Standardized Testing And Home School, My Thoughts.

    I have been doing some thinking on the pros and cons of standardized testing in schools and among homeschoolers who are forced to partake in this ritual. The method of state standardized testing is a way of tracking the academic progress of school children, testing them on basic knowledge. The student is given a score and placed among a statistic for their age and grade. Schools like this because they feel it gives them an idea of what the students know and if they meet the standard for their age and grade set by our education system. Schools are then commended for high scores among the masses of their students while low scoring schools, students and teachers are looked down on and encouraged to raise those scores. This may increases the stress of the teachers and students only making the problem worse! Standardized testing says that all children at like ages and grades must know generally the same information in the same way. Standardized testing does not take into consideration the home life of the student, the people who talk to them and don't, as well as their ability to learn at the same rate as other kids who are taking the same test.

The reason why schools are so fond of standardized testing is because it provides them cookie cutter information for the cookie cutter society they are training kids for! They can weed out the "fast" learners to the "slow" learners and label them accordingly. This may produce stress and depression for the "slow" learners and high levels of "self esteem for the "fast" learners. "Great job you have a high score" as they get a pat on the back for all of their hard work. The "slow" learners just get "you need to do better or you will fail" then they are placed in a class where they can "improve" and continue to do work that offers little to know challenge. That was me in the resource classes sitting their with the other "slow learning" or lazy kids who just wanted to get by and get out! I loved to score low on tests, and I loved the easy classes, there were less kids and the classroom was open for free conversation with the teacher as well as more art time. Yet that didn't change my self esteem, I always thought I was one of the dumb ones or at least that is what I was led to believe.

Deep down inside I knew I could do it if I really wanted to but why? so I can keep up with the other kids labeled "smart" and "good students" I didn't want to keep up I wanted to just learn and find my own way. I finally got out of school early thanks to independent study, finally I was allowed to learn at my own pace and surprise surprise I had the time to learn even more and of all the things I found that I have always wanted to learn! I finally felt like an individual. Anyway, this is about standardized testing and home school not me. Like most parents I want to do all I can for my children without doing to much damage lol! We are using a public Charter for our home school needs and he is in 2nd grade and will be required to do standardized testing in May. I have my reservations however and I am sorting it all out hence my post. He has already been tested on reading and was not allowed to participate in the program two years ago for Kindergarten until he had the assessment test. A passing score meant he was ready for Kindergarten curriculum, he passed but what did this really prove? It proved he was in line or even ahead of other students his age and was capable of doing the State mandated curriculum. Possible useful information for a cookie cutter life in a school that wants all the kids to learn, think and act in a certain way. I am not trying to say anything bad about the home based Charter school we use, but I have realized that it is still a public school with minds sets much the same. You need to take this into consideration before using a Public Charter Program. Learn more about home based Charter School Programs.

When I began this home school journey I wanted freedom to teach my kids in a way that was all them not every other kid. I am learning now about real education and how my own kids learn. Do I really want them to learn in a way that makes them better capable to score high on a test or learn in a way that speaks to them and actually allows them to learn and use their God given minds as an individual who they are made to be! Fortunately the program we are in offers much freedom and control on my part and we are happy with it so far (still way better than a regular public school).     

About standardized testing, I did try to see it the other way and have for many years. I said why not Standardized testing after all kids must have a basic knowledge so that they at least know what people are talking about in general conversations as well as do basic math and write a book report. We must know how kids stack up to other kids in the nation and we must track their education with tests made up with information they probably memorized anyway! When you spell it all out it really sound ridiculous, I am realizing that as I write this lol!

Standardized Testing: What Can It Hurt Anyway? I will explore this on another post in the mean time please comment and tell me your side. I want to hear the opinions of many people so please share.

Thanks for reading, to your families success!

Joanne Utke

Home Schooling VS Traditional Schooling

So How Do Homeschoolers Do Comparatively?

Socially: There is a common myth that homeschooling produces social misfits. This myth partially arises from an assumption that traditional education systems provide “normal” socialization activities.

Dr. Raymond Moore, in his book Better Late than Early writes that “The idea that children need to be around many other youngsters in order to be ‘socialized’ is perhaps the most dangerous and extravagant myth in education and child rearing today."

There is ample research that indicates that because home schooled students are exposed to a wider variety of people and situations, they learn to get along with a variety of people, making them socially mature and better able to adjust to new situations.

