The CAT's IN the bag!

Here in Virginia, the homeschool statute requires homeschooling families to provide proof of progress by August 1 following the school year in which the child(ren) has received home instruction. Here's the legal yada, yada, yada, courtesy of the best homeschooling resource, The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers (forget HEAV, ya'll):

The Home Instruction Statute (§22.1-254.1 C) requires parents to provide "evidence of progress" at the end of the school year. Parents may either submit:

(i) A composite score in or above the fourth stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement test
(ii) An evaluation or assessment which the division superintendent determines to indicate that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress


Ever since we began our homeschooling journey (WOW, we're going into our 6th year!), I have chosen to order the CAT test for the girls. Lots of VA homeschoolers rely on the CAT for various reasons:

1. The company we order from (Seton Home Study) is located in Virginia, thus making the turnaround mailing time pretty johnny-on-the-spot. This is especially important for chronic procrastinators (like you-know-who). The folks at Seton will even fax or email results to you. (A very convenient bonus, again, for those procrastinators out there...you know who you are)! Ahem.

2. The CAT is cheap: $25 for the CAT-E Survey, which covers Math and English for grades K thru 12.

3. Some homeschoolers are anti-testing, period, and prefer to have an "evaluation" of their child's progress. I, on the other hand, have never felt comfortable with this other person (whom my girls might or might not know), evaluating (read: JUDGING) what my kids know, or what they are capable of. Really...who knows all the amazing thoughts and ideas my girls have, better than I, their ever-loving Mama?

4. CAT testing is fairly stress-free. I simply explain to the girls (who do not take tests during our "school year", usually), that this dumb test is just one little BS hoop that we must jump through, so that we can keep on learning in freedom, at home, together. Since Seton sells the test year-round, some families order way early and simply work on the test in little bite-sized chunks, so that the kiddos (and maybe the parents, too) can take their time, and sort of ease into the test process. For kids who've never taken a test before, this can be very helpful in relieving some of that anxiety.

These pics of the girls are pretty cute. They look so...I don't know...FOCUSED? As you can see, even little Lolo got in on the act. Whatever SHE is doing, she looks just as serious and focused as Shelby and Tori!













I don't have a pic of Ash taking her test, simply because I sat with her, gently encouraging her and letting her take her own sweet time. This was her 2nd year taking the CAT, and since she has those fine-motor delays that make filling in those damn holes so aggravating, I figured snapping a pic might royally piss her off!