group of women !!!
standardized testing When my kids were young I worried that perhaps we were missing something educationally. I didn't really want to pay for testing because Louisiana does not require it. So I would buy the Spectrum Test Prep workbooks and I would use those for my own means of testing. I honestly think that helped my oldest two do so well on the ACT when they needed to be tested for college admission and the TOPS Scholarship.
Christian Liberty now has the 1970 CAT in an online version. They claim that the 1970 CAT is better because the newer tests are "dumbed down". I think this would be great for homeschoolers who are required to do standardized testing because the kids can do it in the comfort of their own home. It costs $25. "Why does Christian Liberty use the 1970 edition of the California Achievement Test? We still use the older version of this nationally normed achievement test because the newer editions reflect a lower academic standard. Most educators will acknowledge the fact that our nation's educational standards, as far as student achievement in the basic skills is concerned, have dropped considerably since the early 1970s. It is our professional opinion that the more recent versions of achievement tests simply do not demand as high a standard of achievement because too many of today’s students are ill-equipped to handle the level of evaluation that was common in the early 1970s." http://www.shopchristianliberty.com/california-achievement-test-online-version/
Makes perfectly good sense. But if the goal is to compare our kids with what the others are doing, we can't do it if the others are using the newer addition. However, if it's just to give you an idea of how your kid is doing, not in connection with others, it'd be fine.
Mouseketeer67 I actually saw the online version and was considering it. But for the first time testing, I didn't want her to be nailed down to a time frame. For the at home testing you can forgo the time frame if needed. But the online one they start and stop the clock for you. I do like that it is the 1970 version and "harder" than the new ones. But the one I did get is from 1984 so not too terribly easy.
It is my understanding that the CAT is a timed test and if you forgo the time frame the results are invalid. The Stanford is an untimed test. Most standardized tests are timed.
Okay so we did not text offically but did assess through AOP's computer test that shows you where you should be. That helped me to see if they needed help in an area I was not seeing as well. In retrospect ( I have graduated two, one I sent out and he did testing, one I only sent in last year and she did not test but is an extremely advanced student) The latter is up for scholarships and the former didnt try. So really it made little difference if I tested or not but I will do the SAT or CAT with ds2 because scholarships often ask for this as well as college apps. I know dd could take them still being 19 and a transfer student for University now they are accepting her cc 3.87 gpa as enough proof of smarts.
Embassy I said that the wrong way. I wanted to make sure that she could stop if needed. She has a little sister that usually is in the classroom with us, but I had to send her to the living room for test time. I just needed to be able to say pause if we got interupted. She did half of the test yesterday. It went well, she actually liked it LOL She only used about half of the alotted time limit, so no worries there. But we did have to stop in the middle of one of the tests, cause of little sister LOL
Educational standards dropped way before 1970. The test company pretty much doesn't care about it anymore because it's so old, so they release it pretty much to anybody. I'm not trying to be rude, just the truth as I see it. Testing is a joke. BUT, what other way is there of "objectively" quantifying the results of one's efforts? There has to be some sort of standard against which one's results can be measured, even if the standard isn't a good one. I use the Stanford, because it's not timed. I do not teach "test taking skills" as part of my curriculum, nor even use the Test Prep books (Spectrum or others). I WAS going to use the CAT/5, and was buying them piecemeal from Christian Light (I'm a school, not a homeschooler), but the test company has rescinded their license to use it because of some copyright problem or other with the reading comprehension selections. In the past, I have used the Woodcock-Johnson (for my son, back when I was working for the school board and could borrow one from the office to administer at home), and I still have the WRAT-R (outdated, but I only use it for comparison of "before" and "after") and the PIAT (also an outdated version). I've also used the Iowa and the CAT/5, "renting" them from a testing company. I always emphasize to my students that the testing is NOT "pass/fail" like the public schools' tests, and the results are only for MY information, so I'll know where we need to beef up and where we're doing okay. I give results to their parents, of course, but it's up to the parent whether to tell the kids how they did. I've always noticed that the longer the student is with me, the higher their scores go. I've had severely dyslexic kids come up from previous results in the single-digit percentiles to the Average range. I've had kids come up from previous Average range scores to far above average. That's another reason I give them: it's so much fun to watch those scores go UP!
I am against most testing, but I didn't always feel that way. I grew up in a traditional type of setting and went to public school for all K-12. I thought it was the right way to do things. I thought testing was necessary. I thought memorizing a bunch of information and then being able to get it right on a test was a way to show learning. When I was still in high school, a man once told me he thought tests should be open book. I couldn't believe it!!! What?! That won't show a thing. I couldn't even picture things differently than they were for me at that time. Now, I see that testing in many cases just shows a mindless memorization (think history tests at public schools). I made A's in high school history only to know practically nothing about it. About the only time I think testing is necessary is for testing knowledge in a subject area that a person will be working in and needs the expertise in. I do think doctors should pass some tests before being allowed to treat patients, etc.
I know what you two mean , Lindina & cabsmom40, testing does not "prove" anything any more. With teachers teaching nothing but what will be on the tests. And prep curriculums, it's a joke. But for me it was just so I would know what we might have missed. And hey! it worked. She did GREAT!!! in everything but capitalization. So now I know we need to work on that next year I don't care how she "measures up" to the rest of the world. As far as I am concerned she is perfect! Just the way God made her
I think testing is fun. I really liked it when I was in school and my kids seem to enjoy it. In my case it does prove that my kids are learning at home. Since I live in a regulation-free area I'd like to have something official to demonstrate home learning. When I gave my kids their first standardized test they did not do well on social studies where they had to demonstrate recognition of US symbols. I've never taught that and haven't taught it since then either Some things that they test aren't important, imho.
Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore... yep there are lots of symbols that are signifcant I think homeschoolers have forgotten that social studies is so much more than just history and maybe a little bit of geography.
