How much should I ask to get pay for administering standardized test for homeschooled children?

Question

I know a family that wants to begin homeschooling. The curriculum they are using requires them to give a standardized test before they begin, and then each year after. The mother needs a certified teacher to administer the tests, which I am, however, I don't know how much I should ask to be paid. I will be testing two children, and I don't know anyone else in the area who I can personally ask about this. I want to give her a fair price, but I also want to price my time fairly as well.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Hello Lily,

I believe a good answer to your question is "that depends."

If this is a one-time administering of the test and you're being viewed as a proctor, then it seems fair to base your fee on the anticipated use of your time relative to a dollar amount, e.g. proctoring for 2 hours at $30/hr = $60 fee.

However, if this is the first in what may be a series of opportunities to administer tests to home-schooled children, you may consider a lower fee relative to the number of opportunities presented to you after you successfully administer the first test ... in order words, don't [high] price yourself out of the market (especially if the market for home-schooled children in your area has a demand for test administrators)

And yet another option -depending on how well you are acquainted with the family of the child to be tested- is for you to establish a low-high range structure for your fee, and you add value to the different levels of the fee structure.  That is:

a) $40 to simply administer the test

b) $50 to help student prep for test and then administer test

c) $60 to conduct a/ and b), plus provide after-test interpretation of results

d) $70 to conduct a), b), and c) and also provide a lesson plan for the student to begin an effective home-school regimen

Please know that the dollar amounts I used were simply to provide an example.

Good luck -and keep us posted.

Answer 2

Eight dollars an hour?  Do you have to do anything else besides sit there and invigilate?  If you have to mail things and sort things, count that in the hours too.

Answer 3

Many years ago, I was advised as a teacher to ask 1/1000 th  (one thousandth) of my (or an average teacher's) full time salary.  Assuming 50 weeks at 40 hours a week, that is not only fair, it sort of takes care of inflation.   If I want to subsidise an activity, I ask less, and if it is something I don't want to do (or comes at a hectic time of year) I ask a little more.

Answer 4

I'm a certified test administrator through BJUP with the ITBS.  If I get a free site to test them (library, church meeting room), then I don't have to charge as much.

It also depends on the number of kids I'm giving exams to at the same time.  I also have to allow for the costs of the tests, too.

If you order the ITBS or Stanford from BJUP Testing Services in the fall, you get 10% off.

You have to charge for the amount to ship the tests back to the scoring center.  Typically this is by traceable methods, which cost more.

So on top of all the costs (test center, test, mailing), I add $30 if it's one child, and then try to get the same "hourly" rate if I'm doing more than one - then I can charge less per student.

I'm interested in why she has to have standardized testing before starting a curriculum.  I've never heard of that one.  Is she misunderstood about *placement* testing, which most HS curricula have to place a child within the curriculum?

Is it that they're using a charter school???

I would say make at least $10-15/hour net.