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Virginia requires that homeschooled kids periodically pass "tests" to see if they are learning anything at home. Unfortunately, the homeschooled kids need score only in the 25th percentile or better on standardized tests to be considered educated. The standard doesn't get much lower than that.
Let's face it: homeschooling is 95% religion and only 5% academic.
Virginia requires that homeschooled kids periodically pass "tests" to see if they are learning anything at home. Unfortunately, the homeschooled kids need score only in the 25th percentile or better on standardized tests to be considered educated. The standard doesn't get much lower than that.
Let's face it: homeschooling is 95% religion and only 5% academic.
With all due respect, I would like to disagree with regards to our family. Actually, reverse those proportions, and that would be just about right. In the school for which our DD is zoned, the standards are very low, as they are all over the city. Moreover, there's little effort to accelerate or challenge students -- really, it seems like the genuine effort is to keep them in lockstep with their age-peers.
At the Wallace School , we can have subject-level acceleration all the time; we can have mastery learning (where our DD actually learns something deep-down, not "learns" as in "crams for the test on Friday"); and best of all, we do not have to waste our time learning mythology passing as history, mythology passing as science, or mythology passing as health.
I'm curious, though, about a few more things:
1. Would you please link us all to that data you quoted?
2. Are the results of those tests available? That is, however low the minimum score is, how well do the VA homeschoolers perform?
3. What are the minimum standards for the public schools?
Well you are allowed to make asinine statements but that sure is one right there. I've never in my life met a homeschooler who was taught 95% religion. Have you ever met homeschoolers? Associated with them? Know anything about the laws or parents rights? I would guess not.
My daughter was homeschooled for 2 years while we lived in WV. Now that we live in SC she goes to public school. She was not homeschooled for religion/beliefs. She was homeschooled because at that time I felt she would get a better education at home, one on one with me. She was tested every year and she scored in the top 2% of the top 2%. The public school in WV had a bunch of special classes for the slower kids but none or the advanced kids. So why would I send her to school all day when she was at least a year ahead of what her class was learning. She is now in an all day gifted program that is right at her level. If I ever feel that public school is not working for her I will pull her out and homeschool her again.
Virginia requires that homeschooled kids periodically pass "tests" to see if they are learning anything at home. Unfortunately, the homeschooled kids need score only in the 25th percentile or better on standardized tests to be considered educated. The standard doesn't get much lower than that.
Let's face it: homeschooling is 95% religion and only 5% academic.
Now, I am not the biggest fan of homeschooling but I do not agree with those percentages! Sure, there are fanatically religious people who homeschool because they are worried that the devil will get their child in public school or that they will learn about sex and drugs, both of which, IMO, are sheltering your kids but I respect their religious beliefs.
It also seems that there are many people who are homeschooling because they do not like the schools or have kids that work better in that environment. Each to his own.
Having worked in Virginia public schools, I never knew of the 25th percentile but that might be the case. Do you have facts to back that up? I would not be surprised if that were the case as homeschoolers did not ever seem to really need to prove much to get their credit.
I have actually learned a lot about homeschooling on this forum, esepecially from Charles Wallace, and have a lot more respect and understanding than I used to.
Virginia requires that homeschooled kids periodically pass "tests" to see if they are learning anything at home. Unfortunately, the homeschooled kids need score only in the 25th percentile or better on standardized tests to be considered educated. The standard doesn't get much lower than that.
Let's face it: homeschooling is 95% religion and only 5% academic.
Oh puh-leez...You're way off !
Here in CA, standardized testing is for all students not just home schoolers.
My son scores very well on all of his testing, top 4 %. As do most of the home schooled kids I know.
I have homeschooled my son for the last 4 yrs. Mainly because he is too smart for the traditional classroom, which did nothing for him. School districts here in CA do not offer a stimulating environment for a lot of kids. I can offer him one on one training instead of thirty to one. His reading and comprehension are on a 12th grade level and he's in 4th grade, his math skills are well advanced too. He is bi-lingual and is learning a third language this semster. We take weekly field trips to places he finds interesting. He chooses a lot of his own work and he can delve into a subject for hours. Theres a lot of hands on experience that home schooling offers. The school district pays me for HSing, that provides for all of his lessons, classes, curriculum and any other extra-curricular activities. Besides, it's nice to spend quantity and quality time with him, a lot of parents don't get that luxury. Im in the care of my childs education and who better to make sure he gets the best one possible. IMO, kids that are home schooled properly have a big advantage.
