Question 1

How much do you charge for an evaluation?

Accepted Answer

I charge $125 for each evaluation I write, regardless of how complex your homeschooler's academic situation is. I know from personal experience that it sometimes takes longer to get a full picture of a student's progress if they are neurodivergent or have learning differences or disabilities! I want my evaluations to be affordable for every homeschool family.

Question 2

What happens during an evaluation?

Accepted Answer

To evaluate your student, I ask you to fill out an evaluation form to collect all the essential information about your homeschool year. Then I'll send you a follow-up email with any clarifying questions I have, payment information, and instructions on how to make a log-in account with me. This will give you a file in our system. If you wish, you can use your account to upload documents and photos of your homeschooler's work. It's a way for you to communicate anything that would help me write the best evaluation letter possible for your student! I'll also upload the evaluation letter to your file once it's written so you can print it out to send to your superintendent.

That's it! Just 3 steps. I want your evaluation to feel safe, easy, and accessible. Your homeschool evaluation should be a celebration of all the work you and your student have put into the academic year!

Question 3

What kind of things can I upload into my student's portfolio?

Accepted Answer

You can include anything you think will help me write the best evaluation letter possible. I am especially excited to see anything your homeschooler is proud of! Anything that helps me see evidence of progress is helpful. Here are some ideas:

-Examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the year
-Writing samples
-Math samples
-Reading list of books read or listened to
-Attendance log
-Graded quizzes or tests
-Pictures of reports or projects
-Pamphlets or photos from field trips
-Student summary describing what they learned or what they're favorite lesson was

Question 4

Who can perform a homeschool evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Evaluators can have a master's degree in an academic subject or a Virginia Teaching License. I am licensed to teach high school English in the state of Virginia while I work towards a Master's in Language and Literature from Signum University.

Question 5

How often must I provide evidence of progress?

Accepted Answer

In Virginia, you must provide yearly evidence of academic progress by August 1 each year.

If we work together, you can upload documents and photos into your homeschooler's portfolio throughout the next school year to make next year's evaluation even easier!

Question 6

Why not use a standardized test? Why an evaluation instead?

Accepted Answer

There are a multitude of reasons why a homeschooling family might decide on an evaluation instead of high-stakes testing. You might have a neurodiverse student, or one with learning differences or disabilities that makes testing difficult. Your student might not be achieving the "grade level" milestones that are the hallmark of standardized tests, but is still showing significant progress from the beginning to the end of year. Or your bright, capable student might perform poorly on tests because of testing anxiety. Regardless of the reason, an evaluation looks at the whole child.

Question 7

Why don't you send the evaluation letter the the superintendent?

Accepted Answer

When I researched having my son evaluated early in our homeschooling journey, I was shocked to learn that many evaluators sent their letters in a sealed envelope so that parents were unable to read what had been written about their student. Others sent their evaluations straight to superintendents without ever discussing the findings of their evaluations with parents first. I think you should know everything I say about your student. The evaluation letter I write for you is a celebration of all the ways your student has grown and everything they have learned in the past year!

Question 8

How do I send my evaluation letter to my superintendent?

Accepted Answer

You can find a list of superintendents in Virginia and their contact information here.(https://www.va-doeapp.com/SuperintendentBySchoolDivisions.aspx?w=true)

It's recommended that you keep proof of your submitted letter via certified mail receipt or the email timestamp. The last thing you want is for your letter to get lost in the mail!

Question 9

What if you decide my homeschooler lacks evidence of progress?

Accepted Answer

If you fill out the evaluation form and I think your student hasn't made any academic progress in the past year, I will tell you so in my follow-up email. From there, you have a few options: you can email me back with the evidence I need to write your evaluation letter, your student can take a nationally normed test, or you can find another evaluator. Whatever you chose, I won't string you along and I won't charge you for a letter stating there's no evidence of progress! I want what is best for you and your homeschooler.

Question 10

How much experience do you have with homeschooling?

Accepted Answer

I homeschooled my son all the way through high school, so I have been steeped in the homeschool community for nearly two decades. My son is gifted and has multiple learning disabilities - what some call 2e, or twice-exceptional. It took us a few years to find the best academic fit for our family. During that time, we tried out everything from Classical homeschooling and Charlotte Mason's philosophy to unschooling. We went to community classes, hired private tutors, and had entire seasons where my wife and I took on the bulk of the work of educating our child. I've been fortunate to experience the breadth and depth of homeschooling and am excited to partner with you on your family's homeschooling adventures!

Question 11

What qualifications or experiences do you have that make you a good evaluator?

Accepted Answer

As a homeschooling parent, I understand the ins and outs of educating your child at home.  I've wrestled through the challenges and celebrated the triumphs with my own family. As a public school teacher, I also understand the limitations of standardized testing. I know that some students are best served by a more personalized assessment that captures their whole academic experience. Beyond those things, I have extensive training and experience with neurodiversities, like ADHD and autism, and learning differences or disabilities, like dyslexia. I'm also a student myself! I've been working towards a master's degree in Literature and Language during my homestead's off season for the past few years.

I weave all of these qualifications and experiences together when I offer evaluations, because I want to create a safe, easy, and enjoyable experience for families in the midst of their homeschooling adventure.

Everything you need to know about homeschool evaluations.