Gel Pen Learning

The argument that homeschoolers need “more oversight” comes up frequently in New York, and it’s always a strange claim to hear if you actually homeschool here.

The only way the state could meaningfully increase oversight would be to send a certified teacher, with curriculum, into our homes. Short of that, New York already requires extensive documentation.

Homeschooling families in NYS are required to:

• outline instructional materials and topics for required subjects
• submit quarterly reports four times per year with grades and narrative summaries
• and comply with assessment and testing requirements

Testing is not optional, and by the end of the third quarter, families are required to have a testing plan ready to submit with their 3rd Quarterly Report.

This post is an overview, not a deep dive, of what families need to understand before the end of the third quarter.

Who is Required to Test in New York

Testing applies to all homeschooled students in grades 1-12.

For students in grades 1-3, students are evaluated using narrative assessments.

For students in grades 4-8, New York allows families to alternate between:

• a norm-referenced standardized test, and
• a narrative assessment

For High School students, grades 9-12, standardized testing is required every year.

Understanding which category your student falls into is the first step in planning ahead as you move through the second half of the school year.

How Alternating Testing Works in Grades 4-8

For middle grades, New York allows families to alternate assessment types. There are three compliant tracks families typically follow

Track 1

• Grade 4: Standardized Test
• Grade 5: Narrative Assessment
• Grade 6: Standardized Test
• Grade 7: Narrative Assessment
• Grade 8: Standardized Test

Track 2

• Grade 4: Narrative Assessment
• Grade 5: Standardized Test
• Grade 6: Narrative Assessment
• Grade 7: Standardized Test
• Grade 8: Narrative Assessment

Track 3

• Testing every year

My own children (and many other families) follow Track 2, largely because it reduces the amount of standardized testing over time.

There is no requirement that says you must pick a track and stick to it, as long as you remember to at a minimum administer a standardized test every other year in this grade band, you will be fine.

Approved Standardized Tests in NYS

New York does not mandate a single test. Instead, it provides categories and examples of approved assessments.

Commonly used norm-referenced tests include:

• Iowa Test of Basic Skills
• California Achievement Test
• Stanford Achievement Test
• Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills
• Metropolitan Achievement Test
• A State Education Department Test
• or another test approved by the State Education Department

Families should always verify that the version of the test they are using meets the NYSED requirements.

When You Need to Decide

Testing is not a fall concern. It’s a third quarter planning concern.

By the time you submit your 3rd Quarterly Report, you should:

• know whether your student is testing or completing a narrative assessment (where applicable)
• know who is administering the test
• determine if testing accommodations are required and obtain them

This does not mean you have to administer the test in the third quarter. It means you must have a plan in place, and you must inform the school of these details on the 3rd Quarterly Report.

Details about administration, scoring, and documentation are important, and I will cover them in depth in later posts.

Final Thoughts

If you want to read the regulations for yourself, I keep a direct link to the NYS homeschooling regulations (Section 100.10) on the homepage.

Bookmarking the actual regulation and returning to the source is one of the most useful habits you can develop as a New York homeschooler.