Proof of Progress

We previously discussed the requirements for homeschooling in Virginia, however there is one more hoop to jump through. Proof of progress must be submitted to the school superintendent by August 1st of each year. For more information on who does and does not need to meet this requirement, visit Virginia Homeschoolers.

Virginia Code § 22.1-254.1 states that families who elect to provide home instruction shall provide one of the following as proof of progress:

• A composite score on or above the 4th stanine on any nationally normed standardized test.

• An evaluation or assessment by a person with a master’s degree or higher in an academic discipline

• A report card or transcript from an institution of higher education, college distance learning program, or home education correspondence school.

Popular testing options include the California Achievement Test, the IOWA test, and with older students the SAT and PSAT are available. But what exactly is a stanine?

Stanine is a combination of Standard Nine and is a method of scaling test scores. The lower limit of the fourth stanine is 23, meaning a student must perform better than the 23rd percentile in order to meet the requirement. The composite score is the combined score of math and language arts. No other subjects are required by the State of Virginia.

Evaluations are another option you may choose. The professional performing the assessment needs to have a master's degree or higher in an academic field. During your evaluation, you will discuss your child's progress during the year, both academic and extra-curricular. This is a great time to share how you bring learning into all areas of life, such as chores, grocery shopping, and nature walks. Sharing samples of your student's work to show growth over the year helps to solidify proof of progress.

If your student is enrolled in a distance correspondence course or has taken college courses, the final option is to send report cards and transcripts showing their continuing education.

As you can see, there are several options to satisfy this final requirement of homeschooling in Virginia. It can seem overwhelming when you first begin this journey, but once you have done all the steps once, you will find it to be quite straightforward and easy to meet all the requirements.