Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

This topic has 8 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 8 months ago by swtonscrappn.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

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September 12, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Jenni
Participant
Hi all-
I really need some experienced input here…
I’m wondering about breaking away from our local homeschool program/district. They provide a lot of services and I do enjoy the much-needed stipend and the laptop as well as the technology support and the friendships I have made with our contact teachers and the librarian.
However, my kids are still young (dds – 4 and 7) and haven’t had to do the standardized testing yet. I’m really wanting to follow the CM method of having kids wait a while before delving in to some topics, and I want to have the time and luxury to focus on the narrations, picture and composer studies, etc. In our state (AK), it is not required that I be affiliated with a district or program but since I am, I have agreed that my children will take the tests, starting in third grade.
My worry is that my girls won’t test well (for obvious reasons- they are just learning things at a different pace than the kids the tests are written for) and they will get discouraged (along with DH and MIL) about homeschooling. I know and believe that they will far exceed their average tracdtionally-schooled peers by the time they reach age 10 or so (they already have in many ways), but I don’t want to have that possibly bad score tarnish our outlook or change the way we do school. I also really don’t want to just “teach to the tests”.
Has anyone else had to deal with this? Am I just looking for grief? Are you with an official program? Why or why not? Does your state require you to follow a particular standard for each grade level? How does that work with CM? Do your children take the standardized tests? If not, why and how?
Any other input anyone can offer would be fantastic!
Bless each of you and your schoolers-
Jenni
September 12, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Sue
Participant
When you say that you are affiliated with a local homeschooling program, do you mean that your children are enrolled in one of those online public charter schools (such as those using the k12 curriculum), where you receive textbooks, a computer, and have one or more teachers assigned to each child? I’m wondering because we were enrolled in a public virtual academy for about 3 years, and I have some specific opinions on that, but I’d rather not comment at length if that’s not what you’re talking about.
Sue
September 12, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Tristan
Participant
We are independent of the public school system. It’s worth paying for everything ourselves!
About the tests – I actually had my oldest do a standardized test this year for the experience (she was just finished with 4th grade). I did zero test prep. We bought the test through Family Learning Online and chose the CAT Survey. I administer it, they grade it and mail results to me. I prefer our first testing experience to be like this, with no pressure because we’re doing it “just for fun”.
We’re in Ohio, there are required subjects in the Ohio law but they don’t tell you what to teach each year in those. (Example, mathematics is required, but we do it at my children’s levels, health is required, we do it however we wish). We have 2 evaluation options – having a portfolio of work reviewed by an ohio licensed teacher of our choice (we know a homeschool mom who is licensed, she does ours) or submitting the score from a nationally normed, standardized test. We have to do one or the other every single year. For the test a child must get above the 25th percentile (which is still failing!) to be considered eligible to continue homeschooling. Sad, but true.
September 12, 2011 at 11:06 pm
Jenni
Participant
Sue- Thanks for your reply. No, we’re not enrolled online (Are you thinking something like Calvert?). To clarify, we are enrolled in a distance education program that makes us part of their school district here in AK. It’s not our local school district, but one that implemented homeschooling as a way to reach families in the bush communities. Because we are part of a district we therefore have to meet state and national standards which are typically very low. That includes the standardized testing that our local school district provides – at a school, all day long, just as if we were actually going to school.
Currently we provide samples of the children’s work 4 times a year, plus are required to have the children sit for those state exams in third, fifth, and several other times including a few times high school.
My other option (the other one that’s viable for us anyway) is to not re-enroll at the end of this year and just go it alone. We get a pretty hefty stipend of $1700 per student per year, but we end up paying for so much that isn’t secular already, so that’s not my concern. I admit I’m really mostly worried that if there is no accountability I won’t teach “enough”. I realize that’s a subjective amount, and unquantifiable unknown, but my fear is there despite that.
So I wondered if anyone is teaching completely unencumbered with any kind of government mandated standards or objectives. If so, how are you doing? Is it working? is it not working? What’s good? What’s bad? How are your kids liking it?
Thanks also to you Tristan- I’ve heard HS is popular in Ohio; that’s where I grew up and still have family there who are also considering homeschooling. I like your idea of administering the tests at home and I’m going to see if that is an option for us.
Thanks again-
Jenni
September 13, 2011 at 12:05 am
Tanya
Participant
We do not use “any kind of government mandated standards or objectives.” We do have some requirements in CA (we have to file with the state, turn in attendance and grades, etc.) but we do not have to do testing. I have friends who school through a charter school and they like it because of the $, but I do not like the idea of doing paperwork that the state doesn’t even require (many times public school isp’s and even private school psp’s require more than the state does just because they are trying to cover themselves legally). I also don’t like the idea of following the state standards plan because I think it is fairly arbitrary as to what they require. I guess I just like the freedom of doing my own thing.

