What a Portfolio Review by a Florida Certified Teacher Should Look Like
By Krista Lica April 2002 Klica@attbi.com
This paper is for informational purposes only. It is not meant as legal advice. Please read the Florida Statutes for Florida Home Education statutes.
If you choose to homeschool under the Florida Home Education statutes (see Introduction to Homeschooling in Florida ) you will be required to turn in an annual evaluation. Private school homeschoolers must follow the requirements of their enrolled private school. They are not required to file anything with the county.
There are 5 options for evaluations, one of which is having a Florida certified teacher review your child’s portfolio and have a discussion with the child. This paper will address the way portfolios evaluations by a Florida certified teacher take place and how the parent files the evaluation.
FIRST THE STATUTE
You can read the complete statue here: Florida Statutes 1002.41 Home education programs.--
The part concerning annual educational evaluations:
c) The parent or guardian shall provide for an annual educational evaluation in which is documented the pupil's demonstration of educational progress at a level commensurate with her or his ability. The parent or guardian shall select the method of evaluation and shall file a copy of the evaluation annually with the superintendent's office in the county in which the pupil resides. The annual educational evaluation shall consist of one of the following:
1. A teacher selected by the parent or guardian shall evaluate the pupil's educational progress upon review of the portfolio and discussion with the pupil. Such teacher shall hold a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level.
And
(2) The district school superintendent shall review and accept the results of the annual educational evaluation of the student in a home education program. If the student does not demonstrate educational progress at a level commensurate with her or his ability, the district school superintendent shall notify the parent, in writing, that such progress has not been achieved. The parent shall have 1 year from the date of receipt of the written notification to provide remedial instruction to the student. At the end of the 1-year probationary period, the student shall be reevaluated as specified in paragraph (1)(c). Continuation in a home education program shall be contingent upon the student demonstrating educational progress commensurate with her or his ability at the end of the probationary period.
Meeting the Legal Requirements for a Portfolio Evaluation
1. Who can evaluate?
The statute is clear that only a teacher with a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level may evaluate the pupil’s educational progress. If the parent holds a valid Florida teaching certificate they may evaluate their child.
2. When is an evaluation due?
The evaluation is due one year from the date of your letter of intent. Some counties and support groups will tell you it is due in June or July, but this is false. The law gives you one year from the start of home education program.
3. What does the law require me to send to the county?
The law specifically leaves the reporting in the hands of the parent. The parent turns the evaluation in, not the evaluator. The evaluator should turn the evaluation over to the parent. You do not have to send the evaluators written report (if there is one) to the county. You only have to send them a letter stating that the child was evaluated. Most homeschoolers use a simple letter that states that the child’s portfolio has been reviewed by Florida certified teacher, the teacher has had a discussion with the child and that the child has shown progress according to his/her own ability.
4. Where do I send the evaluation?
The evaluation is sent to the same address where you sent your letter of intent. You can see a list of county offices here: http://www.firn.edu/doe/choice/distcontacts.htm
5. Does the teacher need to put down a certificate number and/or attach a copy of the teaching certificate? Does the teacher have to sign the evaluation or give their name?
The law doesn't ask for a certificate number or a copy of the teaching certificate.
The law also doesn't ask that the teacher sign the evaluation. The law doesn't ask for the teacher's name. Some will argue that a letter signed by the parent stating that their child has been evaluated by a Florida Certified teacher and that the parent has a copy of the evaluation on hand, satisfies the legal reporting requirement to the state. Other send in some or all of the above.
The Nuts and Bolts of a Portfolio Evaluation
1) How do I find an evaluator?
Begin by interviewing a few evaluators to find one that understands your homeschooling philosophy and methods. You can get a list of evaluators from your local support group. Some counties also provide a list. You do not have to use an evaluator that the county or your local support group suggests. If you are a Florida certified teacher, you may evaluate your own child.
2) What do they charge?
We have heard prices from $25-55 per hour and most evaluations are done in one hour.
3) What can I expect from my evaluator?
Most evaluations are done in a very relaxed manner. You should expect that your evaluator will be able to determine if your child has shown progress this year. The law doesn’t say they must show progress in a particular subject. The evaluator can determine what “grade level” the child is on, but this would only be at your request and the information is not reported to the county. The evaluator will go over the child’s portfolio. They may ask the child about certain projects they accomplished or field trips they attended. They may comment on the samples of work. For many people the evaluation doesn’t tell them too much more than they already know about their child. For some, they appreciate the extra insight the evaluator can give on the strengths and weaknesses of the child.
4) Will the evaluator be inspecting my homeschooling techniques or evaluating me?
No. The evaluator’s job is to determine if the student has shown progress, in something, in one year. The evaluator is not, by the legal definition, there to inspect your home, your teaching methods, or if your portfolio has the elements required by law. If you would like advice from the evaluator on your homeschooling methods, by all means seek it. But remember that they are not there to report findings on you. They are there to evaluate the student.
5) What if we don’t have enough “paperwork” to show in our portfolio?
Some children (especially in the younger years) do not always have stacks of work sample. This is perfectly fine. Try to take pictures throughout the year of projects, field trips and other activities. These are great for the evaluator to look at. The pictures also help the child remember that special time they had on a learning adventure. If your child creates websites, have the evaluator sit down and surf it. One mom tells the story of how her children played their instruments for their evaluation. The evaluator could go with your child to the place they volunteer. Some mom’s write up a weekly or monthly log of what they saw their child accomplish. A simple but effective method is to have the child set certain goals (yearly, weekly, monthly) and then at evaluation time these can be discussed with the evaluator. The possibilities are endless.
6) I was told by an evaluator that they give a “simple test” to determine what level my child is on. Does my child have to take this test?
No. If this is the only way the evaluator is setup to evaluate and it doesn’t fit with your philosophy, then find another evaluator. If you have difficulty in your county finding one who will respect your methods, try one out of your county. There are some evaluators that will do evaluations with your child over the phone with you faxing parts of the portfolio to them. Some are conducted via email. As long as the evaluator has a discussion with your child and views parts of the portfolio, this is perfectly legal. You may also want to get together with a group of families and “pay” for an evaluator to drive to your area.
7) What if my child doesn’t perform well?
Relax. The evaluation should not be stressful for you or your child. If it is, look for another evaluator or review the statutes to ease your mind. If this type of evaluation doesn’t fit your family, you may want to look into using a private school as they are not required to report evaluations to the county.
To report questions, suggestions or problems with any of the above, please contact Krista at: Krista@helpsonline.org