Public-Yearly Evaluation Information
Yearly evaluations can be very stressful to navigate for new homeschoolers! We have all been there and know how overwhelming it can be to try and figure out the best way for your family to fulfill the requirements of the Florida homeschool laws. You can choose to click on one question below to go straight to that answer or just scroll down so that you can see the answers to all of these questions. Please do not hesitate to reach out to one of our NCHE Board Members if you have any other questions that are not covered below. We would love to help!
Florida Statutes 1002.4 says (emphasis added):
"The parent shall provide for an annual educational evaluation in which is documented the student’s demonstration of educational progress at a level commensurate with her or his ability. The parent shall select the method of evaluation and shall file a copy of the evaluation annually with the district school superintendent’s office in the county in which the student resides."
It then lists the 5 options that the parent can use to fulfill the evaluation requirement:
"1. A teacher selected by the parent shall evaluate the student’s educational progress upon review of the portfolio and discussion with the student. Such teacher shall hold a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level;
2. The student shall take any nationally normed student achievement test administered by a certified teacher;
3. The student shall take a state student assessment test used by the school district and administered by a certified teacher, at a location and under testing conditions approved by the school district;
4. The student shall be evaluated by an individual holding a valid, active license pursuant to the provisions of s. 490.003(7) or (8); or
5. The student shall be evaluated with any other valid measurement tool as mutually agreed upon by the district school superintendent of the district in which the student resides and the student’s parent."
The 5 options: As mentioned before there are 5 options that the parent can choose from to meet the yearly evaluation requirement. We will discuss them a little more in depth here.
Option 1: A Portfolio Review
(A teacher selected by the parent shall evaluate the student’s educational progress upon review of the portfolio and discussion with the student. Such teacher shall hold a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level;1002.4 )
- Must be a Florida certified teacher. **see below**
- The teacher needs to meet with the student in person or video call so they can discuss the portfolio together.
- There is usually a cost associated that is set by the teacher you choose.
This is the option that a lot of homeschool parents choose, especially in the younger years, because it can be easily tailored to fit each child individually. However, it is often one of the most overwhelming to try and navigate when you first start out because of the wide array of things that can be included in your child's portfolio. When our children (and let's face it, parent's too) work so hard and accomplish so much in a year, we want to make sure that it all gets represented well for their portfolio review. So, we try to cram it full with all their beautiful examples of work or picture evidence from Bible, math, reading, language, art projects, science projects, nature study, geography, music, life skills, etc. in an effort to make it Pinterst worthy. Now, don't misunderstand! There is absolutely nothing wrong with a Pinterest worthy portfolio IF you enjoy making it that way. However, for most parents, by the end of the year getting anything together is a major undertaking so please understand that it does not have to be elaborate to fulfill the requirements.
According to Statute 1002.4 the child's portfolio MUST contain:
"1. A log of educational activities that is made contemporaneously with the instruction and that designates by title any reading materials used.
2. Samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or developed by the student."
It is important to understand that the parent determines what is included in the portfolio! So what you consider a "log of educational activity", "reading materials used", and "samples" may look different than another Florida homeschooling family.
Log of Educational Activity: While the language is vague, this section is basically like a chronological list of educational things the child does throughout the year. You can think of it kind of like a "lesson plan" or a "master list". It can include a wide array of things that the child did throughout the year including curriculum work, field trips, family vacations, trips to the grocery store, baking cookies, learning life skills, or watching an educational movie but can also just be a lesson plans with dates of when things were completed.
Reading Materials: You do need to keep a record of all of the books read during the year. You can include books that you read aloud together, books the child read independently, curriculum books and any other books read by or for the student.
Samples of work: While you can include as many examples as you would like of your child's work, generally you want to include examples from the beginning, middle and end of the school year for each subject.
**While the portfolio plays a role in this option, the certified teacher you choose will have a major impact on how the review is completed. They will review the portfolio but please remember that they will also be talking with your child and interacting with them to determine if your child is showing "educational progress at a level commensurate with her or his ability." That is why we highly recommend finding a teacher who knows and understands the Florida homeschool laws and has had some interaction with the homeschool community. ** Click here to see a few that we recommend
Option 2: Nationally Normed Test
(The student shall take any nationally normed student achievement test administered by a certified teacher; 1002.4 )
- Must be administered by a Florida certified teacher.
- Can be done in groups with other homeschool families.
- Tests can come from any state.
- Family usually covers the cost of the test and any additional fees the administering teacher sets.
- Test scores remain private.
