More proof of the destruction the teacher's unions have caused the public schools. And of the feds interference in the states rsponsibility.
On Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 3:22 PM, Zebnick <[email protected]> wrote: > > WTF are you talking about? > > On Aug 13, 4:19 pm, VT VirtualTruth <[email protected]> wrote: > > More proof that 'no child left behind' has left behind an entire > > generation....... > > > > On Aug 13, 4:16 pm, Bruce Majors <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > New Nationwide Study Confirms Homeschool Academic Achievement > > > * > > > > > Ian Slatter > > > Director of Media Relations > > > > > August 10, 2009 > > > * > > > > > Each year, the homeschool movement graduates at least 100,000 students. > Due > > > to the fact that both the United States government and homeschool > advocates > > > agree that homeschooling has been growing at around 7% per annum for > the > > > past decade, it is not surprising that homeschooling is gaining > increased > > > attention. Consequently, many people have been asking questions about > > > homeschooling, usually with a focus on either the academic or social > > > abilities of homeschool graduates. > > > > > As an organization advocating on behalf of homeschoolers, Home School > Legal > > > Defense Association (HSLDA) long ago committed itself to demonstrating > that > > > homeschooling should be viewed as a mainstream educational alternative. > > > > > We strongly believe that homeschooling is a thriving education movement > > > capable of producing millions of academically and socially able > students who > > > will have a tremendously positive effect on society. > > > > > Despite much resistance from outside the homeschool movement, whether > from > > > teachers unions, politicians, school administrators, judges, social > service > > > workers, or even family members, over the past few decades > homeschoolers > > > have slowly but surely won acceptance as a mainstream education > alternative. > > > This has been due in part to the commissioning of research which > > > demonstrates the academic success of the average homeschooler. > > > > > The last piece of major research looking at homeschool academic > achievement > > > was completed in 1998 by Dr. Lawrence Rudner. Rudner, a professor at > the > > > ERIC Clearinghouse, which is part of the University of Maryland, > surveyed > > > over 20,000 homeschooled students. His study, titled *Home Schooling > Works*, > > > discovered that homeschoolers (on average) scored about 30 percentile > points > > > higher than the national average on standardized achievement tests. > > > > > This research and several other studies supporting the claims of > > > homeschoolers have helped the homeschool cause tremendously. Today, you > > > would be hard pressed to find an opponent of homeschooling who says > that > > > homeschoolers, on average, are poor academic achievers. > > > > > There is one problem, however. Rudner’s research was conducted over a > decade > > > ago. Without another look at the level of academic achievement among > > > homeschooled students, critics could begin to say that research on > > > homeschool achievement is outdated and no longer relevant. > > > > > Recognizing this problem, HSLDA commissioned Dr. Brian Ray, an > > > internationally recognized scholar and president of the non-profit > National > > > Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), to collect data for the > 2007–08 > > > academic year for a new study which would build upon 25 years of > homeschool > > > academic scholarship conducted by Ray himself, Rudner, and many others. > > > > > Drawing from 15 independent testing services, the *Progress Report > 2009: > > > Homeschool Academic Achievement and Demographics* included 11,739 > > > homeschooled students from all 50 states who took three well-known > > > tests—*California > > > Achievement Test*, *Iowa Tests of Basic Skills*, and *Stanford > Achievement > > > Test* for the 2007–08 academic year. The *Progress Report* is the most > > > comprehensive homeschool academic study ever completed. > > > The Results > > > > > Overall the study showed significant advances in homeschool academic > > > achievement as well as revealing that issues such as student gender, > > > parents’ education level, and family income had little bearing on the > > > results of homeschooled students. > > > *National Average Percentile Scores**Subtest**Homeschool**Public > School* > > > Reading8950Language8450Math8450Science8650Social Studies8450Corea8850 > > > Compositeb8650a. Core is a combination of Reading, Language, and Math. > > > b. Composite is a combination of all subtests that the student took on > the > > > test. > > > > > There was little difference between the results of homeschooled boys > and > > > girls on core scores. > > > > > *Boys*—87th percentile > > > *Girls*—88th percentile > > > > > Household income had little impact on the results of homeschooled > students. > > > > > *$34,999 or less*—85th percentile > > > *$35,000–$49,999*—86th percentile > > > *$50,000–$69,999*—86th percentile > > > *$70,000 or more*—89th percentile > > > > > The education level of the parents made a noticeable difference, but > the > > > homeschooled children of non-college educated parents still scored in > the > > > 83rd percentile, which is well above the national average. > > > > > *Neither parent has a college degree*—83rd percentile > > > *One parent has