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annual reporting

532 views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  surfmonkey 
#1 ·
aloha all,

i live in hawaii and have a state reporting question, but i'm thinking that other states might have similar reporting needs so wanted to toss the net here as well as my local yahoo groups...

my daughter is in "4th grade" and i want to submit a portfolio for our annual report, and honestly would like to do that every year
since i feel the HST is not an accurate assessment tool, so here are my questions...

1. wondering what types of formats you all have done for the evaluation and/or portfolio options for the annual progress reports.i would love to see a few examples before i generate our first one if anyone is willing to share.

2. for the testing in grades 3,5,8 & 10, did you all do the HST or a different standard type test, of so which one, or has anyone done portfolios for those years as well.

thanks for any feedback!

** we are more child-led than anything, somewhat unschooish but do insert some lessons on the basics (reading/writing/math)
 
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#2 ·
We aren't in Hawaii, but an advantage to the standardized test vs. the portfolio, in my opinion, is that it has less of an impact on our homeschooling. If we were going to put together a portfolio, I'd need to think about making sure we were producing the right stuff all year, but with a standardized test, we spend one day meeting the state's requirements.

And although I freaked out a little about the test the first couple times, my kids don't. They don't worry about it at all. It's kind of fun for them, actually.

The standardized test we use is an orally administered test called the Peabody. It has to be done by a trained evaluator, but it is fast and easy and there is one test for all grades (the questions gradually get harder, and when they're too hard, they move on to another subject), so I don't have to choose a grade level for my kids, or worry that my kids are going to bomb the science section because we studied different things than the standard 3rd grader would.

I agree that the test isn't an accurate representation of total performance, but I'm ok with that-- it meets the goal of meeting the state's requirements while getting a little more information about areas in which my kids may be struggling that I've missed. It's ok if the state doesn't full understand how awesome my kids are. :)
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by onatightrope View Post

We aren't in Hawaii, but an advantage to the standardized test vs. the portfolio, in my opinion, is that it has less of an impact on our homeschooling. If we were going to put together a portfolio, I'd need to think about making sure we were producing the right stuff all year, but with a standardized test, we spend one day meeting the state's requirements.

And although I freaked out a little about the test the first couple times, my kids don't. They don't worry about it at all. It's kind of fun for them, actually.

The standardized test we use is an orally administered test called the Peabody. It has to be done by a trained evaluator, but it is fast and easy and there is one test for all grades (the questions gradually get harder, and when they're too hard, they move on to another subject), so I don't have to choose a grade level for my kids, or worry that my kids are going to bomb the science section because we studied different things than the standard 3rd grader would.

I agree that the test isn't an accurate representation of total performance, but I'm ok with that-- it meets the goal of meeting the state's requirements while getting a little more information about areas in which my kids may be struggling that I've missed. It's ok if the state doesn't full understand how awesome my kids are. :)
I don't have to do either but if I did, I would have chosen the standardized test for the reasons onatightrope outlined. It seems easier than keeping a portfolio.
 
#4 ·
I am in Kona, but only for a week, lol! (waving from Honaunau) ... I take part in a voluntary funded homeschooling program in BC Canada which requires both portfolio-style reporting and standardized testing. Honestly neither was a big deal. Just hoop-jumping. The testing was mostly meaningless and barely a blip on my kids' radar, although my youngest just finished 4th grade testing and because of her confidence and drive she actually really enjoyed the experience. for the most part, though,, portfolios have been the more useful option for us. They've given my kids a chance to pull together some of their accomplishments they're most proud of and their experiences that we're most meaningful. We've gone through photos, mementos, videos, book lists, artwork, written work, and appreciated all the learning that has taken place. I've written out an overview explaining the learning illustrated by the portfolio. In the case of our school district they really like a blog format, so that's how we've submitted. I scan pages from a math book, or link to Amazon pages of books or documentary series we've made extensive use of. The blog format makes the media bits really easy to include. For my kids the portfolio really validates and celebrates their learning In a positive way.

Miranda
 
#5 ·
Aloha! We are in Waikoloa. In Hawaii, it is not an either/or thing. You must submit a portfolio every year, and then the testing for the years specified starting in grade 3. My son will be considered 3rd grade next year and will have to take the test. The registrar at Waikoloa told me he can come to the school to take it, so I think that is what we will do, but you can administer a test at home as well. Since we haven't had to do the testing yet, I don't have any recommendations. As for our portfolio, we just keep a binder for each year that holds a book list of most of the books he read (often forget to write them down), some of his art work, some of his writing that he has done (he wanted to learn cursive, so been working on that this year), and pictures of projects we have done. I have heard they aren't strict on what needs to be in the portfolio, just need to show that you are working on something.
 
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