Also, Im a christian but that has only about 10% to do with the fact that I Home school.
Here in CA, standardized testing is for all students not just home schoolers.
My son scores very well on all of his testing, top 4 %. As do most of the home schooled kids I know.
I have homeschooled my son for the last 4 yrs. Mainly because he is too smart for the traditional classroom, which did nothing for him. School districts here in CA do not offer a stimulating environment for a lot of kids. I can offer him one on one training instead of thirty to one. His reading and comprehension are on a 12th grade level and he's in 4th grade, his math skills are well advanced too. He is bi-lingual and is learning a third language this semster. We take weekly field trips to places he finds interesting. He chooses a lot of his own work and he can delve into a subject for hours. Theres a lot of hands on experience that home schooling offers. The school district pays me for HSing, that provides for all of his lessons, classes, curriculum and any other extra-curricular activities. Besides, it's nice to spend quantity and quality time with him, a lot of parents don't get that luxury. Im in the care of my childs education and who better to make sure he gets the best one possible. IMO, kids that are home schooled properly have a big advantage.
Also, Im a christian but that has only about 10% to do with the fact that I Home school.
Lets face it you're confused !
I will say, in agreeance with OP, that having worked in Virginia as a guidance counselor and being the point of contact for homeschooled kids, there seems to be little that the parents need to do to prove that they are educating their kids. Now, there may be something that I do not know so I am open to be edcuated!
Whereas, students in school meet certain benchmarks and take several standardized test required by the state, homeschooled parents are pretty much on their own with not a lot of accountability from the state.
This is taken directly from the Fairfax County Public Schools website and is the Annual Evaluation for homeschool kids.
1. Evidence that the child has attained a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement tests. 2. An evaluation or assessment that the Division Superintendent determines to indicate that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress.
So, considering that the fourth stanine is on the low end of average (with above average being 9,8,7 and average being 6,5,4 and below average being 3,2,1) that is not a very high standard that the kids have to meet. Now, many of them score much higher but the OP was talking about what they have to meet not what they do.
Virginia requires that homeschooled kids periodically pass "tests" to see if they are learning anything at home. Unfortunately, the homeschooled kids need score only in the 25th percentile or better on standardized tests to be considered educated. The standard doesn't get much lower than that.
Let's face it: homeschooling is 95% religion and only 5% academic.
I recently met a "highly religious" family in Fairfax County, VA, that was homeschooling four kids. The eight-year-old proudly told me she was even studying Spanish via her computer. I then asked "Que tal"? (how are you, informally), but she couldn't answer. Enough said.
Well you are allowed to make asinine statements but that sure is one right there. I've never in my life met a homeschooler who was taught 95% religion. Have you ever met homeschoolers? Associated with them? Know anything about the laws or parents rights? I would guess not.
Avoid namecalling. Remarks like "asinine statements" are not helpful and are contrary to forum rules.
I recently met a "highly religious" family in Fairfax County, VA, that was homeschooling four kids. The eight-year-old proudly told me she was even studying Spanish via her computer. I then asked "Que tal"? (how are you, informally), but she couldn't answer. Enough said.
That doesn't prove anything, how long did it take you to learn spanish ? I think you're just down on home schooling, which is your perogative.
I don't know about VA laws, what you say may be true. It's your comment about home schooling being 95% religion, it's just wrong. You're assuming based on one family...and what do they say about assumption, huh ?
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, we can have subject-level acceleration all the time; we can have mastery learning (where our DD actually learns something deep-down, not "learns" as in "crams for the test on Friday"); and best of all, we do not have to waste our time learning mythology passing as history, mythology passing as science, or mythology passing as health.
Homeschooling rarely works