In their Communities: Many non-homeschoolers believe that homeschooling can turn out better students, but because homeschool students are educated in greater isolation from the world, they are less politically and socially involved. This concern comes at a great time, for homeschoolers at least.


The first generation of homeschoolers has now grown up and entered the workforce. Dr. Ray surveyed over 7,000 adults who had been home schooled and compared them against their more traditionally educated peers. His research found that:
Ninety-five percent of homeschoolers had an adequate comprehension of politics and government, compared to 65% of U.S. adults.

Seventy-one percent of homeschool graduates participate in ongoing community service
activities, including politics, compared to 37% of adults in similar ages.

Eighty-eight percent of HS graduates are members of organizations (community groups, church, or professional organizations) compared to 50% of U.S. adults.

Significantly, 76% of homeschool graduates voted in a national or state election within the past 5 years, compared to 29 percent of similar U.S. adults.

For More on this article, go to Home School facts

The Broken System!

In my opinion the public school system is designed for failure!

Yes I said it, I am not saying it is all bad either, I am just saying that the focus is not on the kids and a quality education!

I am also not saying it is all the schools fault and I am certainly not blaming those hard working Teachers! I know that most kids will graduate eventually and of course we are all better off with a broken system than no system at all!

I personally believe that you will always have a certain number of people/kids who will overcome and succeed no matter what, and there are those that will have trouble and quit no matter what. This has nothing to do with school, in fact those who succeed probably don't need school anyway!

What I am saying is that the school system is not about the kids, and the families, at least based on results its not. Today in our schools we have junk foods, soda, candy, all being sold to the kids who are supposed to be there to learn. How can they learn after eating all that junk food!

The schools could supply the kids with plenty of water, juice and healthy snacks and a  healthy lunch, that is if they really cared how well a child learned!

To many children per teacher, and students who do not know what they should for their age grade level is a big problem, schools are letting kids fly by with little accountability for the sake of getting them out of the school.

Many kids are far behind. and falling threw the cracks. While other kids are board, and get very little out of the classroom setting. In fact the classroom setting is not conducive to most Children's learning!

Teachers have told me that most of their students know very little for their age, and the curriculum that is meant for their grade level is way to hard for them, and they don't meet government standards. They also have told me that they are not able to go into depth with subjects, and it just leaves the kids more confused.

The schools spend millions of dollars on curriculum that is not at a educational level for the kids it is meant to be used for. The problem is the kids should be able to use the curriculum, they just have not been in environments (school) that are the best for learning.

The teachers have many regulations that they must follow, some are good but some are just damaging to the kids and the regulations do not allow the teacher to be creative, and teach the kids in the way's that they need the most!

I mentioned before that it is not the Teachers fault, and it is not necessarily the schools fault either. I do not want to put blame on anyone because that is not right, but I am saying that our kids are treated this way because we allow it! Imagine what would happen if a large town went on strike and took their kids out of school, and started teaching them at home?

What do yo think would happen?
What if whole states did this?

I would tell you what would happen, the schools, and the government would Freak out! Fear of lost revenue would take them over, and they would begin making the necessary changes.


Remember we are the consumers, the schools are a business, they provide us with a service, if we don't like the service we are getting, only we can change that!

That goes for everything, the medical industry the government etc....

For me I am home schooling because I feel it is the right thing to do, and I have very little confidence in the school system, and I really don't feel my kids could be the best they can be using the traditional school system. I understand that the responsibility falls on the parents and I am not going to take that for granted.

Parents are our first natural teachers.

This post is mostly a message of responsibility, I want you to know that we have the power, it is our responsibility to make sure our kids get the education they deserve!

We live in the Untied States of America, For the People By The People!

Whether that is home schooling or going to school, our kids deserve the best, and only we can give it to them!

Only we can demand it for them!

Personally I would do anything for my kids including giving up my time, and material things so I could stay at home. and educate them my self. For me the most important things is family, values, health and knowledge.

Parents if you have to cancel the cable, drive an older car, never eat out again and quit buying things you don't need, wouldn't that be worth being able to work less and/or have one parent at home to raise the kids the best way possible?

Never put money or a job before your family!!

• Quit doing the same things over and over expecting different results! INSANITY!

• Quit allowing the systems to scam you out of a better life, TAKE ACTION!

• It all starts with you, and your family, help yourself, and you will be able to help others.