4 Tests MN Homeschooling Families Have Used Successfully
Unless you decide to accredit your homeschool, or you are home-educating using a MN online public school, you will need to select an annual test for your homeschooled kiddos. Here we review 4 common ones that your fellow Minnesota homeschoolers have used successfully. Be sure to comment if there are others you’ve used and what you thought about them!
HERE ARE THE 4 TESTS WE REVIEW BELOW
- MCAs
- Peabody
- Woodcock Johnson
- MAP Growth Test
1- MCA
The MN Department of Education (MDE) primarily uses the The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) for their standardized testing. It assess math and reading skills in grades 3-8, reading in grade 10, and math in grade 11. Students also take a science MCA in grades 5 and 8 and one high school grade.
My 6th and 3rd grader took this test this past year. They met the test administrator at a hotel conference room with other children who signed up. Each was given a tablet and a scratch paper and pen (that remained unused). There was a training/student readiness tool sent out beforehand that helped the kids understand how to use the technology. They were allotted 4 hours each for the 2 tests they took and they completed both tests in less than 3 hours total. Of course each child is unique and some may move quicker or slower through the process. They didn’t love the experience, but my daughter loved the peppermints I gave her to suck on during the test, and said she’d do it again next year as long as she got mints, ha!
Here is a picture of what the test results look like:
What I think is really interesting is that these results show less advanced scoring than the peabody test results this child received over a year ago (see below). . . I’ve personally never been a fan of testing, and out of principal, I don’t go out of my way to discuss scores with my child. But the discrepancy in testing does make me curious about all the variables and factors that may affect a child’s score.
2-PEABODY
The Peabody is an older nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test for K-12th graders. Trained examiners meet with children 1 at a time and for the oral examination. It’s conversational in nature and the child looks at pictures or words in a booklet that the examiner asks questions about. The questions get progressively more advanced or less advanced based on how the child answers and ultimately stops when I child answers a specific number of questions incorrectly. This allows the child to progress beyond their grade level or below grade level.
It took my kiddos between 60-90 minutes, and that is pretty standard- though the test isn’t timed. While not all testers provide testing for all content areas, the test could include material for reading, math, spelling, science, social studies and humanities. Some of the scores can be calculated immediately, although both years we took this test, we were provided minimal details initially, and greater details via email the week following the test.
The question in my mind is if this test accurately represents where a child would test academically compared to other tests. It hasn’t been restandardized since 1996. My kids certainly preferred this approach as it was quick, conversational, and both testers we’ve tried have been great with kids. BUT check out the reading result of my then 5th grader, as compared to the above MAC test results as a 6th grader. Both show results in the reading category. It feels like the Peabody inflated my daughters abilities as a fifth grader (either that or she was a genius a couple years ago and has decreased in her grade level abilities over the last 2 years!). Above with the MCAs, she barely exceeded the expectations for a 6th grader. Below as a 5th grader she had a total reading grade range of between 9th and 11th grade. . . Seems a little fishy to me.
That said, it does provide a baseline for families to measure progress, and it has been approved time and time again as an acceptable test to take. For the anxious or bored test taker- it’s a much better choice than the MCA’s, at least from my perspective.
Test administrators may vary in their fees, testing location, and availability. When we took the tests, they were around $60 total. Inquire on current pricing when you interview potential administrators. They may offer a discount if you schedule many families back to back for the administrator. Testing can be done year round, although you may want to schedule the test in advance to ensure a time that works for your family!
Homeschool Sherpa does not endorse test administrators, but here are a couple MN Peabody instructors that have told us that they are available for your testing needs:
- Kim Witthuhn, kimwitthuhn@comcast.net, 952-484-9709, Online Zoom
- Roxie Stone, B.S. M.A. roxie13zol@gmail.com, 612-272-3247, In Person (Metro) & Online Zoom
3- Woodcock Johnson
The Woodcock-Johnson is an untimed, norm-referenced standardized achievement test. It includes 7 subtests that MN homeschooling law requires of a standardized test. The subtests include: Letter Word Recognition (Reading Recognition), Passage Comprehension (Reading Comprehension), Applied Math (Math), Spelling, Science, Social Studies and Humanities. It appeals to me because it is administered orally- interview style (much like the peabody) and is untimed. You are allowed scratch paper for the math component (where applicable). What I appreciate most about this test is that children aren’t confined to their grade level, so children who’s abilities are above or below grade level will be able to be accessed appropriately. A starting point is identified based on age and development level and then children will work towards higher material until the child incorrectly answers 3-6 consecutive questions (depending on the subtest)
Homeschool Sherpa does not endorse test administrators, but here is a local St. Paul instructor that has told us she is available for your testing needs:
- Terri Finch, Terri@GoldfinchEd.com, Zoom or in-person at her St. Paul location. See a sample of the test results she provides parents following the test.
4 – MAP Growth Test
The MAP Growth Test measures achievement and growth in K–12 math, reading, language usage, and science. It is administered in Minnesota by Homeschool Boss. It is online, untimed and adaptive – meaning the questions get harder as the tester gets questions right. The goal is to capture whether the student is achieving below, at, or above grade level. Before taking the test, I emphasized to my 2nd and 3rd grader that they should not expect to know every answer. This would be tough test for a child with perfectionist tendencies.
You can purchase a one-time test package or yearly subscription. For the one-time package it is $60 for the first student and $45 for additional students. The package includes Math and Reading. Other tests are available as add-ons.
My kids enjoyed the comfort of taking the test from home with plenty of popcorn and bubbly water as well as movement breaks. To get started with the test you login and call a number for your administrator to give you the password to get started. If for any reason your screen closes or computer turns off, you can call and they get you back in.
You schedule your Math and Reading tests on different days and each took my kids about an hour to complete. We found this method to be convenient and picked it because of it’s adaptive nature and the fact that it has been recently nationally-normed and standardized. I was also concerned that my kids might get nervous talking to a proctor they did not know.
Here is an example of the results:
There you have it! It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s certainly a start.
