Tennessee Home Education Association

FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S WEB SITE A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THIS TESTING BILL DOES.

Bill Summary for *HB2795 / SB3412

Amendment Submitted March 18, 2008
HB2795 Amendment

Present law requires the following tests for high school students:

(1) Subject matter tests to measure performance of high school students in subjects designated by the state board of education and approved by the education oversight committee; and
(2) The Tennessee comprehensive assessment program tests.

This bill specifies that the above tests are required for public and nonpublic high school students.

Present law establishes requirements for home schools, including qualifications for parents desiring to home school their children and the testing standards that students home-schooled by their parents must meet. Present law provides that these present law requirements do not apply to home schools that teach K-12, where the parents are associated with an organization that conducts church-related schools, which are supervised by such organization through the director of schools of such organization's department of education, and which administer standardized achievement tests at the same time such tests are given in their regular day schools. This bill revises this exemption so that it would not apply to those home schools requiring the same testing of other home school or public school students. End of State's summary.

Dear Reader,

From the beginning of home education students have scored well on nationally normed standardized achievement tests, like Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Stanford, ACT, SAT. Those types of tests are not in question.

This bill mandates that all students in Tennessee under compulsory attendance must take end of course tests. These tests are designed to evaluate comprehension of a particular course of study. In other words in order to do well on this test your child must be taught the same content as the child in a public school.

As you can see the person who writes the tests would control what the child must answer on the test to pass. To this we most vehemently object.

In this case our objection is not to any test, but course specific tests.

HSLDA has analyzed the bill and offers their comments below.

Claiborne Thornton, President
Tennessee Home Education Association

======================================================================
From the HSLDA E-lert Service...
======================================================================

February 21, 2008

Tennessee: Calls Needed to Stop Testing Bill

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

We need your help now! Tennessee homeschoolers are facing the most
serious threat to their freedom since the homeschool law was enacted
23 years ago.

House Bill 2795 would subject non-public school students, including
homeschool students, to additional state testing. It would require
them to take subject matter tests based upon state-approved textbooks.
It would also require them to pass the Tennessee comprehensive
assessment program tests before receiving a high school diploma. These
new testing requirements would also apply to students being taught at
home through extension or satellite programs of church-related
schools. Your calls to state representatives are needed to stop this
dangerous legislation!

If House Bill 2795 passes, it will essentially mean the end of
homeschooling in Tennessee. Parents deciding to teach their children
at home would have to conform their curriculum to the material taught
in public school in order for their children to be able to pass the
state tests. The Tennessee Department of Education, not parents, would
determine whether a student taught at home was eligible to receive a
high school diploma.

Sponsored by Representative G.A. Hardaway (92nd District), this
horrendous bill is now in the House Education Committee. It is
scheduled to be heard by the Special Initiatives Subcommittee of the
House Education Committee this coming Wednesday, February 27.
Representative Hardaway and members of the House Education Committee
need to hear from you today!

Action Requested:

(1) Please call or write (both would be better) Representative G.A.
Hardaway and at least one member of the House Education Committee with
this message:

"Please oppose House Bill 2795, which would impose public school
testing on non-public school students. This bill would effectively
destroy non-public education in Tennessee by requiring private
schools, church-related schools, and homeschools to adopt the public
school curriculum for their instruction programs."

The contact information for Representative Hardaway and members of the
House Education Committee is set forth below. Members of the Special
Initiatives Subcommittee which will hear the bill on Wednesday are
indicated by an asterisk.

If your last name begins with A-I, please call the following members:

*Chair Les Winningham,
(615) 741-6852
rep.leslie.winningham@legislature.state.tn.us

*Vice-Chair Tommie Brown
(615) 741-4374
rep.tommie.brown@legislature.state.tn.us

*Secretary Joe Towns, Jr.
(615) 741-2189
rep.joe.towns@legislature.state.tn.us

Harry Brooks
(615) 741-6879
rep.harry.brooks@legislature.state.tn.us

*Jim Coley
(615) 741-8201
rep.jim.coley@legislature.state.tn.us

Barbara Cooper
(615) 741-4295
rep.barbara.cooper@legislature.state.tn.us

If your last name begins with letters J-R, please call these members:

Dolores Gresham
(615) 741-6890
rep.dolores.gresham@legislature.state.tn.us

Beth Harwell
(615) 741-0709
rep.beth.harwell@legislature.state.tn.us

John Hood
(615) 741-7849
rep.john.hood@legislature.state.tn.us

Phillip Johnson
(615) 741-7477
rep.phillip.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us

Ulysses Jones, Jr.
(615) 741-4575
rep.ulysses.jones@legislature.state.tn.us

*Ron Lollar
(615) 741-7084
rep.ron.lollar@legislature.state.tn.us

If your last name begins with letters S-Z, please call these members:

Mark Maddox
(615) 741-7847
rep.mark.maddox@legislature.state.tn.us

Michael McDonald
(615) 741-1980
rep.michael.mcdonald@legislature.state.tn.us

Gerald McCormick
(615) 741-2548
rep.gerald.mccormick@legislature.state.tn.us

Richard Montgomery
(615) 741-5981
rep.richard.montgomery@legislature.state.tn.us

Larry Turner
(615) 741-6954
rep.larry.turner@legislature.state.tn.us

*John Mark Windle--Chair of the Subcommittee
(615) 741-1260
rep.john.windle@legislature.state.tn.us


