TAO, An even better idea. How many parents even belong to the P.T.A. does it even exit now? How many of those parents actively campaign to get good members on their local school board?
On Sep 11, 1:59 pm, THE ANNOINTED ONE <[email protected]> wrote: > How about just getting some actual parental involvement in their young > lives and school work...... > > On Sep 10, 5:00 pm, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Travis, > > > Fine reduce the average public classroom size to provide one teacher > > for every 2 or 3 students, like home-schooled kids, and see if you > > don't get similar results. > > > On Aug 13, 3:56 pm, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > 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 > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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. 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