Frequently Asked Home School Questions - Nationally Standardized Achievement Tests

Any exceptions to the annual testing requirement?

No.  North Carolina's law addressing the annual nationally standardized testing of non-public school students (both home and conventional) makes no exceptions for any reason.

Are older normed nationally standardized achievement tests acceptable?

Yes. provided scoring is still available for them.

Are student test score records shared with DNPE considered public records under North Carolina law?

No.  Click on G.S. 115C-174.13, 564, 549 and 557 to read more.

Do the Public Schools of North Carolina annual tests meet the testing requirement?

No.  North Carolina public schools' End of Grade and End of Course tests are not nationally standardized and therefore do not satisfy the annual nationally standardized test requirements for North Carolina home schools.

How do I know a test meets North Carolina legal criteria:

The North Carolina home school testing law requires that the test satisfy three criteria.  The test must be nationally standardized (reports scores as national percentiles, stanines and/or grade equivalents and compares student test results to a national norm); be an achievement test (one measuring subject knowledge); and, cover at least the subject areas of English grammar, reading, spelling and mathematics. 

Also, see "Which achievement tests are most widely used by North Carolina home schools" below.

How does one obtain a school code number for students registering for a college entrance/placement test?

They must be obtained directly from the test publisher. 

Contact either the ACT or the College Board organization to obtain them, depending on which test is chosen.  Usually they assign a specific code number just for home schooled students.  It is normally given within their test registration instructions. 

Also, see "What are the AP and the CLEP tests" below and also the last question on this page.

How well do North Carolina home schooled students perform on their nationally standardized achievement tests?

The division does not have sufficient staff or legal authority to compile and record such data.  However, student test results from about 20% of North Carolina home schools are routinely inspected each school year by DNPE staff. 

Those results generally reflect that students are performing at their national age peer norms, or up to as much as two years above them.  Students previously professionally diagnosed with special needs (before being home schooled), often rank lower. 

It should also be noted that state law does not require that all home schooled students take the same nationally standardized achievement test.  There are several different brands of nationally standardized tests available which can be utilized.

May the home school parent/guardian administer and/or score the test?

From a legal standpoint, Yes.  However, DNPE strongly discourages it. 

From a practical standpoint, it will often create serious problems concerning the credibility of the student's test scores when he/she attempts to enroll in a local conventional school (public or private), college or enlist in the military. 

It is always wise to have the test administered by a non-relative and someone who does not live in the household with the student.  The test vendor should machine-score the test.  Usually, machine-scoring is included in prices quoted by test vendors.  If the test is not machine-scored, test scores may not be accepted by local conventional schools (public or private), colleges or the military. 

Also, see "Public Schools of North Carolina -- Enrolling a home schooled student back in."

Must my child achieve a certain minimum score on this annual test?

No.  The home school testing law simply requires that the test be administered annually; that the test results be kept on file at the home school for at least one year thereafter; and, that the test results be made available for annual inspection upon request by a DNPE staff member.

Must my child be tested again even though he/she took a nationally standardized achievement test earlier this school year while enrolled in a conventional (public or private) school?

Yes.  The legal requirement for your home school is that its students be tested annually while enrolled in your home school.  In this case, the testing was done before the student was enrolled in your home school.

Must my other child also be tested (when I test my currently home schooled child) after I take that other child out of a conventional school during the current school year and begin home schooling him/her?

That other child would have to then be tested before one year from the date he/she first officially enrolled in your home school.  That other child would then need to be re-tested annually each year thereafter.

Must the test be machine-scored?

No.  State law does not address how the test is to be scored.  However, machine-scoring is recommended since hand-scored test results may not be credible or acceptable to conventional school (public or private), college or military officials. 

Also, see the answer to the above question "May the home school parent/guardian administer and/or score them."

Recommend one test version or vendor over another?

No.

Required for 5/6 year olds?

No.  Five and six year old students do not come under the home school laws. 

