Christian Home Educators of the Mt. Pleasant, Texas Area

What Test?

As a service to our members, CHEMPA administers the Stanford Achievement Test, ordered through Bob Jones University Press. The Stanford Achievement Test is nationally recognized standardized test that measures the academic progress of your child compared to both public and private school students of the same level. Some of the areas included in testing are: Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Spelling, Language Mechanics, Listening, Science, Social Studies, and Critical Thinking. You receive a PRIVATE report that shows you the number of possible answers compared to correct answers, the grade equivalent, and the percentile rank of your student.  
 

This test is offered for grades K-12, but most homeschool families choose to wait until at least 1^st grade to start the process. It is not a timed test, and each student is given as much time as needed to complete each section. All of our testers are homeschool mothers or grandmothers who have a bachelor’s degree and have completed the necessary training to become certified testers. A relative may not administer this test unless they are certified and there are at least two other students present, therefore you may not purchase it for private home use. There are other tests available for home use, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the California Achievement Test (CAT) if you are interested in pursuing this route.   

 

Why Test?

Standardized tests serve several functions:

1. To help parents objectively assess students' academic progress from year to year. (Never fear! The results are sent only to the parents!) There is great peace of mind to be had by knowing your child is progressing on target.
2. To provide any government entity or other interested party (dubious grandparents?) with proof of your student’s academic performance. The Stanford Achievement Test is nationally recognized throughout educational realms and has excellent credibility. Tests performed by the parents at home may be helpful, but will not be viewed with the same respect as the Stanford. If you think you will ever consider the option of returning your children to public or private school, I highly recommend you test your child at least every other year.
3. To provide your student with an opportunity to experience testing in a formal setting with supportive homeschool moms as testers. Like it or not, testing in education is a fact. Don’t let test anxiety strike for the first time when the results are really important. We try to provide a very professional, positive and encouraging environment for your child.

When, Where and How:

• Testing usually occurs the third or fourth week of May.
• We use the facilities of a local church.
• Test times are from 9:00 am - 11:30 am for three consecutive days.
• The costs of the tests vary from year to year, but begin at about $40 plus shipping. There is an additional fee paid to the test administrator of $20. You pay for the test when you order, but the fee isn’t due until the first day of testing. So the total cost is usually around $65.00 per child.

You may also visit Bob Jones online at http://www.bjup.com/services/testing/ for more information and to order, or call 1-800-845-5731. 

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