Does anyone know of any home schoolers to not only do not meet the minimum standards?

Question

Indeed all of the home schoolers I know, myself included, exceede what they public schools consider requirements. We test by choice to make sure our children are up to snuff. I am asking this based on so many assumptions concerning home schooling and it's merrits.

Answer 1

Hi Debra,

I am a home school mom and we have not only met most the requirements according to the CA State Standards ( which if I may say are low) but we have exceeded them.

We go through a Charter based program and my First Grader has already completed his History, Science, Handwriting book ( and is almost finished with his Cursive book) he reads at about a third grade level. He is currently working on Geography etc.

We test at the end of April for the public school standards.

My daughter is doing well also. She is 6th grade and  has finished History, Science, Penmanship ( which the public school's don't work on past 6th grade), she is starting Geography and Health. My kids are well above their reading level. As far as Math is concerned, my daughter is doing FABULOUS. Her Math for a Sixth grader is harder then what I was doing in 9th grade. We work very hard. My kids may not have every subject mastered but I'd rather spend a little extra time working with them rather then push them through; like the public schools did to me.

Answer 2

I can honestly say I knew of one, and she was the reason I was skeptical when my mother and I started considering homeschooling, but her brother turned out to be very bright so I'm pretty sure that even if she attended public school, it would have made little difference.

There are at least 400 homeschoolers in my general area, and I've met many of them. If their educations were substandard, they wouldn't still be homeschooling. We all take the same anual tests (though some of us opt for more challenging methods of evaluation) that the public schooled students take, and statistics alone show that home schoolers in general score a good grade level (often two) ABOVE the average public school score.

I myself score very high on the state's standardized tests (though I personally belive the bar is set WAY too low). Last year in particular, I recieved a PERFECT score on the reading test, and scored in the 95th percentile on the math. In my first year of homeschooling alone I shot ahead two grade levels in every subject except for math. Math happens to be my achilese heal, but since I began homeschooling, even my math ability exceeds the set standards in public school. I've won awards, writing competitions, I've had essays published, been accepted to highly selective summer and weekend programs for high school students, I'm graduating early... And I'm no rare breed. If anyone could show me evidence... a statistic, a study, anything more than a "my sister's daughter's nephew's son is homeschooled, and he's dumb as a rock" story...then maybe I'll believe it. But all I've been told so far doesn't stand up to the statistics, the reports, and the numorous personal experiences I've had that show how well homeschooling works.

And for any teachers who go on about the homeschoolers who entered their classrooms who were so far behind, did you ever think that maybe the REASON they're returning to school is because they and their parents realized that homeschooling didn't suit the student's individual needs? That as well as home schooling works for so many individuals, it isn't for every child or every family? One kid returns to school because homeschooling wasn't working for him. The millions that continue to homeschool are obviously not experiencing problems with it. Common sense.

Answer 3

I homeschooled in an accredited homeschool organization that was faith based and had a co-op with certified teachers and we qualified for top state scholarships.  

Actually homeschooling stats show that only 25% of homeschoolers are the 'mandated' ones (dropouts, failing, suspensions, etc).  And that can improve with proper homeschool support and supervision.  75% are homeschooled by 'choice', nationwide.  

And this organization had qualified FCATs supervised and run EXACTLY at the same time and in the same manner as the public school system.  We hooked up with the local law enforcement and they ran a driver's ed class for our school annually (250 families were enrolled and participating in the organization) as well.  Photography, Logic l & ll, and so much more at the high school level.  And all in accordance with state class regs.   In our area the local high schools would let you enroll in the beginning of the year, then 'withdraw' them the next week after school started and yet they could avail themselves of sitting in a needed class or two (sports especially, but not for competition - advanced language labs other than Latin, etc.).  The school got their extra $1,000 per child enrolled, and so they were happy to have a homeschooler only attend one or two classes and not have to carry the record-keeping.  Keep in mind that we were enrolled in an accredited homeschool organization, that made alot of difference.

I think it depends upon what type of organization you homeschool under, if any, that helps make the difference.

I couldn't have taught 3 yrs of Latin, physics, biology labs for 2 yrs, etc. if it hadn't been for the co-ops support.

The public schools are overloaded, overworked, underpaid and oftentimes will not only appreciate the help homeschooling provides in lightening the load, they will cooperate in allowing free access to libraries, labs, and sports fields.  Depends upon your local environment.  As in our area, a withdrawal doesn't constitue a removal of that extra $1,000 per head at enrollment, so the schools are more than cooperative.  Politics wherever we go.



I think public, private and homeschools have their place and none of them should be run down.  I admire teachers of all levels, and the public school teachers are like soldiers in trenches holding the lines, in less than great conditions, and care enough about what they are doing to keep coming back.

But one system isn't right for all young people, and so these different options should be applauded and supported instead of pitted against one another.

I will say that I see a general overall emotional difference between public and homeschool youth - there is a less 'pressured' environment in one way at homeschool (but don't think they are sitting at home folks, homeschoolers get out socially and are in groups designed just for that, from sports to other classroom environments that are set up by the organizations made up of teachers dedicated to supporting homeschoolers as well as qualified parents who have lots of education and skills in specialized areas and they fill in the gaps for those parents who don't have those skills).

It's all for the good.

Thanks for the Q  :)

Answer 4

I do not know any but have a related comment.

The "standards" are a bit arbitrary.  Not every kid learns every subject at the same pace as every other kid.  To say, every 3rd grader in the world should know X, Y and Z, is silly.  Some will know X and Y really well but may be struggling with Z and needs a little extra time and attention and perhaps growth before Z starts to click.  Another kid might be a genius in Y but only so-so with X and Z.

Get my point?

This is one of the marvelous things about homeschooling.  A kid can move at their own pace and not have to move along at the same "average" pace as everyone else.  The kid who is a genious in Y can "sprint" in that area and "crawl" in the others until "walking" and then "running" make sense.

So... with all that being said, I guess I do know a couple of younger kids who by the "standards" should be reading at a higher grade level.  But, boy you should see 'em do math!

Answer 5

Don't worry about your typing.

I always hear about kids being neglected in HS, but I've never met them personally.

Answer 6

All the homeschoolers I know are very intelligent and more well behaved than public schoolers, yet at the same time extremely social. Very nice, they seem to have lots of real friends, and fun, very intelligent...for the most part they are very impressive.

Answer 7

No.  We have a higher standard.

But I know of plenty public school children that don't meet the minimum so-called standards.  Some do.  Some don't.

Answer 8

Our family by far exceeds the requirements our state has for homeschoolers, and most of the homeschoolers I know do so as well.  Unfortunately, I have known a couple of "homeschoolers" who did nothing.  It is important to note that they were actually not homeschooling though.

As previously stated, there is a rather high percentage of students in the public schools that do not meet the minimum requirements.  It is rather sad, as their requirements are rather slack anyway.

Answer 9

I'm sure there are some out there, but we've always exceeded the minimum standards.  Just for giggles, I looked up our state standards a month or two ago...my 10yo has mastered all of the 5th and 6th grade standards, and is working on many of the 7th-9th grade ones.  I've seen some of the math pages from the local high school - 9th and 10th grade math - and in the middle of the second semester, students are doing things that he mastered last summer.

I can't say as I'm too worried about him falling behind, lol...it's more a matter of trying to keep up with him!