a college degree*—86th percentile > > > *Both parents have a college degree*—90th percentile > > > > > Whether either parent was a certified teacher did not matter. > > > > > *Certified (i.e., either parent ever certified)*—87th percentile > > > *Not certified (i.e., neither parent ever certified)*—88th percentile > > > > > Parental spending on home education made little difference. > > > > > *Spent $600 or more on the student*—89th percentile > > > *Spent under $600 on the student*—86th percentile > > > > > The extent of government regulation on homeschoolers did not affect the > > > results. > > > > > *Low state regulation*—87th percentile > > > *Medium state regulation*—88th percentile > > > *High state regulation*—87th percentile > > > > > HSLDA defines the extent of government regulation this way: > > > > > *States with low regulation:* No state requirement for parents to > initiate > > > any contact or State requires parental notification only. > > > > > *States with moderate regulation:* State requires parents to send > > > notification, test scores, and/or professional evaluation of student > > > progress. > > > > > *State with high regulation:* State requires parents to send > notification or > > > achievement test scores and/or professional evaluation, plus other > > > requirements (e.g. curriculum approval by the state, teacher > qualification > > > of parents, or home visits by state officials). > > > > > The question HSLDA regularly puts before state legislatures is, “If > > > government regulation does not improve the results of homeschoolers why > is > > > it necessary?” > > > > > In short, the results found in the new study are consistent with 25 > years of > > > research, which show that as a group homeschoolers consistently perform > > > above average academically. The *Progress Report*also shows that, even > as > > > the numbers and diversity of homeschoolers have grown tremendously over > the > > > past 10 years, homeschoolers have actually increased the already > sizeable > > > gap in academic achievement between themselves and their public school > > > counterparts-moving from about 30 percentile points higher in the > Rudner > > > study (1998) to 37 percentile points higher in the *Progress > Report*(2009). > > > > > As mentioned earlier, the achievement gaps that are well-documented in > > > public school between boys and girls, parents with lower incomes, and > > > parents with lower levels of education are not found among > homeschoolers. > > > While it is not possible to draw a definitive conclusion, it does > appear > > > from all the existing research that homeschooling equalizes every > student > > > upwards. Homeschoolers are actually achieving every day what the public > > > schools claim are their goals—to narrow achievement gaps and to educate > each > > > child to a high level. > > > > > Of course, an education movement which consistently shows that children > can > > > be educated to a standard significantly above the average public school > > > student at a fraction of the cost—the average spent by participants in > > > the *Progress > > > Report* was about $500 per child per year as opposed to the public > school > > > average of nearly $10,000 per child per year—will inevitably draw > attention > > > from the K-12 public education industry. > > > Answering the Critics > > > > > This particular study is the most comprehensive ever undertaken. It > attempts > > > to build upon and improve on the previous research. One criticism of > the > > > Rudner study was that it only drew students from one large testing > service. > > > Although there was no reason to believe that homeschoolers > participating > > > with that service were automatically non-representative of the broader > > > homeschool community, HSLDA decided to answer this criticism by using > 15 > > > independent testing services for this new study. There can be no doubt > that > > > homeschoolers from all walks of life and backgrounds participated in > > > the*Progress > > > Report*. > > > > > While it is true that not every homeschooler in America was part of > this > > > study, it is also true that the *Progress Report* provides clear > evidence of > > > the success of homeschool programs. > > > > > The reason is that all social science studies are based on samples. The > goal > > > is to make the sample as representative as possible because then more > > > confident conclusions can be drawn about the larger population. Those > > > conclusions are then validated when other studies find the same or > similar > > > results. > > > > > Critics tend to focus on this narrow point and maintain that they will > not > > > be satisfied until every homeschooler is submitted to a test. This is > not a > > > reasonable request because not all homeschoolers take standardized > > > achievement tests. In fact, while the majority of homeschool parents do > > > indeed test their children simply to track their progress and also to > > > provide them with the experience of test-taking, it is far from a > > > comprehensive and universal practice among homeschoolers. > > > > > The best researchers can do is provide a sample of homeschooling > families > > > and compare the results of their children to those of public school > > > students, in order to give the most accurate picture of how > homeschoolers in > > > general are faring academically. > > > > ... > > > > read more » > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
