How do Homeschoolers fair on standardized tests?

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How do homeschoolers fair on standardized tests?

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Tripod-unknow Author

As measured by standardized test scores and college entrance exams, "there is no discernible difference between young people who attend public schools K-12 and those who are home schooled and never set foot in a public school," says Penn State’s Marshall. Critics say pitting the standardized tests of homeschoolers against students from traditional schools is misleading. Parents who choose homeschooling place a premium on education; studies show parental involvement and emphasis on education generally produces better students. "A better test would be a comparison of homeschooled children with a subset of public school children who have high levels of parental involvement and whose families place a high value on education," says Anderson of the National Education Association.

What about college? Do colleges accept homeschooled students?
In 1996, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported a surge in the number of homeschooled students’ accepted into top colleges. Some have even entered the hallowed halls of Harvard and Yale. Though homeschooled students lack a transcript or high school diploma, Lyman notes that they can submit samples or a portfolio of their work, letters of recommendation and test scores.
What key things do parents need to consider to help decide whether home schooling is the route for their children?
Parents need to take a hard look at what they want their children to get out of homeschooling as well as how much the parent is willing to put into the effort. The Howes say parents should ask themselves the following questions:
Are you disciplined enough to follow through?
Is your relationship with your child based on a respect for your authority to enough of an extent that you can control the classroom?
Are you willing to put in the hard work and learning yourself necessary for you to do a high quality job?
Are you prepared to handle the endless questioning by others about the 'rightness' of what you're doing?
Do you have a physical space in your home that will be the school area?
Can you afford the investment of time and money necessary to provide a quality homeschool?
Homeschooling Resources
- Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense. By David Guterson. (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992). Addresses commonly asked questions about homeschooling (socialization, legality and costs, etc.)
- Homeschooling for Excellence: How to Take Charge of Your Child's Education and Why You Absolutely Must. By David and Micki Colfax. (Warner Books, 1988). Written by parents who sent their own home-educated children to Harvard, this book offers information, guidance and inspiration.
- The Home School Manual. By Theodore E. Wade, Jr. (Gazelle Publications, 1986). Provides how-to information for Christian homeschoolers.
- The Home School Source Book. By Donn Reed. (Brook Farms Books, 1991). A source of inspiration and resources for home educators. Available from the Alliance for Parental Involvement in Education, Inc. P.O. Box 59 East Chatham, NY. 12060-0059. Phone: 518-392-6900.
- Home School: Taking the First Step. By Borg Hendrickson. (Mountain Meadowpress, 1989). A basic guide for parents who have elected homeschooling. Includes listings of support groups, services, publications and other resources.
- Teach Your Own. By John Holt. (Bantam Doubleday, 1981). Confronts the common objections to homeschooling and offers step-by-step guidance for taking - and keeping - children out of school.
- Schooling at Home: Parents, Kids and Learning. Edited by Anne Pedersen and Peggy O'Mara. (John Muir Publications, 1990). From Mothering magazine, this books is an anthology of articles presenting methods of teaching at home, philosophies of learning, legal issues involved in homeschooling, etc.