However, see the question below "Seven year olds -- How soon must they be tested."

Required for 16/17 year olds?

Yes. as long as the student is currently enrolled in the home school (does not yet possess a high school diploma) or if the student wishes to obtain/retain his/her North Carolina driver's permit/license while under age 18. 

Also, see "Registration, School -- Required for 16/17 year olds."

Required for special needs children?

Yes.  The home school law (unlike public school law) does not allow for exemptions from the annual testing requirement. 

However, the law does permit, for example, the administering of a 2^nd grade level test to a 13 year old who is functioning academically at the 2^nd grade level.  Note that the science and social studies sections of the test are recommended but are not required by statute. 

In addition, North Carolina home school law does not mandate that the student achieve a certain minimum score on the nationally standardized test in order for the parent/guardian to be legally permitted to continue to home school that student during the following (or any future) school year. 

Non-reader test editions are permitted and are available.

Send results to DNPE?

Only if, this past August, you received from DNPE a gray colored postal card inviting you to do so. 

Consult that gray postal card for all the details.  Otherwise, simply keep the student achievement test result and attendance records at your home for at least one year after the date of testing. 

If DNPE doesn't ask to see them during that one year period, you will have satisfied the North Carolina law regarding the DNPE inspection of these student records. 

If the test company scoring your child's test does not provide the test scores to you in time to meet the June 30 DNPE postmark mail-in deadline, simply hold the completed student attendance records until the test results arrive from the company.

Then, send both items together to DNPE per instructions given in your August invitation gray postal card.  There is no need for you (or the test company) to notify DNPE about the mail-in delay. 

Also, when sending student test result or attendance records, DO NOT attach address or telephone number changes in the same envelope.  This increases the risk that they may be accidentally overlooked by the DNPE staff.

Seven year olds -- How soon must they be tested?

Before the child reaches his/her 8^th birthday and then again once within each 12 month period thereafter.  The testing requirement is based on the student's age -- not on his/her grade level. 

Also, see the next question.

What about testing my nine year old and also my five year old?

Since the nine year old is of compulsory attendance age (at least age 7, but not yet age 16), he/she must be tested. 

However, testing of the five year old is not required.

What are the AP and the CLEP tests?

They are tests provided by the College Board which produces several college entrance/placement tests.  For more information about each of them, click on AP and on CLEP. 

Please note that these two tests do not meet all three North Carolina legal criteria for acceptance in meeting the home school annual testing requirement. 

Also, see the above questions "How do I know a test meets North Carolina legal criteria" and also "How does one obtain a school code number for students registering for a college entrance/placement test."

What is meant by "basic battery, "complete battery" and "survey"?

These are terms you will encounter when ordering your annual nationally standardized achievement tests. 

The "basic battery" tests only the basic subjects of language arts (which usually includes English grammar, reading, spelling) and math.  The "complete battery" includes all the "basic battery" named subjects plus science and social studies. 

The "survey" is simply a shorter version of the "complete battery."  The "survey" was developed in recent years primarily to test students with short attention spans or learning disabilities.  North Carolina home school statutes require that each student be tested annually in at least the subjects of English grammar, reading, spelling and mathematics. 

For a typical grade 4-12 student, DNPE recommends the "complete battery" for a more comprehensive assessment of the student's subject knowledge, rather than the "survey." 

However, both are legally acceptable.

What is the difference between grade equivalent scores, percentiles and stanines?

These three terms are used in reporting and analyzing results from nationally standardized achievement tests taken by students.  These tests compare students with their national age peers. 

A student does not "pass" or "fail" them.  The grade equivalent score indicates a student's performance relative to the average performance of students at a given grade level. 

For example, a student who obtains a grade equivalent score (GE) of 7.3 indicates that he/she has achieved at the third month of the seventh grade level in that subject.  Percentiles (not percentages) are used to compare the student with his/her age/grade level peers on a scale of 0 to 100. 

