My son will be taking ITBS 3rd grade. The testing company we will be going through is using norms from 2005. He said that is the latest edition available used by HSers. Does anyone know if you went through a different channel, would later norms or newer test be used? The copyright date for the test is 2001. If he hits ceilings on this one, I was then going to do the 4th grade test and so on. We are HSing and the test will be ordered and administered by a state-certified teacher.

thanks,
dazey

This is the source we use for testing. It allows parents to self-administer the tests to their own kids. Much nicer and cheaper! (Provided you can bite your tongue when you see a dumb mistake. Not easy for me to do, but I do it...)

http://www.pesdirect.com/itbs.html

They also appear to use 2005 norms, FWIW...

I had planned to use Brewer Testing Service. It's $38. A friend is administering so I don't think she is charging me anything. I can't recall if our district allows parents to give the test. The Homeschool forms weren't clear on that but then my teacher friend offered to proctor it so I figure I might as well. Releases me from the anxiety of standing over his shoulder shuddering as he makes stupid mistakes.

LOL! I just try to do something else while he works. If I'm busy, I'm not watching every answer.

That only works when it's not an oral section of the test though. Since nearly everything was oral last year for the 1st grade test, there were some pretty doggone painful moments! (Happily, not very many. I'd have been worried if he hadn't done great on it, but he did.) I'm hoping the 2nd grade test is more independent. It's one of the reasons I seriously considered giving him a higher grade level test. For the sake of my sanity!

I wonder if I could get away with that...

They are just PAINFUL! I don't know how the people who administer tests like these (teachers, etc.) do it without losing their minds!

our district info says

Administration option:
a) at the PS
b) at a registered non-public school by their professional staff
c) at a non-reg, non-public school by their professional staff
d) at the parents' home or another reasonable location, by a XX State certified teacher.

If the test is not administered in the public or nonpublic school, enclose the qualifications of the test administrator (ie cope of certification).

I think I can petition the Superintendent to give it myself but since I have a friend willing and able to do it and since she was a teacher at DS's school and he knew her there, he sees her as an authority figure and will perform. For me, he'd be up and down to get a snack, play with his sister and drag it out all day.

Oh, sure. If I had a friend who would do it for free, I'd absolutely take advantage of the silly sap use her generous services!

Do you both give the ITBS b/c you have to or b/c you want to? Is that the test you recommend to keep tabs on how the HSing is going? Wouldn't mind some test results, myself...

Our district requires either a portfolio review with a teacher from the school system OR a standardized test. Passing on the test is something like the 28th percentile.

As I am not very organized and I like to make sure we're not falling behind on anything, I prefer the standardized test. The ITBS (aka the Iowa)is an easy one to buy and administer, so it's the one I use.

If I didn't have to submit test results to my district, I would do above-level testing. No question! Actually, I will probably choose to use the Explore next year. I thought about using it this year, but I wimped out. The thought of a 2nd grader taking an 8th grade test just plain freaked me out! What if he didn't make that low percentile? I didn't think remediating him because he took a test 6 grades above level was really right!!!

But I'm kind of regretting that choice now, actually, and wishing we had gone with the Explore, especially as I see that he's doing pre-algebra, managing good scores on junior-high level CyberEd, and reading high-school level books with comprehension. I think he'd have done well enough to pass muster at least.

One Saturday above-level test that's administered by someone else sounds a lot better than a week-long grade-level test!

yea, well, I don't see DS sitting through a 3 hour straight test either... Maybe we'll try ITBS. And there's no Explore in our state. Unless you want to recommend something else...

We have to test or have portfolio review by a teacher or committee. I think it's easier to test but many in our district go the portfolio route. I couldn't decide about going a grade level up so I figured for the first time, I'd go grade level. If he really maxes it, I might torture him with the next level up at a later date.

You could choose the ITBS above level if you want to. Or, if it's just for your sake, you could administer only the portions you care about.

You can't mix and match parts of the test, though. If you get a 3rd grade test, you get third grade on every subject. To mix and match, you'd have to get a separate test for each grade level that you want to use, at $40 a pop...

LOL! Wouldn't that be nice!

I sort of like the idea of testing in all the subjects instead of just the big 3. I just want to make sure there are no holes. Not concnerned about the above level stuff, as we'll continue to HS next year and I know what he's ahead on. Don't really need to know by how. much at this point. I just want to find the holes or confirm there aren't any. Do you think the ITBS is the right choice?

If you don't want to committ just yet, get one of the ITBS test prep books. THey are $7 and have sample test at the end. I found the questions a bit odd so I was glad I splurged for a book so that DS learns how to fill in the bubbles.

For ex: on Capitalization and Punctuation section a question reads:

5A After we watched the fireworks
B from Uncle Vic's front window
C monica and I went for a walk.
D (no mistakes)

So one sentence runs across all 3 answer choices rather than individual sentences for A,B, and C.

Sure. It's fine. The other common option is the CAT (aka the California).

