The Code of Virginia Section §22.1-254.1(C) requires all parents who have filed a Notice of Intent to provide evidence of academic achievement by August 1 following each year of home instruction - regardless of the time you began homeschooling.

There are several ways to meet this requirement:

• provide the results of a nationally normed standardized achievement test; or

• provide the results of an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT (for high school students); or

• provide an evaluation of the child's academic achievement written by someone with a Master's Degree or higher in an academic discipline; or

• provide a final transcript/report card from an online/distance learning program.

A nationally normed standardized achievement test should meet the following criteria:

1. The test must be nationally normed. It must have been given to many students of the same age/grade across the country, providing the norming data based on the scores.

2. It must be standardized. This means the test is the same for all students regardless of where it is administered or who administers it. Students are presented with the same administration procedures, allotted time, format, questions, order, and scoring procedures.

3. It must be an achievement test measuring a student’s academic performance in skills such as math and language arts.

4. It should include evidence of a composite score. A composite score is derived from a formula (not an average) that usually measures the test's basic skills–the math and language arts portions. A stanine ranks the student’s achievement on a scale from 1 to 9 based on the norming data for that test.

Virginia students taking a nationally normed standardized achievement test must have a composite score in or above the fourth stanine to continue homeschooling. The fourth stanine begins at the 23 percentile.  Many good tests measure different aspects of learning. However, not all tests meet Virginia’s statutory requirements for evidence of progress.

A note about MAP Testing: The MAP test is an online, adaptive testing program that can be given to students two to three times yearly. It measures a child’s academic progress and is used to adjust a student’s goals and curriculum. The test questions are changed according to each child’s answers. The next question is more difficult if a child gets a question correct. If the child gets it wrong, the next question is easier. Thus, instead of standard questions for everyone, it uses a standard process for determining the next questions the child will answer. Because of this, the MAP test is not considered a standardized test.  Further, although the MAP test is nationally normed, it is not nationally normed as a standardized achievement test and cannot provide a composite score. The composite score comprises the student’s math and language arts scores or a stanine ranking to report to the superintendent. Therefore, although the MAP test is a good test that can be used for evaluation purposes or curriculum adjustment, it does not provide the information required by the homeschool law. (Reference)