Probably the easiest but most dreaded homeschooling requirement in the State of Florida is the annual evaluation. Nothing more than a show of academic progress, unless you have taken the entire year off from school, there is truly no reason to worry about this process. Taking little more than 30-60 minutes and approximately $25-$40 per year, the hardest thing about the evaluation is remembering to send it in on time.

Who needs it?

For starters, please take a moment to understand how this requirement applies to you. If you have been following my Staying Legal series, you’ll remember that there are different kinds of homeschoolers, each falling within different areas of the law.  With that said, the only families who are legally required in Florida to perform a year-end evaluation are the families that have established a home education program under 1002.41. These are the families who began homeschooling by sending in a “Letter of Intent” to the school superintendent. All other families, for instance those using private schools, do not have to complete this step. On the other hand, it never hurts for all homeschoolers, regardless of status, to learn about this requirement in the event they decide to change status somewhere down the road. It is also important to note that in families where one child is enrolled in a private school and another child is schooled under 1002.41, an evaluation should be turned in only for the child that is schooling under 1002.41.

What is it?

The purpose of the annual evaluation is to demonstrate that every student in the home education program has made “educational progress at a level commensurate with her or his ability” (1002.41(1)c). Regardless of how many children in the home education program, a separate evaluation must be completed for every child, every year.

There are several ways to satisfy the year end evaluation requirement, some more common than others. Rather than reprinting the laws here, I’ll summarize them; however, I recommend taking a look at the Statute when you get the chance.

The five options for the annual homeschooling evaluation in Florida are:

• Portfolio review and meeting with a Florida-certified teacher.
• Results of a nationally-normed student achievement test administered by a Florida-certified teacher.
• Results of a state student assessment test at the school district, such as the FCAT.
• Evaluation by a psychologist.
• Any other valid measurement tool agreed upon by the superintendent and the child’s parents.

Which method should you choose?

Hands-down, the two most popular methods are the teacher review and standardized testing, with the teacher review being the most common. In the teacher review, a Florida-certified teacher will meet with the student to review the work completed that year. The teacher will need to see a good deal of work in order to get a comprehensive picture of all of the subjects that were taught and the kinds of projects completed over the course of the year. Because the purpose of the review is to demonstrate progress, the teacher will look at work from earlier in the year as well as work from later in the year. If a show of progress has been made, the teacher will sign an evaluation form and give it directly to the parent. After making a photocopy to keep in the portfolio, the parent will then send the document to the superintendent’s office and the evaluation is complete.

As for standardized testing, there are two slightly different options. You can register the student to take a free assessment test, like the FCAT, at the home-zone school and have the results delivered directly to the school to be placed in the child’s permanent record. Or, you can personally hire a Florida-certified teacher to administer a test to your student and arrange to send the results directly to you. Although it costs more, the preferred option among homeschoolers is to hire an independent teacher to give a standardized test and to have the results sent directly to you (I explain why, below). Using the latter option, you can control what type of test is given and who receives the results after the test has been scored.

No matter which testing option you choose, the standardized test option may be used to satisfy the annual evaluation requirement.  If testing is performed by the school district, the scores will already be there, so no further action is needed.  If independent testing occurs, parents should send a letter to the superintendent stating that the results of testing have shown academic progress (sending the actual test scores is not necessary).

Where can I find a certified teacher?

A veteran homeschooler in your community is the best place to begin. Find someone you trust and ask for a recommendation of a Florida-certified teacher that other families in your area have used before. Prices and services will vary somewhat, and not all teachers offer every service, so try to find someone that offers what you need at a price you can afford. You can also contact your local homeschooling support group to find the names of teachers who are homeschool-friendly and offer review and/or testing services. You may even find an area group that offers discounted group testing to many students at once. Some groups also set aside one day per year to host a teacher who is willing to perform evaluation services for the entire group all on the same day.

Should I use the FCAT examination?

Although a topic for another article altogether, a few words of caution here. Because homeschoolers typically do not follow the same curriculum maps as students in the public schools, they may not be as prepared to take the FCAT exam as you think. Though you may have a straight-A student at home, unless you follow the identical course progression as the schools (who, by the way, review FCAT material all year long), your homeschooler may not be prepared for the specific questions asked on the FCAT exam. Better to hire a teacher yourself and select a standardized test that will more accurately measure your student’s level of mastery, like the Stanford or the California, than to subject your child to an exam that was created specifically for children following the public school curriculum.

When is it due?

The due date for the evaluation will be different for each family because it is due one year from the date that the home education program was originally established. An easy way to remember this date is to look at the date on your original “Letter of Intent” and to send it the evaluation no later than that date the following year. Multiple children in the family can mean multiple due dates, depending upon when you began homeschooling each particular child. For your convenience, evaluations may be turned in either separately, or together, as long as no evaluation is ever late. Lastly, although some counties like to set a due date that coincides with the end of the public school year, homeschoolers are not required to comply with arbitrary deadlines. As long as the evaluation is turned in within one year, compliance will never become an issue.

Final notes

As with any other documents you submit to the superintendent’s office, always keep a photocopy of the annual evaluation for your records. If you drop off the documents personally, request a receipt. If you use postal mail, pay for certified mail service with a return receipt. These steps insure that documents are received, should a problem ever arise with deadlines or misplaced paperwork, and can help you plan your evaluations from year to year. Last but not least, keep in mind that all homeschoolers are different therefore no two evaluations are ever alike. Focus on your unique child and what you did that year, not what you hear other families doing.

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