Evaluations
Homeschool Evaluations
An annual evaluation is required once a calendar year of home education students – some umbrella schools may also require an evaluation but many do not. The parent chooses the type of evaluation and, in most cases, the evaluator. The evaluation might be a test, but it doesn’t have to be. The evaluation sounds scary to new homeschoolers but realistically, passing an evaluation should not be a worry if your child is being educated regularly and you’ve kept records. For all but one option, you can choose to re-do the evaluation if you don’t agree with the results. The guide below will explain your options for starting your annual evaluation as a Florida homeschooler. To jump ahead, please click on the links below.
General Information
An evaluation is due once a calendar year–no later than the anniversary of when the letter of intent was submitted–or within 30 days of telling the district that you have stopped homeschooling (whether to enter the child in a school, or due to a move out of the county, or because the child has graduated high school). The evaluation is meant to be proof that the parent has had the child educated that year, just as the parent had told the district that the parent would make sure happened. The parent does not have to turn in their portfolio to the school district as part of this evaluation, but just has to send paperwork for an evaluation.
The parent can choose from 5 options for the evaluation. Three of those are tests. One is not a test. The other could be but might not be a test.
The evaluation is due by the anniversary of the letter of intent every year; the deadline does not change from one year to the next even if turned in early one year.
Testing Options
The parent can choose from 5 evaluation options. Three of those are tests.
- Testing in public schools during public school state-mandated testing.
Contact the local school district ideally in January or February to arrange testing done with public school students on the public school schedule; this method is free (no cost), but results are submitted automatically as the evaluation so there’s no chance to re-do if something goes wrong, such as if you discover the child was ill or bullied or distracted during testing.
If the child scores above the 35th percentile, the child has passed the evaluation. - Testing with a nationally-normed achievement test administered by a Florida certified teacher with regular, i.e. professional-level, certification. The testing must give results that compare the students to others of a similar age or grade level across the country. Some homeschool support groups offer group testing sessions, usually in April or early May. Testing can also be done individually with a teacher; tutoring companies often offer this service, but the cost of individual testing can be as high as $400 or more.
Such tests typically cost between $50-$80 a student when done with a homeschool support group. The results often take a few weeks to come back–so plan in advance. The scores do not have to be sent to the district. The administering teacher can simply sign that the results are accepted as proof of educational progress–scores above the 35th percentile are considered passing. - Testing with a FL psychologist or educational psychologist. This testing can be expensive (often well over $100) but makes sense if the child is already being seen by a psychologist for testing for giftedness, learning disabilities, or other issues.
The psychologist can simply write a letter identifying the student and stating that the results have been accepted as indicating educational progress commensurate with ability.
Portfolio Review
Another evaluation option is a portfolio review. This is not a test. This should be a Florida certified teacher with current, regular (aka professional instead of temporary) certification in some grade between k-12 looking over your records (or a portion of them) to verify that the child has been learning.
If your child has been learning and you’ve kept records of that learning, this should be a low-stress option.
The child must participate in a discussion of the progress seen in the records. But a discussion is not a test–this should just be a chat.
It does help to have a certified teacher who is familiar with homeschooling do the evaluation. There are many homeschooling parents who are also homeschool parents and know the law well. (Warning: Teachers without homeschool experience are unlikely to have ever read the laws about home education and may turn the evaluation into something else.)
Note that this does not compare the child to specific grade level standards. Rather it compares the child’s work at the beginning of the year with the work done at the end of the year. As long as the child is working on more advanced materials or has shown more advanced skills at the end of the year than at the beginning, this evaluation is passed.
Other Options
The final evaluation option is anything else that the parent and district agree upon.
For example, our district for years has accepted a copy of a grade report from FLVS (Florida Virtual School) or from a dual-enrollment college program or from any accredited school program as the evaluation–as long as the student passes the classes, the student passes the evaluation.
If you think of another option, you can suggest it to the district.
Final Notes
Florida law requires that the parent submit the evaluation (unless doing testing through the school district). This is important. An evaluator should NOT submit paperwork for the parent; this allows the parent the option to review it and be sure the evaluator is not submitting more information than required and to have another evaluation done if the parent disagrees with the evaluation.
The evaluation paperwork should include the student’s name and date of birth, address, and a parent’s name. For most evaluations, it should also include the evaluator’s name, license number with expiration date, and signature.
The district is not allowed to question the evaluation as long as done by someone with the required credentials. The district is required to record the evaluation.
Parents should always keep a copy of any paperwork filed with the district. Email is a great way to send it and a saved copy of the sent email makes a great receipt in case the district later claims to have not received it.
homeed @ palmbeachschools.org is the email address for the Palm Beach County Home Education office.
Next Steps
Now that you have learned about evaluation options, please read our guide on Enrollment After Homeschooling.