1) The Arkansas home school law requires home school students to take a nationally recognized norm-referenced achievement test in the same grades that norm-referenced testing is mandated for public school students.
a) In 2003, the Arkansas Legislature mandated norm referenced testing for public school students in grades 3 through 9.
¨ The State Board of Education has approved use of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) for home school students. They are to take the reading comprehension and math problem solving subtests.
¨ There are no penalties for students who do poorly on the test.
2) Arkansas law states that home school students who refuse to take the state-mandated home school test can be charged with truancy.
a) Refusing to take the test would involve a parent knowingly not submitting their child to state-mandated testing or willfully disobeying the law that requires students to take the test.
b) Student may fail to take the test and not be penalized. To avoid investigation by authorities or possible truancy charges, parents who’s children need to be exempt or excused from testing for legitimate reasons should contact the Arkansas Home School Testing Office.
c) Arkansas law allows home schoolers to conduct alternative testing. An alternative testing plan must be approved by the Arkansas Home School Testing Office.
3) A summary report is provided to the Arkansas Department of Education for all home school students who test at one of the state-sponsored test sites or alternate test sites arranged through the Arkansas Home School Testing Office.
a) Individual test scores are mailed directly to the student’s parent/guardian. Test results are not provided to anyone other than the student’s parent/guardian.
b) The summary report is not an accurate indicator of Arkansas’ overall home school test scores, because it does not include test scores for students who participate in alternative testing or who do not take the test due to approved exemption, excused absence or refusal to test.
4) It is the responsibility of the Arkansas Home School Testing Office to make arrangements for testing home school students.
a) In April 2009, home school students will take the reading and math portions of the ITBS at 48 state-sponsored test sites and alternate test sites throughout Arkansas.
5) Arkansas Department of Education Standard 12.05.2 states that any student transferring from home school to a school that is accredited by the Department shall be evaluated by the staff of that accredited school to determine that student's proper placement in the accredited school.
a) One of the tools used to determine the placement of students in grades 3-9 may be the mandatory home school test results.
¨ The parent/guardian will need to keep test records in a secure place. It is recommended that copies be made and families record where the results are stored.
¨ Students may not be prevented from enrolling in public school based on the availability of the mandated home school test results.
(1) AHSTO can confirm whether or not the student met the mandated test requirement.
(2) If a student did meet the mandated requirement but individual test results are not available from the parent/guardian, additional placement tests may need to be conducted by the public school to determine appropriate grade level.
