“Failure” in a homeschool doesn’t have anything to do with a test score. Our family has a motto: ”never compare, someone always gets hurt.” This is particularly true when comparing your child’s test scores to someone else, or comparing your homeschool to someone else. In fact, “Failure” isn’t about test scores at all.
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says:
“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD.
The things that truly matter involve the character and values we instill in our children. Within the great diversity of children, there is that “bell shaped curve” of normal intelligence. There will always be people on both sides of the academic bell shaped curve, because that is the variety that God has given us with our children. Homeschooling is a great way to educate your children, and can lead to the best possible academic success for each individual child. That does not mean, however, that everyone’s test scores will be higher that the 50th percentile. That only happens in Lake Wobegon, where every child is above average, LOL!
But the Lord doesn’t look at comparative test scores. He looks at faith, kindness, justice, and righteousness. Teach values, and don’t boast of wisdom or compare test scores. Someone always gets hurt.
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J W says:
Test scores, shmest scores…
I did far better on SAT than I did on PSAT because 1) the testing room at the PSAT was unexpectedly freezing cold, and 2) I hadn’t read the book _Cracking the SAT_ by the Princeton Review. Simply knowing a few good test-taking strategies and practicing for the test boosts a student’s scores considerably. Not to mention bringing a sweater just in case!!!
Since third grade, one of my children has consistently scored at high-school graduate level on most subjects in the California Achievement Test. But what that really means is that an *average* high school junior wouldn’t score as well if given the same test (which is very, very, very sad when you look at the actual questions on the test). My husband opted for parental scoring this year, and he found that looking at the questions and the raw scores was far more helpful than getting some stupid, puffed-up, inflated figure that is, in the long run *meaningless.* Obviously, then, we have no right to brag and boast based on test scores alone. We do brag and boast, (what parent doesn’t?) but we don’t do it about test scores, that’s for sure! We do the CAT test because the law requires a yearly test, and because there’s a pizza party afterward.
Our other child would fail hopelessly on at least one are of the CAT test. Also, this child probably would perform far below her other abilities in the environment of a testing room. She would ultimately break down in tears of rage and frustration, thus disrupting the other students’ test experience. I’ll bet that would also lower the other kids’ scores! Fortunately, our state allows us to have her evaluated individually. There’s no shame in getting a non-test assessment. I’m meeting my child’s needs and fulfilling the law – that’s all there is to it. One good thing about the individual assessment is she will be able to show off some skills that are NOT measured by the CAT – namely Art and French.
That said, both children are among the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. That’s what counts.
June 13th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
ProntoLessons says:
I agree with you completely on this.
But, in this world where there’s an increasing desire to rely on testing and standardization, I do wonder at times how this will affect the home school community.
I mean, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced that he is pushing for comparing the U.S. against international benchmarks. Then we have “industrial strength” No Child Left Behind being endorsed by the Obama camp (which includes a desire for ALL teachers to obtain national certification – not sure if this includes home school teachers). And just last week, we had the U.K. announcing stricter laws on homeschooling, in part, to bring themselves up closer to homeschooling laws in European countries.
Not sure if it’s too far-fetched, but I do sense a global showdown on how all these efforts and desires to standardize education performance will affect us homeschoolers.
We should be prepared for this.
June 14th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
J W says:
Now’s a good time for me to put in a plug about the Home School Legal Defense Association. They’ve been working on the global level too. Check them out at: http://www.hslda.org
And remember: HSLDA membership is a lot cheaper than keeping a dozen coonhounds under your front porch, and more humane than a hiney full of bird shot.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Debb S. says:
And also, a very intelligent person with no wisdom/values can do a whole lot of harm.
May 29th, 2010 at 5:10 pm