Taking a nationally normed test is another popular option among many homeschool families, especially once the children get to middle school age or higher. Since testing is not always done in a homeschool environment, especially by outside administrators, this option allows students to gain experience with testing before heading off to college (or before having to test to get into college). There are many different tests to choose from including ITBS, CTBS, SAT, CAT, MAT and ERB.
It is important to remember that you DO NOT have to turn in these test scores to the school board and we strongly suggest that you DO NOT send them with your yearly evaluation. Instead, if you would like to use this option, we suggest having a certified teacher look at the test scores (and perhaps talk with the child) and then fill out a teacher evaluation form that can then be sent to the school board.
NCHE holds one testing event each year in May for current NCHE members 4th grade and above. We use the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) and it is administered by Jan Wilson, a Florida certified teacher. More information about this event will be sent out via email each year around March or April.
Option 3: Florida State Assessment
(The student shall take a state student assessment test used by the school district and administered by a certified teacher, at a location and under testing conditions approved by the school district; 1002.4)
- Done in conjunction with the local public school at their facility on their timeline.
- Test scores are sent directly to school board first and then to parents.
This option involves the student joining their local public school for their annual standardized test administered by their faculty and at their facility. While this is a valid option and one you may choose based one your child's strengths, we tend to caution away from this option for 2 main reasons. First, these tests are highly geared toward the specific curriculum that the public school students have been studying all year long. They do not normally align well with the large variety of curriculums available to homeschool families today. Second, the test scores will automatically be sent to the school board BEFORE the parent even sees them and become a part of the child's permanent record.
The parent is responsible for contacting the local public school to sign their child up for the test.
Option 4: Psychological Evaluation
(The student shall be evaluated by an individual holding a valid, active license pursuant to the provisions of s. 490.003(7) or (8); 1002.4 )
- Can be licensed psychologist or local public school psychologist
- Works well for children with special needs or learning disabilities
- Can be expensive
This option is great for students who have special learning circumstances (i.e. learning disability, giftedness, etc.) Some parents may feel like an evaluation from their local professional would best represent the progress the child has made during the year.
Option 5: Special Arangement
(The student shall be evaluated with any other valid measurement tool as mutually agreed upon by the district school superintendent of the district in which the student resides and the student’s parent. 1002.4 )
Any other AGREED UPON way of evaluation for the student would fit under this option. Some other evaluations include transcripts from FLVS, transcripts from dual enrollment courses, and reports from accredited private schools. However, it can be hard to receive the permission of the school board for options outside of options 1-4 listed above. The parent will need to reach out to the local school board and come to an agreement before their yearly due date.
The annual evaluation form is due on the "anniversary date" of your child's initial letter of intent. So, if you submitted the letter of intent on August 1, 2018 then that child's annual evaluation form is due on or BEFORE August 1st of each consecutive year. It is individual to each child and when their letter of intent was sent so if you have more than one child that you plan to homeschool, we advise sending in each letter of intent on or around the same date each time.
You do NOT have to wait until that anniversary date to have your child evaluated, that is just the time that the evaluation form is due to the school board. You can have your child tested or portfolio reviewed in May even if their "anniversary date" is August 1.
Evaluations can be mailed or emailed to Mandy Purvis (address below), the Home Education Registrar for Nassau County. We highly recommend that you keep a copy of the evaluation form for your records.
If you send the evaluation form via mail, we suggest that you send it registered mail so that you get a return reciept. If you email it, we suggest that you request a "read reciept" if that is available through your email provider. Either way you should receive a letter back in the mail (usually a few weeks later) stating that they received your child's evaluation and are approved to continue homeschooling.
**KEEP ALL RECORDS FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS. And we suggest keeping any correspondence with the school board (i.e. evaluations, letter of intent, etc.) for the entire time your children are in school.
Nassau County School District
Mandy Purvis, Home Education Registrar
1207 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Phone: (904) 277-9029 and Fax: (904) 277-9091
Email: purviska@nassau.k12.fl.us
- Any teacher holding a current Florida teaching certification can perform the portfolio review or administer the nationally normed test.
- A board certified psychologist or a school psychologist can perform a psychological evaluation.
We do strongly recommend that you find a teacher or psychologist who is familiar with the Florida homeschool laws and understands that homeschooling is NOT just public school at home.
NCHE currently has 3 Florida certified teachers that can do your yearly evaluation for you! Although you do not have to use one of these ladies, they are all trusted and are very familiar with homeschooling. If you would like more information please reach out to one of our NCHE Leaders.
Here are a few links that you may find helpful if you live and homeschool in Georgia.