We were reading about the STARS program in Nebraska for one of my grad school classes in Colorado, and our teacher informed us of this radical change that recently happened. From what I’ve read, the STARS program seems very different from the CSAP we have here, and it seems as though it works a lot better.

I’m sorry to see such a creative, effective program change into something that doesn’t really work in most of the other states that use it.

I don’t see anything wrong with children being made to take tests to see where they are at for their age AND to make sure that the parents are really teaching their kids what they say they are teaching them.

A defiant position is not one that is really going to convince me.

Many homeschoolers, ourselves included, have tests that we give our children once a year. In fact, in Colorado, where I am, it is a law that the children be tested every other year starting in the 3rd grade. So I am not saying that we won’t conform to the law. What I am saying is that it shouldn’t be required for a parent to have to prove anything unless there is some reason for concern.

For the record, homeschooling may not be better for all people. I have never said that homeschooling is the best way to school all children. If you have a good district and you’re happy with them, then you have chosen the best thing for your child, but my district is not good. I, personally believe that any school governed by the government is heading for problems, but I have heard some parents go on and on about how wonderful their childrens’ schools are so there must be some good ones out there.

Again, we don’t care if our kids score higher or lower. What we care about is that we don’t feel that the state or government should be able to dictate that we prove to them that our children are learning. We pulled our children out of their schools because, as far as we were concerned, they were incapable of making the distinction between children who were learning and children who were just sitting bored in their classrooms.

I hope that helps.

This is what keeps crossing my mind:

I guess I just don’t understand why homeschooling Mom’s wouldn’t want their children to take tests that kids in public school are being made to take. What’s the problem? Your child is going to outscore the public school kids anyway, right?

If all kids are tested the same and it’s known beforehand then there’s no excuse for lame education.

And, like Angela, I’m not well versed on this topic, but it would seem to me that if homeschooling is the better education then the home schooled would breeze right through standardized tests. But that’s from my perspective and I’m kinda dumb to this topic

While many people may not agree with what I say, we can agree that we have the right to disagree but since I had my children and I know my children then I believe I know whats best for them. Would I say that about all mothers? No, but usually those types of mothers wouldn’t have the time or the inclination to have their children with them all day every day. They wouldn’t want the responsiblity and the cost of homeschooling.

In my district (Ellicott District in Colorado) I checked out the results for the csap (Colorado’s Standardized Test). The 3rd graders results were as follows: 2007 and 2005 there were 0 advanced, 2006 had 1 advanced, and 2004 had 5 advanced students. Proficiency percentages for all four years ranged between 44% and 57%. Partially proficient for the abover years ranged from a 22% to a 31% and unsatisfactory results ranged from 16% to 28%.

Seriously and these are the people who the government funds to teach children. The government should be looking to their own schools and then we wouldn’t have to homeschool. I have to admit that I also have another reason for homeschooling. Evolution is not what I want my child believing in, but for their sake I teach the facts of both evolution and creation and give them the choice that the public schools wouldn’t.

I don’t believe that the government is any position to demand that our homeschooled children take a test that they can’t even get their public schooled children to pass proficiently. My children, by the way would be at least in the proficient range, because I care about what they do and I teach them in a way that they enjoy learning.

Just my thoughts. Sorry to take up so much time and room.

If homeschoolers that are at a 1st grade level are ready then why shouldn’t they take the test along with the public school kids?

Also, if I remember correctly isn’t it up to the parents to decide when their children can start school?

Some parents put their kids in school at age 4, 5, or even 6. I would imagine each parent knows what their kids are capable of.

The other thing I’m thinking of is won’t the material that will be on the tests be accessible so that everybody in school whether public, private, or homeschool will have a chance to prepare?

Since homeschooled children tend to do better on these things according to the studies that you have found then maybe you guys really don’t have anything to worry about, ya know?

I don’t know.. am I missing something more?