Testing—The Outside Perspective

In May 1985, BJU Press began offering a unique service to homeschools: the BJU Press Testing & Evaluation Service, an achievement and cognitive abilities testing program. Since that time, tests have been sent out to parents who are concerned that their children receive the best homeschool education that they can. Why do they decide to use achievement tests?

Though they vary widely, homeschools all share at least one characteristic: a small school population. Because the parent/teacher has contact with only a few children all during the school years, he may gain a misconception of true academic progress. It is difficult, for example, to determine whether an eight-year-old's reading level is advanced or remedial without an outside perspective—a valid, reliable measure of educational performance. That is exactly what the Testing & Evaluation Service is. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills^® (grades 1-8), the Iowa Tests of Educational Development^® (grades 9-12), and the Cognitive Abilities Test (grades 3-12) have been made available to homeschools through an agreement with Riverside Publishing. BJU Press has contracted with Riverside Publishing for distribution of these tests to the homeschool market.

Because these are nationally administered tests, Riverside Publishing has established certain qualifications for those administering the tests. A parent giving the test must be a certified teacher or a graduate of a four-year bachelor's degree program. Of course, a parent can choose anyone to administer the tests who is pre-approved with BJU Press Testing & Evaluation. Meeting this requirement helps to insure test validity among scores reported from conventional schools all over the nation. In essence, this requirement gives the testing the same standing as achievement tests give in conventional schools.

Another advantage of this testing program is confidentiality. Upon completion of scoring, the test results are sent only to the parents. They can then adjust their teaching strategies as they see fit. BJU Press retains a copy of the scores only for replacement purposes.

If a homeschool child enters a conventional school, previous achievement testing can only be an advantage. Although most high schools give entrance tests to new students, it is possible that some high schools will waive some tests on the basis of achievement test scores earned during homeschooling. If entrance tests are not waived, the child at least has the advantage of being familiar with achievement tests.

Although some states require homeschools to report achievement test scores, the reason homeschools use achievement tests runs far deeper than state requirement. Christians who both parent and educate their own children have a double accountability to God. Part of fulfilling that responsibility is maximizing the child's achievement—making sure that their first-grader can do everything he needs to be able to do. Achievement tests help a child "stay on track" with his education. Through the Testing & Evaluation Service, the homeschool child can have the same advantage.