Do be aware that if you're not teaching to the test, there may be some (small) holes, especially in social studies and maybe even science, despite the fact that I KNOW your son is a science whiz. But if you never talked about something that's on the test--like, say, that a maple tree comes from a maple whirlygig seed, just as a made-up example from my own brain (NOT a real test question as far as I know)--then he'll get that one wrong.

It doesn't mean he doesn't know a million other facts just as important as that one. It just means that he didn't know that one fact. Since social studies and science are quite fact-based, whereas math and reading are more skills-based, it is pretty normal for homeschoolers to score lower on those subjects. My DS is a Viking expert, but he's probably not as aware of the Native Americans as an in-school peer would be because he's just not as into them as the schools around here are. Does that really matter? I don't think so. Not yet anyway. We chose to do different things, but that doesn't mean we'll never cover the topics everyone else covers. So that flexibility of order means that the test is missing his knowledge base on that subject.

...And I'm okay with that. <shrug> No big deal. As long as he passes the test, it doesn't bother me. It did worry me a bit that he scored lower in social studies last year. (Like somewhere in the 80-90% range instead of perfect scores.) Then I talked to an old hand in homeschooling who has GT kids herself, and she said it happens to everyone.

So just know that going in and don't stress...unless you covered the subject matter very carefully and he STILL does less well. Then maybe you should worry...

Interesting. Since I want to make sure we don't leave any holes in our district curriculum, makes me think I just need to get one of those practice test books they sell at BN and just give him the state 3rd grade test. If there are any gaps, I can just go back and fill them. I really don't have to worry about exactly where he is until we consider a returen to school or some other program requiring grade level info. Good to know that it only takes about a month to get these things scored - if our plans change, I'll just choose the appropriate one and go that route. And I can always do the Texas practice tests online for free. Thanks!

If that's your goal, the state test is probably your best bet. I agree.

I am surprised though that they sell the state test! Or am I confused? Is it just a practice test you'd get in the practice book, or do you mean you can get the real thing?

Our state tests are available online for free for previous years.

Interesting. I wonder if ours are, too...

Time to hit the Internet!

It's just a practice test, but I know that old Texas tests are available with answers online on the education website.

And Dazey, thanks for the heads up on the wording of the ITBS problems, if we go that route.

Yes, the Texas tests are nice to have. I used those last year when I was nervous about how we were doing.

Kriston - do you know what the time limits are for ITBS? Does it change by the year? I have the ITBS student test booklet but it doesn't give any instructions. I'd like to know so when he takes the sample test, I know how much time to give him.

This ITBS test book I have seems a lot more difficult than any of the sample tests I've seen online.

Most of the subtests for 1st grade were in the 25-30 minute range, but they did vary. I don't know if other grades are longer or not, but I would assume they might be.

Also, if memory serves, there's one math one that is pretty short, since they want to check calculation speed and not just accuracy. Presumably some kids don't finish, and the problems get harder at the end of that subtest--double-digit addition instead of single-digit, I think. (It's was close to "above grade level" as the ITBS had.)

I fear you'd have to get your hands on the instructions to get a really accurate read as far as time. But if you just want to see how he does in a casual sense, 25-30 minutes per test is probably safe.

I haven't looked at sample tests online, but the 1st grade test wasn't what I'd call hard...

I wouldn't call these *hard* but compared to what my DS learned in school K-2, it could be but like I said, this looks nothing like what I've seen other places. Ds did the usage unit tonight. It had come vs go, object pronouns for subjects, placing the speaker first in a clause (but me and my sister can). Others were very easy bestest, mighta, hasta, spended, borrowed/loaned and several double negatives. He knows they are wrong b/c they don't sound right but he for some he can't articulate fully why it is incorrect.

Well, he doesn't have to articulate *why* they're wrong for the test. He just has to know they are. Right? Big difference!

I suspect most of my college students back in the day wouldn't have been able to correctly explain why some of those things are wrong!

Yes he doesn't have to know why they are wrong. He did miss come/go but adults confuse those all the time. Considering that many of the kids speak incorrectly, though many of these will sound just fine to them.

Yup. I think that's what they're testing more than anything else there: do they speak correctly.

I just started looking into different tests today. What's the difference between ITBS and CAT? What made you decide to use ITBS? I must admit that I am completely clueless.

Funny you mention that. I saw a post somewhere which mentioned CAT5 and it appeared that it tested in even more categories. Should we just all get together and have a testing day(s), hire a professional to administer the test and go out for coffee?

I"m not sure why I went w/ the ITBS. I think b/c a friend's school used it and it's a national normed test. I didn't know about the CAT. I think I read that the ITBS is more difficult than the CAT/5.

I had a friend who used the ITBS, so I have, too. Very lazy of me, I know! It was just easy to take her advice and not have to think about it all.

Next year I plan to use one of the talent search tests instead. If we do it early enough, I could give him the ITBS, too, if he doesn't score well enough for the talent search test to count with the district.

I am all for a testing and coffee day, Questions! Yes, please!