Having your homeschool child tested in accordance with Oregon rules can be intimidating. This page seeks to ease any anxiety by providing information about the process.
Students must be tested between the end of their 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grade levels, and August 15. (Unless the child has been registered as a homeschooled student for less than 18 months.)
The approved tests are
Some families select a test publisher that they will stick with over comparative years. There is some debate among homeschoolers as to the best publisher. Other families have no preference. Let Brent know your preference, if any.
Cost per individual assessment:
The cost of the actual test from the publisher (varies)
plus
The time to administer the test at $30 per hour (varies)
plus
The travel distance to the preferred testing location. $5 within 10 miles of downtown Klamath Falls. $10 within 20 miles, $15 within 30 miles, etc. (Some students have such test anxiety that their familiar home setting is usually the best situation.)
Those costs can be decreased for individuals by combining with other homeschool families.
Testing usually takes place during the first two weeks of August, but can be done as soon as the student completes their designated grade level in the spring.
Testing must be scheduled no later than August 1st in order to have time for the assessment materials to be shipped and administered before August 15.
About the state approved tester
Brent holds a BS in psychology and a MS in education with a dozen teaching endorsements.
Teaching in public schools, he has 10 years experience at the elementary level and 10 years experience in high school subjects.
Brent and his wife homeschooled their own three children from kindergarten through 10th grade, with occasional help from private schools in person or online. (And there was that semester where he taught two of his children in his 2/3 elementary blend public school classroom.)
Contacts:
For questions about the local testing process, contact Brent at
BookOregon at the gmail domain
For questions about state testing policies, contact Bob at
Bob.Salazar at the ode.state.or.us domain
But first see
Oregon ODE home school FAQ