The Washington State Home-Based Instruction Law offers parents two methods to meet the annual testing requirement. One, your child can be tested using a State Board of Education-approved standardized achievement test. Or two, an assessment of your child’s academic progress can be written by a certified teacher currently working in the field of education. The testing requirement is for homeschooled children between the ages of 8 and 18.
If you want your child to take a standardized test, it can mean 1 to 2 long, tiring days of sitting through subtest after subtest, either frantically trying to complete the items before time is up, or waiting in boredom for time to lapse until the next session begins. For a child who is easily frustrated, easily bored or has special learning needs such as ADD or ADHD, a group achievement test may not give the best indication of his or her true ability.
Another option is now available. The Mini Battery of Achievement is a State Board of Education-approved achievement test, and covers Reading (Identification, Vocabulary, Comprehension), Mathematics (Calculation, Reasoning & Concepts), Writing (Dictation, Proofreading), and Knowledge (Social Studies, Science, Humanities—Art, Music, Literature). It is individually administered by a certified teacher, who is also a homeschool parent.
There are no practice books or sample tests, so students are assessed on their knowledge, not on their test preparation.
Phone: (509)735-2460 or (509)551-0954
Email: jamestown@charter.net
Snail Mail:
Camille James
7915 W. Grand Ronde Ave.
Kennewick, WA 99336