Expert Resouces for Homeschooling Through High School

By Amy Vickrey, MSE, MEd When it comes to testing for your child, there are many factors to consider—different types of tests, various purposes, and how the information can be used. Tests can provide valuable insight into your child's strengths and weaknesses, especially when writing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Types of Tests Nationally Normed Tests Many states require parents to demonstrate student progress through nationally normed tests like the IOWA, CAT, or MAP. These tests compare your student’s progress with peers of the same age or grade, typically based on standardized benchmarks such as the Common Core. It’s important to remember, though, that these tests might not reflect everything your child has learned, particularly if your curriculum does not align with the test’s standards. Psycho-Educational Assessments For diagnosing learning disabilities, a psycho-educational assessment is often used, including Cognitive Testing and Achievement Testing. Sometimes Executive Functioning and Behavioral Assessments are added based on parental concerns. Cognitive Testing Common cognitive tests include the WISC-V, KABC-II, and WJ-IV-COG. These tests examine how a learner processes information. Key areas assessed are: Comprehensive Knowledge (Crystallized Intelligence - Gc): Involves an individual's depth of knowledge, including verbal communication and reasoning. It’s built from both formal and informal educational experiences. Long-Term Memory/Retrieval (Glr): Measures the ability to store and retrieve information, like recalling facts or names. Skills related to Glr include test performance and word retrieval. Visual Processing (Gv): Assesses the ability to analyze, store, and manipulate visual information, impacting skills like reading maps, geometry, and assembling puzzles. Auditory Processing (Ga): Involves the ability to analyze sound patterns. It is closely linked to phonetic skills and math fact recall. Fluid Reasoning (Gf): Tests problem-solving abilities with new tasks or unfamiliar situations, essential for drawing inferences and solving abstract problems. Processing Speed (Gs): Measures how quickly visual information is processed and how rapidly a student can learn new tasks, affecting reading, writing, and math fluency. Short-Term Memory (Working Memory - Gsm/Gswm): Assesses the ability to hold information briefly and use it immediately, impacting skills like reading comprehension and following oral directions. Interpreting Cognitive Test Results When reviewing cognitive test results, consider the following: What do you already know about your child’s strengths and challenges? Could specific challenges (e.g., writing struggles) have impacted test performance? Are there significant discrepancies between areas? Remember that these tests represent a snapshot of your child’s performance on a single day. While children may accidentally perform poorly, they don't accidentally perform well. Focus on their strengths and align any weaknesses with your own observations. Achievement Testing Achievement tests are used to compare your child's academic performance to that of peers. They may be administered by a dyslexia therapist or as part of a broader assessment. Common tests include the WIAT-4, KTEA-3, and WJ-IV-ACH. Mathematics This typically covers Math Calculation (often paper and pencil) and Math Problem Solving (usually verbal). Consider your child’s challenges with writing or verbal directions when interpreting these results. Reading Reading assessments may evaluate areas like comprehension, fluency, word recognition, and phonemic awareness. Listening comprehension may also be tested for younger readers or for children who struggle with decoding text. Writing/Spelling Writing and spelling are assessed at the letter, word, sentence, and paragraph levels. Fine motor skills may also be tested to determine how well a child can physically execute writing tasks. Executive Functioning These are the foundational skills for learning, including working memory, emotional control, sustained attention, task initiation, and time management. Behavioral Assessments Behavioral assessments focus on anxiety, depression, autism, attention, and hyperactivity. These assessments help determine whether behaviors are affecting learning or are a response to learning challenges. Understanding Standardized Test Scores Most tests use standardized scores where 85-115 is considered average. Scores above 115 indicate above-average abilities, while scores below 85 may point to areas of concern. However, keep in mind that these scores reflect just one moment in time. Intelligence and abilities are fluid and can vary. Trust your instincts as a parent—you know your child’s true potential better than anyone. Amy Vickrey is the Training Manager at SPED Homeschool. 

Did you know that a student does not need to take the ACT or SAT to receive a degree from a 4-year university? For students like my oldest, who has anxiety issues, this fact significantly reduced his stress when he realized his calling required a 4-year degree. The ACT and SAT are placement tests often used by universities to award freshman placement or by scholarship organizations to award funding. If your student is not looking to attend a university right out of high school or compete for academic scholarships, these tests may not be worth the time, energy, or stress they might cause. Navigating College Admission Without the ACT/SAT While skipping the ACT or SAT can reduce stress, it doesn't eliminate testing altogether for college admission. If your student enrolls in a community college before transferring to a 4-year university, that school will usually require a placement evaluation. Each community college has different regulations around these enrollment tests. Most tests can be taken without time limits, over multiple days, or without penalty for multiple re-tests. The most commonly used community college placement test is the Accuplacer Test. Some community colleges use a state-standardized placement test or one developed for their own college system. To understand the specific testing requirements of your community college and the necessary courses for college admission, it is best to set up an appointment with the college as your student prepares for post-secondary education. Even if your student doesn’t pass the community college placement test, that does not limit their enrollment in the college. For subject areas where your student shows college-level competence, they can enroll in credit classes. For areas needing improvement, they can take non-credit courses, and passing these courses will eventually allow them to enroll in credit hour courses. Most community colleges offer tutoring help for students in remedial courses and provide accommodations for those with learning disabilities. These special services departments also assist with testing and help students gain more services for their college career if needed. Transferring from a community college to a 4-year university requires meeting certain qualifiers set by the university. Each university has different requirements regarding transferable courses, GPA, and specific degree program admissions, but none require an ACT or SAT score. A Pathway to Success For my son, now in his third year of studies and on track to graduate from the University of Houston’s Biomedical Engineering program, taking a step-by-step approach has been a much more successful route to achieving his goal. My hope is that if you have a child who struggles but feels called to a career requiring a degree, neither of you will let go of that dream just because of an admissions test.