If your state requires your homeschooled child to take standardized testing, you may be suffering a great deal of anxiety over it.   As a parent, you strive to do the very best you can for your children – heck, that’s the most common reason for choosing to homeschool in the first place! But when you find out your child will be tested, you may very well feel that you, yourself are too. After all, if your child scores low, the temptation is great to believe their score is a direct reflection on you as their teacher. Lucky for you, that perception is often far from the truth!

It is important to keep in mind that standardized tests are incapable of capturing or measuring the “whole person.” It is absolutely impossible to summarize all parts of what makes a person unique or intelligent in one test (or even twenty!). They only "roughly" measure your child’s ability to take and answer a variety of information quickly in what can often be a high pressured situation. If your child does well, you can be proud that he or she is able to perform well. If your child scores low, it most likely means that he or she suffers from some level of phobia and had difficulty in taking the it. Low scores do not necessarily indicate that your child did not know the information.

So why bother testing at all? Many states require it, often in grades 3, 5  8, and 12. Schools must perform these in order to receive federal money. Homeschoolers may be required to take them in order to show their child is receiving a proper education at home. Reading this, you probably again feel that pang of fear over a low score-does that mean your child is not being properly educated at home? No, just as no public school would ever say their pupils who get a low result are not being taught properly! Your child’s score means there are areas where you may want to focus a bit more (perhaps math or reading comprehension), but remember that your homeschooled child’s score is simply a reflection of how they compare to other children in the same grade, most of whom are being instructed in a public school setting. As every parent knows, children develop and mature at varying rates-some kids are early readers, some are later readers. That’s why you should not put too much weight in comparing your child in such a manner with their peers!

If you must test your child, you might have several options in administering them. Some states may require that you have your child participate along with their public school peers. Other states require that a certified school teacher administer the exam while some states allow anyone who is not the child’s parent or guardian administer them. You should strive to make your child as comfortable and relaxed as possible about the prospect of testing. You can usually order a study guide for your child who is going to take and this may help them in seeing what to expect and help them overcome any test anxiety or concerns about upcoming event.

Remember, not all states require standardized testing. If you are not sure what the laws are in your state, a good starting place to find out is at Home School Legal Defense Association. (HSLDA). Something to keep in mind as a possible work-around the testing requirement is that many states allow parents to determine what grade level their child is currently in, so if you choose not to assign a proper grade level, there is no reason to comply with requirements. Of course, you probably cannot get away with saying your 14 year old is still in 2nd grade should you be asked, but it may help you delay them by a year or two in order to allow your child more time to mature and develop their skills.

Standardized testing – a necessary evil for some, a pain in the neck for all. Just ensure that you get as much information about the testing as possible so you can ease your fears. If you are comfortable and relaxed about the upcoming testing, your child will perceive this and will be able to approach it in a more comfortable and relaxed manner as well.

Here are some sites about this topic.
Analyze My Career was developed by Dr. Lankford, a registered Psychologist for over 20 years.  There are over 1500 career assessments with reporting functionality for record keeping. 
BrainPOP for Home Schools is the leading producer of animated educational movies for grades K-12. Offering curriculum-based content in Science, Math, English, Social Studies, Health, Arts & Music, and Technology. Activities include homework help, interactive quizzes, comic strips, and experiments.
Brainstorm USA is a leading provider of educational software products, Brainstorm USA’s bi-lingual English and Spanish software can be used for both home schooling and tutoring. Offering pre-tests to measure your child’s strengths & weaknesses, you benefit from customizable lessons which can be tailored for your individual child. Using games and stimulating graphics, kids will stay engaged and enjoy learning.
Seton has been providing professional Evaluation service to homeschoolers for over 20 years. Visit their site to order the CAT (California Achievement Test).  You’ll receive quick turnaround on results, year-round service and great customer service.
Standardized Minds: The High Price of America's Test Culture and What We Can Do to Change It

Help other Homeschoolers while your help yourself!
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR FAMILY FRIENDLY
SUPPORT GROUPS

Suggested Reading
Decide-to-homeschool | Socialization | New-to-Homeschool | HS-Styles
Home | HS Curriculum | Subjects | Support