For most students, percentiles usually range from 40-60 (the average range).  The stanine is a normalized standard score scale consisting of nine units with a mean of five and a standard deviation of two. 

Nine is very high; five is average; and, one is very low.

When to administer and order them?

State law requires that they be administered annually.  No exceptions are allowed for any reason. 

Once the home school has filed its Notice of Intent with DNPE, the student(s) must be administered the test within the first twelve months of DNPE's initial receipt of your Notice of Intent (date shown on your orange colored Notice of Intent acknowledgment card) and then once during each of the following consecutive twelve month periods. 

For more valid comparison purposes, it is recommended that the student(s) be tested each successive year during that same month and during the same week of that month. 

Most North Carolina home school parents have their student's test administered each year between March 1 and April 15 and place the order for it with the testing company about February 1 each year.

Where to obtain them?

Once a home school has been initially registered with DNPE, it will receive from DNPE (via the US Postal Service) a colored sheet entitled "Additional Home School Information." 

An entire section dealing with nationally standardized testing can be found on the lower portion of the front side of that sheet.  It lists the names, addresses and telephone numbers of testing companies. 

You may purchase your tests from any of them or from any other supplier you wish.  That same list is available (and updated here annually) on-line by clicking on test vendors.

Which achievement tests are most widely used by North Carolina home schools?

The California; the Iowa; the Kaufman; the Metropolitan; the Stanford; and the Woodcock-Johnson achievement tests are administered the most frequently in North Carolina.  Others not named here may also be used provided they meet the North Carolina legal criteria. 

See the question above "How do I know a test meets North Carolina legal criteria."

Who pays the financial cost of the annual testing of my child? 

The parent/guardian who serves as the chief administrator of the home school pays for it.  There are no government (state or federal) or private funding sources available to pay any part of its cost.

Will my student achieve higher scores if I wait until I have finished the current year's entire curriculum for each subject before having the test administered? 

Usually not.  These tests are nationally standardized.  Student scores are computed utilizing a nationally standardized table of norms which has been scientifically developed to automatically compensate for the month of the school year in which the test is administered.  The tests are designed and normed to be administered anytime during the school year. 

A reminder that nationally standardized tests are tests of comparison against students of the same age who took the same test throughout the country.  Students do not fail or pass nationally standardized tests. 

Each individual student's test scores are simply contrasted with the results of his/her national age peer group.

Will the ACT, PSAT/NMSQT and SAT college entrance/preparation tests satisfy North Carolina's annual home school testing requirement?

The ACT and SAT Subject (formerly the SAT II) tests are each legally acceptable; however, the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT Reasoning (formerly the SAT I) tests are legally unacceptable. 

As explained in the answer to the fifth question in this document, there are three criteria that each test must meet in order to legally qualify under North Carolina home school law.  All of these college entrance tests are nationally standardized tests.  The ACT and the SAT Subject (formerly the SAT II) tests both measure student achievement in at least the subject areas of language arts and math. 

Since these two tests satisfy all three of the North Carolina home school test criteria, they may be used by home schools for students functioning at any grade level (preferably high school).  Both the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT Reasoning (formerly the SAT I) tests, however, are designed to measure student aptitude (reasoning skills) rather than student achievement. 

Therefore, the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT Reasoning tests do not satisfy all three criteria and cannot legally qualify under North Carolina home school law.  Home schools choosing to use either the PSAT/NMSQT or only the SAT Reasoning test will need to also have the students take a nationally standardized achievement test in order to satisfy North Carolina's annual home school testing law. 

If the home school requires its students to take the SAT Reasoning test, DNPE recommends that the SAT Subject test then also be taken within the same school year in order to comply with North Carolina's annual home school testing law.  The PSAT/NMSQT, the SAT Reasoning and the SAT Subject tests are all produced by the same test organization. 

Also, see the above question "How does one obtain a school code number for students registering for a college entrance/placement test."