Sorry, going to get long-winded here...
Why WOULD you expect homeschooled students to do well on the PASS tests? It's a known fact that almost all school systems with those standardized tests TEACH the test. They have to teach the test in order for their own students to do well so that the school can continue to justify their existence. In my case, I watched a DoD school in Germany take a week or more to "prepare" for the tests. Also, the Texas ISD here in San Antonio also dedicate a week or more prior to the testing to "prepare" for the tests. Basically, they take time off to make sure they go back and cover what is on the tests. If a homeschool student isn't taught the test, why would you expect them to do well on it.
My opinion? Home schooled kids miss out on a lot of important social things, and don't get the benefit of broad adult influence during their formative years. They adapt, just like kids in divorced families adapt, but it's a shame that they have to. In most cases, it's all about parental narcissism. There's nothing particularly respectable about home schooling. The question we raise in each case is: what dysfunction necessitates home schooling? Is it a screwed up family or a screwed up school district? If it's the school district, the parents are at fault for not moving to a place that's better for child rearing, so ultimately it's always a screwed up family. People make moves like that all the time for the benefit of their kids' education, so don't give me any crap about being tied down to one particular place.
You are generalizing and stereotyping here. Not ALL homeschooled kids are missing out on important social things. What socialization are they missing out on? Socializing with other kids in school or adult influence? As a Homeschool parent for over 13 years, I have to say that MOST homeschoolers that I have EVER been associated with go out of their way to ensure that their kid's are "social". We do it through Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Little League, football, basketball, church groups, co-ops and many other ways. Most home schooled kids that I have met are VERY well adjusted to dealing with adults.
The disfunction that we try to remedy or avoid is a screwed up school district and a curriculum that is designed and dictated by a liberal elitist group that believes in values and doctrine that we don't believe in. Through homeschooling we can enable our children to learn at their own pace which may be slower or faster than the pace dictated by the local school district. My kids avoid "socialization" such as cussing, dirty jokes, sexual harrassment, gay and lesbian indoctrination, sex ed at 5-8 years old, anti-christian bias, anti-gun bias, and various other subjects and issues that I feel are detrimental and just plain wrong.
And NO, not all parents can just pick up and move. There are such things as current jobs, future employability, education, disabilities and even military service that can force you into a particular living arrangement.
I have met and known of some few homeschooled kids that are basically sequestered away from the outside world and some very few homeschooled kids who aren't being given the appropriate chance for a decent education. If I may generalize a bit here based on my family's experience in homeschooling in four states and two foreign countries over the past 13 years, I would have to say that the number of homeschooler's who aren't putting forth a very good effort to give their kids a good education is very low. This is not a decision that we enter into lightly. In my case, my parents were teachers, my sister was a teacher, my cousins were teachers, my uncle was a teacher. I was a junior NCO in the AF, so a full-time salary from my wife was sorely missed. It took a lot of discussion, praying and talking to other homeschoolers before I agreed to it. It has cost my family approximately $400,000 - $500,000 in lost income to homeschool my kids. So, obviously, if I'm going to give up that much money, we are going to put in a good faith effort and do our due diligence to ensure that my kids education doesn't suffer due to our "parental narcissism".
If anyone REALLY wants to know about homeschooling I suggest you search out some local homeschooling groups and attend some meetings and really talk and LISTEN to the parents there. Then, ask permission and talk and LISTEN to the kids there. After that, go to the local junior high and talk to the parents there... except they aren't there. Then talk and LISTEN to the kids there. Most conversations you will overhear there will be profane, disgusting and disrespectful. Then talk to the teachers and find out how much time they have each day to spend with each individual student. The average classroom has 24-28 kids and one teacher. In a one-hour class, you have to subtract 10 minutes just for administrative details leaving a MAX of 50 minutes for the teacher to deal with 26 students. That's a MAX of two minutes of individual attention IF there are NO other distractions such as discipline problems to deal with. Homeschoolers very often have HOURS of individual attention per day in their subjects. My son can get more done in two-three hours than public schools do in an entire day.
Okay, I guess I've written enough now.
NGH
