Annual Assessment

There are four choices for annual assessment of student progress:

1) Licensed Teacher

The parent/guardian can choose to work with an Iowa licensed teacher or substitute teacher.

This person must hold a valid Iowa teaching or substitute teaching license appropriate to the grade of the child. An elementary classroom teacher license is appropriate for teaching or supervising home schooling in grades K-6; a middle school or secondary classroom teacher license is appropriate for grades 7-12.

To find a willing instructor, the parent/guardian should start with the local school district, which may know of teachers will to work with CPI students. The parent/guardian may also contact www.the-niche.org, www.homeschooliowa.org, or dial 1-800-723-0438 for assistance.

2) Standardized Tests

Every child who is between the ages of 7 and 15, inclusive, of the current school year who receives CPI and who is not working with an Iowa licensed instructor must be assessed annually to make sure the adequate progres s is being made.

The child must take a baseline evaluation for the first year. After the first year, the child must continue to take an annual assessment to determine adequate progress.

Students through grade 5 must be assessed on reading, language arts and math.

Student in grades 6 and higher must also be assessed in science and social studies.

* See list of acceptable tests approved by the Iowa Department of Education for baseline and annual assessments.

Standardized test options (to be selected by the child’s parent/guardian)

Administered by the school district
Administered by the Area Education Agency
Administered through a correspondence or other school accredited by an accrediting agency approved by the federal department of education
Administered by any testing service authorized by the publisher of any test approved by the Iowa Department of Education.
The annual assessment shall be taken by May 1. The parent/guardian of the child shall report the results of an assessment to the school district by June 30 of the year in which the assessment was done.

If a student has been administered an approved standardized test through a correspondence or other school accredited by an accrediting agency approved by the federal department of education or any testing service authorized by the publisher of any test approved by the Iowa Department of Education shall accompany their submitted test results with a certification statement signed by the test administrator.

Adequate Progress

Standardized test: The child’s score on a standardized test must be above the 30th percentile, nationally normed, in ALL areas tested.

* The parent/guardian of a child who fails to make adequate progress shall be notified that the child must be enrolled in an accredited nonpublic school or in the resident school district, unless the Iowa Department of Education grants permission to continue CPI under an approved remediation plan.

3) Accredited Correspondence School

A parent/guardian can provide CPI via a correspondence school. An accredited correspondence school is a member of an accrediting associating recognized by the federal department of education and accredited for elementary and secondary education.

The child must take a baseline evaluation for the first year. After the first year, the child must continue to take an annual assessment to determine adequate progress.

Students through grade 5 must be assessed on reading, language arts and math.

Student in grades 6 and higher must also be assessed in science and social studies.

A parent/guardian shall submit to the school district the annual report of progress (report card) from the correspondence school by June 30 of the year in which the report cards were issued by the accredited correspondence school. The annual progress report shall include a listing of subjects taken and grades received.

Adequate Progress

Accredited Correspondence School: A passing grade in all content areas for which the annual assessment is required shall be deemed evidence of adequate progress for the purpose of the annual assessment.

4) Portfolio Evaluation

The child must take a baseline evaluation for the first year. After the first year, the child must continue to take an annual assessment to determine adequate progress.

The child’s portfolio shall contain evidence of academic progress in the minimum curriculum areas for their grade level.

The portfolio evaluator must be an appropriate licensed Iowa practitioner for the appropriate grade level. The report shall be in narrative form and shall reflect the child’s progress in the curriculum areas for the child’s grade level. A portfolio needs reviewed annually by May 1.

The parent/guardian of the child shall report the results of an assessment to the school district by June 30 of the year in which the assessment was done.

Contents of the Portfolio

For each curriculum area, the portfolio shall include a book of lesson plans, a diary or other written record indicating the subject matter taught and activities in which the child has been engaged, and an outline of the curriculum used by the child. The portfolio shall include examples of the student’s work and my include self-assessments by the student. It shall also include a list of, a reference to, or material from the textbooks and resource materials used by the student in each subject area. The portfolio shall also include copies of any tests or other formal and informal assessment instruments used to measure student progress over the current academic year, a copy of the baseline evaluation, and the most recent assessment report of the student’s annual progress.

Adequate Progress

Portfolio: The licensed practitioner evaluating the portfolio determines whether adequate progress is being made.