Homeschool World Forum

Sandy · User Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 33 Location: MN

I posted this somewhere else, but it seems to fit here...I got a letter in the mail a few weeks ago telling me about the mandatory early childhood screening they do for kids entering kindegarten or 1st grade. They set an appointment up for us, so if I choose to cancel, I have to call and explain (actually, I did call, and the school nurse told me I could homeschool AND get the ecs; I have little backbone...I'm still debating calling her back Sad

). My daughter is 3 1/2. I have a really good school district here, but still, it makes me mad how there's a loophole to get them in there younger and younger. I wasn't expecting to have to "declare" ourselves as homeschooler's until she was 7.
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bruisin · Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject:

you are kidding me! That is crazy!
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Kitty-Cat · User Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Australia

If your state law says 7 then it is 7. In that post you used the words "mandatory early childhood screening they do for kids entering kindegarten or 1st grade." Entering K is the key there, your child isn't entering K so it isn't mandatory. I would ignore it then if somebody actualy calls you you simply say my child is not going to K here.
Never never give more then the state law actualy states.
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MrBill · User Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 11 Location: Colorado

gellegbs · User Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 60 Location: Texas, USA

gardening momma · User Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Posts: 61 Location: Ohio

I have a story to add...I heard it this weekend.

A relative of mine teaches 5th grade math & social studies. They just finished Ohio proficiency tests here. Her class scored lower than the national average. She talked to the 4th grade math & social studies teacher about it. From what I understand, the proficiency test a couple of years ago focused more on math than social studies, so the next year (last year) the 4th grade teacher taught mostly math and hardly touched on social studies at all. Then this year, for the same reason, the 5th grade math/social studies teacher (my relative) taught all or mostly math, without much or any social studies.

Guess what? This year's proficiency exam focused on social studies. And she doesn't get it--she doesn't see where she went wrong. She (and other teachers she talks about, as well as other teachers I know) teach to the test, specifically to the proficiencies. About a month or two before the proficiencies, they start cramming--trying to prepare their students for what they think will be on the exam, instead of just teaching math & social studies throughout the year, and letting the proficiency exam find out how much the student learned.

She is a big reason why I decided to homeschool.

4given · User Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 735 Location: S.Indiana

That is a shame. Confused

Theodore · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:59 pm Post subject:

Sounds like the root problem is the students weren't learning either subject properly, otherwise cramming wouldn't have been necessary in the first place. But a lot of people still look at this and try to do away with testing entirely - as if that will improve anything.
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