Achievement and Demographics of Home School Students: 1998

Authors

  • Lawrence M. Rudner ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, College of Library and Information Services, University of Maryland, College Park

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v7n8.1999

Keywords:

Comparative Analysis, Parents as Teachers, Home Schooling, National Surveys, Parent Background, Elementary Secondary Education, Family School Relationship

Abstract

This report presents the results of the largest survey and testing program for students in home schools to date. In Spring 1998, 20,760 K-12 home school students in 11,930 families were administered either the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) or the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP), depending on their current grade. The parents responded to a questionnaire requesting background and demographic information. Major findings include: the achievement test scores of this group of home school students are exceptionally high--the median scores were typically in the 70th to 80th percentile; 25% of home school students are enrolled one or more grades above their age-level public and private school peers; this group of home school parents has more formal education than parents in the general population; the median income for home school families is significantly higher than that of all families with children in the United States; and almost all home school students are in married couple families. Because this was not a controlled experiment, the study does not demonstrate that home schooling is superior to public or private schools and the results must be interpreted with caution. The report clearly suggests, however, that home school students do quite well in that educational environment.

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Author Biography

Lawrence M. Rudner, ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, College of Library and Information Services, University of Maryland, College Park

Dr. Rudner is with the College of Library and Information Services, University of Maryland, College Park. He has been involved in quantitative analysis for over 30 years, having served as a university professor, a branch chief in the U.S. Department of Education, and a classroom teacher. For the past 12 years, he has been the Director of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, an information service sponsored by the National Library of Education, U.S. Department of Education which acquires and abstracts articles and manuscripts pertaining to educational assessment, evaluation, and research; builds and maintains on-line databases; publishes articles and books; and provides a wide range of user services. Dr. Rudner holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (1977), an MBA in Finance (1991), and lifetime teaching certificates from two states. His two children attend public school.

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Published

1999-03-23

How to Cite

Rudner, L. M. (1999). Achievement and Demographics of Home School Students: 1998. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 7, 8. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v7n8.1999

Issue

Section

Articles