Home School Evaluations: Portfolio Assessment
Congratulations! You've had another successful year of homeschooling. In just a few months, or weeks, it will be time to begin again. Now is the time to celebrate your journey and learning accomplishments! It is also time to file your compliance with your county according to the requirements of the Florida Department of Education.
How do you do this?
- You can have your child tested using standardized tests, and mail test scores to the school board in the county you reside in,
- or you can choose to meet with an evaluator and for a portfolio assessment.
Set: Make sure that the papers and experiences you are going to share with the teacher for the evaluation have dates on them. Unless you keep formal attendance records (highly suggested) this is good documentation for keeping track of school days. Buy an organizer. Organizer meaning--big three ring binder or file system. If you are working from workbooks, keep the pages in the books, no organizer needed.
Go: Finish the required work for the year. Put everything in order by date or by subject. Call the certified teacher for the evaluation and schedule your end-of-the-year evaluation.
An evaluator may:
1- ask questions about the school year
2- document learning experiences
3- interview your child about the year, and ask your child to read
4- give you a signed evaluation form with their teacher certification number on it. (Educator's credentials can be verified at www.FLDOE.com.)
Last step: Mail the certificate and the evaluation form to the county where you live. You should receive verification that they have received it within a couple of weeks. If you don't receive verification, you should call the homeschool department and ask them if they have received it!
How to Assemble a Portfolio
During the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of evaluating for hundreds of homeschooling families. I have had the joy of seeing so many outstanding portfolio's and homeschool programs in action. The same questions seem to be asked over and over. I will attempt to answer those questions. I will also include samples of how to put a portfolio together. Keep in mind there is really no right or wrong way to put your portfolio together. These are just ideas and suggestions for "how" to do it.
*The advantage of putting together a portfolio, is that all your important papers are organized for each year. If ever audited, you can easily show that you complied with the homeschooling laws. Your documented portfolio will speak louder than words.
# 1 Questions:
What do I put in the portfolio? How do I do this? What do you look for?Getting Started...
1. Buy a BIG notebook. I found several for $.99 at a thrift store.
Of course you can always find them at office supply stores.
2.Design a Cover Page. Usually on the outside of the portfolio.
Can include grade level or name, photos...
Note: Everyone's folders look different. Some even opt out of the folders and just gather workbooks for the evaluation.
3. Decide how you will divide the portfolio. What subjects do you want to showcase first? I usually start with labeling tabs and dividers. Then I arrange by subject.
4. Documentation. My first section is always my documentation section. This includes attendance, schedules, report cards, vision check-ups, doctor's visits, field trip lists or any other ways I chose to document the school year.
a confirmation letter that my child is ready to proceed to the next grade level. I place the letter in this section of the portfolio when I receive it.
Special Note: Remember, you have options for homeschool assessment. Your options include standardized testing. If you decide on having your child tested, they have to show that they are on grade level in each portion of the test. It raises "red flags" if the test scores aren't up to par. So my advice is if your child isn't great at taking tests, if they are highly creative individuals, or if they are "hands-on" learners, it may be wise to document your homeschool program with a portfolio assessment.
5. The "STUFF". You've divided your notebook by subject--now what?As an evaluator I look for progress. It is not necessary to put every paper completed in the portfolio. (Preferably NOT.) You should have a few (3-5) work samples or tests per subject per month. If you are using a computer program such as Switched on Schoolhouse by Alpha Omega, all your records are on the computer. You still need a documented record that your child completed the required work. You can print out quizzes and tests, but it is also prudent to include some writing samples or whole lessons they completed as well. Again, not required, but wise in case you decide to enroll your child in a private or public school.
6. "A Picture is worth 1,000 words." Include photos of your
school year. Field trips and hands-on learning experiences which may be time consuming to document with words are easy to record with a camera.
7. "Put your best foot forward." Make sure your child's BEST samples are in the portfolio. They may not all have the BEST grades but make sure they are done neatly and the pages are clean.
All of this makes a statement! You want to have a portfolio that you can look back on and know that you did your best. This will be proof of the credibility and accountability of your child and family.
8. Include art, music lesson reports, P.E. records, any other community clubs, church or community service involvement. These are also learning experiences. Awards, ribbons, trophies should be noted as well.
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