There are several local groups who offer standardized testing each year for a fee including Home For His Glory and Christian Education Consortium.  Your child does not have to be enrolled, nor a member to participate in these testing services.

 

Free Online, Unofficial Testing

There are also many places online to find free assessment tests if you are looking for unofficial testing.

Edinformatics – “Education for the Information Age” Here you will find a list of links to states that have released past standardized tests or sample questions from these exams. This is one of the most extensive lists on the Web and updated regularly. These tests are mostly in PDF format and require Adobe reader.  You can find these tests at http://edinformatics.com/testing/.

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) – After each assessment, NAEP releases dozens of sample questions to the public—more than 3,000 questions are currently available. The tools featured can be used to supplement classroom instruction, provide additional insight into the content of the assessment, and show what students nationally or in your state or district know and can do.  You can find a plethora of questions from standardized tests on their website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/default.aspx.

Test Prep Review – Free practice tests for high school and college students including ACT, SAT, GED, GRE, and many more.  You can find them on their website at http://www.testprepreview.com/

Texas Education Agency – You can print the test and answer key for previously used TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills).  These are available on their website at  http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/taks/released-tests/.

Alternatives to Testing

The Learning Record – he Learning Record provides an architecture and process for documenting student progress and achievement, based on interviews, observations over time, samples of students’ naturally-occurring work, and well-supported interpretations of learning across five dimensions. It is anevidence-based assessment with a deep foundation in learning theory and research. An 8-page print form (The Primary Language Record) was originally developed by London teachers and researchers to facilitate the process, gather information, and present it consistently. This information is collected and organized using a simple Word or RTF document that links to a selection of student work, prepared over the course of a semester or school year.  Find out more at http://www.learningrecord.org/contents.html

Portfolios – Here are a few sites to help you get started with portfolios:  http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/portfolio.html, http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/classuse.html, http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech111.shtml, http://www.electronicportfolios.com/