Should We Be Concerned about Low Homeschool SAT-Taking?

One of the homeschool lobby’s most touted claims is that homeschooled students score higher than public school students on the SAT. This claim, highlighted in a June 2016 news release by the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI),… Read More

A Homeschool Glossary

Educational philosophies and approaches John Holt – a former teacher who called for homeschooling as a radical alternative to the school environment of the 1960s, Holt promoted self-directed learning and rights of self-determination for children; he published the… Read More

Opacity in Data Reporting: A Look at Cardus (2011, 2012)

This post summarizes our research review, which provides a critical analysis of Pennings et al. (2011, 2012). Click HERE to read a more in-depth version of the arguments presented. In 2011 and 2012, the Canadian Christian think tank Cardus… Read More

Choosing the Data that Supports Your Agenda: A Look at Ray 2010

This post summarizes our research review, which provides a critical analysis of Ray (2010). Click HERE to read a more in-depth version of the arguments presented. In 2008, Dr. Brian Ray conducted a study on homeschoolers’ academic achievement… Read More

The Homeschool Math Gap: The Data

The question of how homeschooled students fare academically has been raised countless times over the past three-and-a-half decades. Numerous volunteer-based studies have compared homeschooled students’ percentile scores on standardized tests with the national average and other studies have… Read More

Correcting the Record: A Look at Rudner 1999

This post summarizes our research review, which provides a critical analysis of Rudner (1999). Click HERE to read a more in-depth version of the arguments presented. In 1998, Michael Farris, the president of HSLDA, hired education researcher Lawrence… Read More

Fruit Salad Fallacies: Explaining “Control Groups”, “Random Sampling”, and “External Validity”

Research on homeschooling often uses very precise statistical concepts whose meanings aren’t always clear to all non-statistician readers. Today, we’re going to take some time and define some of these basic concepts. To keep you interested, we’re going… Read More

Homeschool Transcripts and Diplomas in the Admissions Process

While some homeschooled students receive transcripts or diplomas through accredited correspondence programs or satellite schools, homeschool diplomas and transcripts are typically family-generated. In other words, homeschool diplomas and transcripts are similar to diplomas and transcripts from unaccredited private schools,… Read More

Homeschooling Outcomes or Sampling Problems? A Look at Ray 2003

This post summarizes our recently added research review, which provides a critical analysis of Ray (2003, 2004). Click HERE to read a more in-depth version of the arguments presented. In 2003, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)… Read More

The Alaska Data and Homeschool Academics

Homeschool advocates often champion studies they claim show that homeschooled students score thirty percentile points above average as proof of the superiority of homeschooling. Unfortunately, these studies have some serious flaws—they do not use random samples and they… Read More

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