Home Schoolers Above Avg on ACT Home-schooled students both statewide and across the country scored higher than traditionally schooled students on the ACT.* National average: 21 National average for home schoolers: 22.5 Michigan average: 21.3 Michigan average for home schoolers: 23.1 * ACT perfect score: 36 Source: ACT Inc. To: The LOOP:; From: LScheffers@aol.com (by way of James Kilpatrick) Subject: Fwd: ACT test results for home educated children Date sent: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 08:11:33 -0600 Students who receive their schooling at home do better on the ACT college admission test than those who learn in classrooms -- and colleges say they're taking notice of kitchen-table learning. Schools with laboratories, libraries and other equipment don't necessarily give students an advantage over old-fashioned one-on-one learning, according to a first-time breakout of scores by ACT Inc. of Iowa City, the company that administers the test. "When you have the interaction with your family, you learn a lot more," said Robert Haynes, 17, of Detroit, who learned at home and is now preparing to apply to colleges. "You learn a lot more about yourself when you have so much time to think on your own." The latest ACT scores show: * The nearly 2,000 home-schooled students nationwide who took the exam averaged a score of 22.5 on the 36-point test. * In Michigan, the 136 home-schooled students who took the exam scored 23.1. * The average score for all incoming college freshmen nationwide was 21, and the average score in Michigan was 21.3. Adding further credibility to the movement, the number of students home-schooled nationwide has risen 200 percent to 1.23 million since 1990, according to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Michigan's education department doesn't track home schoolers. But the Homeschool Legal Defense Association puts the number at 40,000 students in Michigan. "It should be wake-up call to the schools," said Betty Lou Dean, who taught her son at home. "Any school that doesn't take it more seriously would be making a mistake," agreed John Fraire, dean of admissions at Western Michigan University, which is exploring ways to reach out more to the home-schooled. Some educators cautioned that doing well on exams isn't the only reason children go to school. "There's more to being a good citizen and good student than just scoring high on standardized tests," said Carole Kennedy, president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Students "need to get along with their peers." Home-schooling, in fact, can even hinder a child's learning if not done properly, she said. "Sometimes the most-meaning parents don't have the skills to teach," Kennedy said. And if parents teach their children at home for years before realizing the kids are falling behind, then throwing them into the public school system may not bring them up to speed. "The damage may already be done," she warned. ACT results Home-schooled students both statewide and across the country scored higher than traditionally schooled students on the ACT.* National average: 21 National average for home schoolers: 22.5 Michigan average: 21.3 Michigan average for home schoolers: 23.1 * ACT perfect score: 36 Source: ACT Inc. David L. Hanson dhanson@hal-pc.org http://www.hal-pc.org/~dhanson "Jesus saith unto him, I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life; NO MAN cometh unto the Father [God] BUT BY ME[Jesus Christ]." John 14:6