Up to this point in our homeschooling journey, we had not taken any standardized tests. Caroline did complete tests as part of her gifted/2e testing, but that has been it. When I had the opportunity to review the Stanford Achievement Test for homeschoolers with Homeschooling Testing Services, I jumped at the chance for a number of reasons.
In this post, I’m writing a review of my experience using this service for standardized testing. In a separate post, I have written about our personal experience with standardized testing and what we learned. So I encourage you to read this post first to understand the service we used. Then click over to read the follow-up post in which I get into the nitty gritty of what we learned as a result of the process: Standardized Testing with a Homeschooled Gifted/2e Child.
I received a copy of the test for free. I am being compensated for my time to write this review. I was not required to post a positive review.
Homeschool Testing Services
Homeschool Testing Services (HTS) offers At-Home Testing for families who wish to use standardized testing in their homeschooling. It is very easy to order your test and send it back for scoring.
You receive in the mail:
- the student test booklet
- the student answer form
- the test administrator book
- a special envelope for sending everything back
It really could not be more simple. The test administrator book explains how to administer the test, but if you are only testing one child and not a classroom full of children it’s pretty straightforward.
It does take a number of weeks to go through the entire process of ordering the materials, receiving them, sending everything back, and getting it scored. This is something you need to plan for. You won’t get it in two days, take it, and get the results back in three days. It involves more time than that. But the process is very simple.
Stanford Achievement Test for Homeschoolers
We used the Stanford Achievement Test 10 for 2018 (Stanford-10 or SAT10). This is a norm-referenced test which means you can compare your child’s results with all children across the country who took the same test. It has been around since 1926 and is widely utilized.
The test is not timed. It is all bubbles to fill in so there is no writing.
At this point I have to confess I have no pictures of Caroline taking the test. Around the time we were supposed to begin completing it for this review, she got sick. She was sick for almost two weeks so when we sat down to do the testing after she was better I was so focused on getting the test done and sent back in on time that it NEVER crossed my mind to take pictures until after the packet was already on its way in the mail. So that’s why no pictures of her taking the test. Sorry!
When you receive your results, they will look something like this sample the company shares online. (These are not Caroline’s test results.)
Along with your child’s results, you’ll receive a link to a helpful video that explains the different terminology and abbreviations. They break down all the numbers you see up above so you know exactly how to interpret the results.
They also go over how your child’s numbers work into this distribution curve. They explain what the normal distribution curve is and what it means.
They also explain the Lexile number your child will receive. This is a screenshot of what they use to explain it. The Lexile number is widely used in education and is helpful for understanding a child’s reading level and ability.
It really is that easy. You order the test, administer it over however many days you need to do so, and send it back. You get your test results and can go over them to see a snapshot of where your child is relative to other kids.
This is a very helpful service for homeschool families who want to do at-home standardized testing.
Categories: Homeschool Curriculum Reviews
This is completely fascinating. It never crossed my mind to administer this test at home. How did your daughter do with filling in the bubbles with her dysgraphia? My oldest is dyslexic and dysgraphic. We were told by the educational psychologist who tested her to request accommodations if we pursue standardized testing as she won’t be able to complete it in the typical allotted time.
Did you notice Caroline’s learning challenges interfering much with the actual test taking?
Hi Ksude,
Doing the test at home is FANTASTIC for these kids who struggle in various areas. Caroline did not have any problems using the bubble pages once she was acquainted with it. I think it might have posed a problem for her when she was younger, but not now. I also think she was so thrilled to only have to fill in bubbles and not do any writing that it was all good in her mind.
Did you see the other detailed follow-up post I did? I put a lot of details in that post about how she did in certain parts and why I thought that was the case.
Sallie
Were you able to find a study guide for the Stanford 10 to give your daughter an idea of what was on the test beforehand? This is my daughter’s second year with the test, and it’s been a nightmare finding an overview do she can review basics to feel better prepared.
Hi Lauri,
I haven’t looked for a study guide at this point. I recommend contacting the company I used and see if they have any suggestions. If/When we do the test again, I may take a little time to prepare my daughter for the sections that deal with approaches she’s never seen. I abhor teaching to the test, but if giving her the vocabulary and structure to understand sections of the test would make the experience more fair, then I’m willing to do that.
Sallie
^^This is our approach as well! We don’t teach to the test, but there are terms and formulas, especially in statistics and science she could use refreshers on. Thanks for the idea! Have a great day!