April 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 26 and 30 are the dates we will be offering standardized testing this year. Testing will take 3 half days for most students and will be at Shelby Crossings in Calera. Students are allowed to bring water and a healthy snack and will be given multiple short restroom and activity breaks in between segments of the test, which are untimed. Standardized tests are completely optional, but are another way to measure students' progress, and give feedback to parents on strengths and weaknesses (usually confirming what the teacher already knows). The test is multiple choice, fill in the bubble type.
If you are interested in testing your students, I recommend testing every other year at the most, beginning in 3rd or 4th grade since the experience of test-taking is a skill to be learned, and one many homeschoolers don't have much opportunity to develop. There are also many homeschool graduates who have never tested until high school, and they were just fine.
At least two degreed teachers will proctor the tests, and a few parent volunteers are helpful to monitor students as they work, so children are well supervised throughout. The fee for the tests and proctors is $75/student.
If you would like more info on testing, RSVP to this event by February 22, but payment will not be due until later this spring.