	Rally Day 2008 April 8

	FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S WEB SITE A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THIS TESTING BILL DOES. Bill Summary for HB2795 / SB3412 Amendment Submitted March 18, 2008 HB2795 Amendment Present law requires the following tests for high school students: (1) Subject matter tests to measure performance of high school students in subjects designated by the state board of education and approved by the education oversight committee; and (2) The Tennessee comprehensive assessment program tests. This bill specifies that the above tests are required for public and nonpublic high school students. Present law establishes requirements for home schools, including qualifications for parents desiring to home school their children and the testing standards that students home-schooled by their parents must meet. Present law provides that these present law requirements do not apply to home schools that teach K-12, where the parents are associated with an organization that conducts church-related schools, which are supervised by such organization through the director of schools of such organization's department of education, and which administer standardized achievement tests at the same time such tests are given in their regular day schools. This bill revises this exemption so that it would not apply to those home schools requiring the same testing of other home school or public school students. End of State's summary. Dear Reader, From the beginning of home education students have scored well on nationally normed standardized achievement tests, like Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Stanford, ACT, SAT. Those types of tests are not in question. This bill mandates that all students in Tennessee under compulsory attendance must take end of course tests. These tests are designed to evaluate comprehension of a particular course of study. In other words in order to do well on this test your child must be taught the same content as the child in a public school. As you can see the person who writes the tests would control what the child must answer on the test to pass. To this we most vehemently object. In this case our objection is not to any test, but course specific tests. HSLDA has analyzed the bill and offers their comments below. Claiborne Thornton, President Tennessee Home Education Association ====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== February 21, 2008 Tennessee: Calls Needed to Stop Testing Bill Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: We need your help now! Tennessee homeschoolers are facing the most serious threat to their freedom since the homeschool law was enacted 23 years ago. House Bill 2795 would subject non-public school students, including homeschool students, to additional state testing. It would require them to take subject matter tests based upon state-approved textbooks. It would also require them to pass the Tennessee comprehensive assessment program tests before receiving a high school diploma. These new testing requirements would also apply to students being taught at home through extension or satellite programs of church-related schools. Your calls to state representatives are needed to stop this dangerous legislation! If House Bill 2795 passes, it will essentially mean the end of homeschooling in Tennessee. Parents deciding to teach their children at home would have to conform their curriculum to the material taught in public school in order for their children to be able to pass the state tests. The Tennessee Department of Education, not parents, would determine whether a student taught at home was eligible to receive a high school diploma. Sponsored by Representative G.A. Hardaway (92nd District), this horrendous bill is now in the House Education Committee. It is scheduled to be heard by the Special Initiatives Subcommittee of the House Education Committee this coming Wednesday, February 27. Representative Hardaway and members of the House Education Committee need to hear from you today! Action Requested: (1) Please call or write (both would be better) Representative G.A. Hardaway and at least one member of the House Education Committee with this message: "Please oppose House Bill 2795, which would impose public school testing on non-public school students. This bill would effectively destroy non-public education in Tennessee by requiring private schools, church-related schools, and homeschools to adopt the public school curriculum for their instruction programs." The contact information for Representative Hardaway and members of the House Education Committee is set forth below. Members of the Special Initiatives Subcommittee which will hear the bill on Wednesday are indicated by an asterisk. If your last name begins with A-I, please call the following members: Chair Les Winningham, (615) 741-6852 rep.leslie.winningham@legislature.state.tn.us Vice-Chair Tommie Brown (615) 741-4374 rep.tommie.brown@legislature.state.tn.us Secretary Joe Towns, Jr. (615) 741-2189 rep.joe.towns@legislature.state.tn.us Harry Brooks (615) 741-6879 rep.harry.brooks@legislature.state.tn.us Jim Coley (615) 741-8201 rep.jim.coley@legislature.state.tn.us Barbara Cooper (615) 741-4295 rep.barbara.cooper@legislature.state.tn.us If your last name begins with letters J-R, please call these members: Dolores Gresham (615) 741-6890 rep.dolores.gresham@legislature.state.tn.us Beth Harwell (615) 741-0709 rep.beth.harwell@legislature.state.tn.us John Hood (615) 741-7849 rep.john.hood@legislature.state.tn.us Phillip Johnson (615) 741-7477 rep.phillip.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us Ulysses Jones, Jr. (615) 741-4575 rep.ulysses.jones@legislature.state.tn.us Ron Lollar (615) 741-7084 rep.ron.lollar@legislature.state.tn.us If your last name begins with letters S-Z, please call these members: Mark Maddox (615) 741-7847 rep.mark.maddox@legislature.state.tn.us Michael McDonald (615) 741-1980 rep.michael.mcdonald@legislature.state.tn.us Gerald McCormick (615) 741-2548 rep.gerald.mccormick@legislature.state.tn.us Richard Montgomery (615) 741-5981 rep.richard.montgomery@legislature.state.tn.us Larry Turner (615) 741-6954 rep.larry.turner@legislature.state.tn.us *John Mark Windle--Chair of the Subcommittee (615) 741-1260 rep.john.windle@legislature.state.tn.us