September 13, 2011 at 12:53 am
missceegee
Participant
Each state has different requirements of homeschooling families. It is a good idea to check the homeschooling laws specific to your state to make sure you are in compliance.
HSLDA’s summary of AK Laws – Under Option 1, you have total freedom with NO requirements on you. My advice to you would be to keep a portfolio of your child’s work and a log of work completed. The portfolio need not be complicated. Simply keep a sample of copywork from beginning, middle and end of year and do the same for any other subject that your child has something “written”. You might include photos of experiments conducted or field trips taken. The log can take whatever form you like – the SCM Organizer, a paper planner, a journal, etc. The point being to keep a record of what you’ve done. This is NOT REQUIRED under Option 1 in AK, but it is part of homeschooling with integrity and being above reproach.
Now, you have total freedom to choose what it is you’d like to teach. Personally, I’ve never even looked at the FL State Standards as they are not important to me. I wrote out our goals (as guided through in the Planning Your CM Education book available on this site.). Those are our goals and standards. I choose what materials I want to use and am not encumbered by any government entity. I would not take any government money ever, as there are always strings attached.
My kids are 10, 7, 4, and 1 and they’ve all been home since birth. We’ve always used a CM approach and have never touched anything close to a government textbook. It’s working beautifully. We’ve chosen a 6 year history cycle as laid out here on SCM’s guide, but I have come to realize that whatever cycle you choose – 6 year, 4 year, 12 year – they all will amount to more than I ever learned in high school and 2 years of college combined. It’s simply preference. As to testing, we’ve never done it. It isn’t required in FL and I’ve no need for them. Narration has worked very well, as have our end of term exams, to show me what my kids know. The two older ones have math tests in their respective books, but those are the only tests we’ve ever used. I do not care to know how they measure up to what ps standards are as those standards are meaningless to me.
In Florida, we have what are known as 600 schools or umbrella schools. These are NOT part of the ps system, but are an additional means of accountability to families who choose to use them. Each 600 school has its own requirements. Some only require attendance, some quarterly reviews, some set the curriculum, some test. Each is unique. Students enrolled in these schools are considered private school students even though their education is at home under the direction of the parent(s). I do not know if this is a possibility in AK, but you might want to check.
My advice to all homeschoolers, do not take government money in any form if you wish to maintain your freedom to educate your children as you see fit. Also, realize the more homeschoolers who DO take government money, the more our overall freedom can be restricted. If some are fine taking the money and adhering to a set of rules, then why shouldn’t we all be fine with that. The FREEBIES the government offers are not FREE at all.
Do not be afraid to blaze your own trail. With God’s grace, you will succeed.
Blessings,
Christie
September 13, 2011 at 2:29 am
Rebekahy
Participant
Hear, hear to what Christie said about not taking government funds. My husband is an Allied Attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund and part of his training with them is what completely convinced us that we would never enroll our kids in government schools or take government funds of any sort for their education (though it would be nice if we could write it off…) Judicial precendent has been set in the 9th district (CA) that once your kids enter the schoolroom doors, you do not have say over what they are being taught – no opting out, no complaining, you give up your right to direct their education when they step foot through the door – now that’s scary. Because of overreaching decisions like that, we don’t want their money so they can’t ever come back and say, now you have to teach “XYZ” (not that they’re offering us money, but some states do).
Our state has very loose guidelines – we have to complete a certain number of hours 1032ish (which are actually excessive, but since we can count whatever we want toward it and we don’t have to keep any record of it, not a big deal). We also have to teach five subjects… let’s see if I can remember, math, language arts, social studies, science and health – but no requirements within those – so health here is home ec and hygiene (did they brush their teeth? – 5 minutes toward health class) etc… I am like you when it comes to accountability, I have a 7 and 5 yo with a 3 and 1 yo and thought I wouldn’t do enough, but with SCM I just follow their curriculum guide and find I’m able to complete all of our subjects well within three hours and that leaves time to add extras.
We may or may not do standardized testing – definitely not going to make it an annual thing, perhaps if we could do it at home or with a local Christian school, I might have my girls do it in 3rd and 6th grade so they have a little idea what the tests are like before the SAT, but I think if we did it every year, it’d definitely change the way I teach and even dh’s expectations. I think my girls are well above grade level in what they are learning, but I’m not convinced that it would show up that way on the standardized tests. kwim?
You CAN do it! Don’t be afraid! There’s lots of support on here – and one of the best things for accountability is to make a schedule and then print out your weekly CM Organizer report and give it to DH (or a friend) so they can see what you did during the week and what you missed. I haven’t done that yet this year, but need to get back in the habit – it’s also a great record to have regardless of whether or not your state requires it – always better to give them MUCH more, so there’s never a question.
Blessings,
Rebekah
September 13, 2011 at 2:47 am
suzukimom
Participant
All we have to do in our province is file our intent to homeschool (which must include a plan which I keep very non-specific, and report twice a year (Jan and June) – which I also keep pretty non-specific.
I do wish that we could get some government funds… but wouldn’t want to have a bunch more accountability to get it. (ie, just a report of what we spend it on….) – but I’m dreaming.
btw – although I keep our reports very non-specific – I do keep a portfolio, and our records on the CM Organizer just in case.
September 13, 2011 at 4:44 am
swtonscrappn
Participant
My state requires a letter of intent to homeschool and wants us to keep records of attendence and a list of subject taught. I have tons of local homeschooling friends, I dont know any that have ever been asked for the info. (Thou I do keep records) I work very hard at keeping myself accountable (sometimes works better than others). I use a planner that I follow thru, I record our activities, and I try to keep a scheduled day. When I decided to homeschool, I realized this was a ‘do or die’ situation. Im not a natually organized person and I lean to being lazy rather than dilegent. But Im constantly praying for God to give me grace and the strength to make the changes my children need. This is too important to let it slide (IMHO).