COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 161
November 22, 2002
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
The Virginia
State Assessment Program Requirement for Home-Instructed Students |
“The parent
who elects to provide home instruction shall provide the division
superintendent by August 1 following the school year in which the child has
received home instruction with either (i) evidence that the child has attained
a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on a battery of achievement
tests which have been approved by the Board of Education for use in the public
schools, or (ii) an evaluation or assessment which, in the judgment of the
division superintendent, indicates that the child is achieving an adequate
level of educational growth and progress.”
“In the event that
evidence of progress as required in this subsection is not provided by the
parent, the home instruction program for that child may be placed on probation
for one year. Parents shall file with
the division superintendent evidence of their ability to provide an adequate
education for their child in compliance with subsection A of this section and a
remediation plan for the probationary year which indicates their program is
designed to address any educational deficiency. Upon acceptance of such evidence and plan by the division
superintendent, the home instruction may continue for probationary year. If the remediation plan and evidence are not
accepted or the required evidence of progress is not provided by August 1
following the probationary year, home instruction shall cease and the parent
shall make other arrangements for the education of the child which comply with '22.1-254. The requirements of subsection C shall not
apply to children who are under the age of six as of September 30 of the school
year.”
Within the VSAP, the Stanford 9 TA is administered during the fall semester to all
public-school students in Virginia in grades 4, 6, and 9. During the spring semester, school divisions
are required to offer the VSAP testing program to home-instructed students in
grades 3, 5, and 8, which use the same levels of the secure Stanford 9 TA
administered during the fall semester in grades 4, 6, and 9. Administration of the Stanford 9 TA
to home-instructed students in grades 3, 5, and 8 should take place during the
spring norming window of April 1-30.
Further, a school division that administers Stanford 9 to students in grade
levels other than those mandated by the state (typically referred to as
“off-grade” testing) should also offer home-instructed students at those levels
the option to participate in testing.
However, school divisions are under no obligation to offer testing to
home-instructed students for grade levels in which no such testing is offered
to public school students in the school division. Administration of the Stanford
9 to home-instructed students
in off-grade levels should also take place during the norming window of April
1-30.
The Department of Education will continue to pay the
cost of materials and scoring for spring semester Stanford 9 testing of home-instructed students. This will include testing of home-instructed
students at all off-grade levels, including those grade levels in which public
school students are not tested.
The following questions and answers explain how this
would work in a school division where the VSAP is administered at grades 4, 6,
and 9 as part of the state-mandated program during the fall semester, and where
the same school division augments the program with off-grade Stanford 9 testing of public school
students in grades 2 and 7 in the spring.
Yes. The Stanford 9 TA
tests should be offered to home-instructed students in grades 3, 5, and 8
because the test forms that are administered to these students are the same as
those administered to public school students in the fall of grades 4, 6, and 9.
Yes.
Question #2
Yes, and the state will pay for materials and scoring for those
home instructed students.
Question #3
No. Doing so is
completely at the division’s option. If
the division elects to use this option, the state will pay for materials and
scoring for home-instructed students in those other off-grades.
A copy of the complete section of the code related
to
home-instructed students is attached for your
reference. Should you have questions regarding the assessment of
home-instructed students in the VSAP, please contact Lolita B. Hall, (lbhall@mail.vak12ed.edu), associate
director for assessment and reporting, or by phone: (804)786-9422.
Attachment
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/2002/inf161a.pdf