Homeschooling Consultation: Portfolio Assessment 2017

With the annual assessment season upon the home educators of West Virginia, I'd like to remind us of the new laws that were passed in last year's legislative session.

Home School Legal Defense Association (www.HSLDA.org) posts this information as it relates to the 'Homeschool Modernization Bill' HB4175:

Do I still have to assess my students annually? Yes. Homeschooled students must be assessed annually in the areas of reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies.Do I have to submit the assessment to the local superintendent? Yes, but not annually as before. Under the new law the parent or legal guardian must submit the results of the academic assessment to the superintendent for grades 3, 5, 8, and 11.
When do I have to submit assessments? The assessments must be submitted by June 30 of the year they are administered for 3^rd, 5^th, 8^th, and 11^th grades. How long do I have to keep assessment results? A parent or legal guardian must maintain copies of the academic assessment for three years.
Do I still have the portfolio option? Yes. Parents still have the same 4 assessment options: 1) a nationally normed standardized achievement test 2) the current state testing program 3) certified teacher portfolio review 4) an alternative assessment mutually agreed upon by the parent and superintendent.

So each year an assessment needs to be accomplished as always; however, with the new law, these assessment forms from your reviewer need to be turned into the board of education after the following grades: 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 11th grades.

I'm scheduling portfolio assessments now and hope to conclude by June 30th. Does the assessment need to be completed only after you are finished with the school year? No, I understand that many homeschool families school year around and/or start after Labor Day, so they naturally go later. Each school is different, and I evaluate as such.

Enjoy some of these pictures of our recent hands-on learning. Don't forget to include your pictures by phone, flash drive, or printed.