How to Pass the Homeschool Test in West Virginia: The 4th Stanine Explained

West Virginia requires an academic assessment every year. A nationally normed standardized test is one assessment option; for that option, acceptable progress is a mean score within or above the 4th stanine, or improvement from the prior year. Results are submitted to the county superintendent only in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. If you're new to WV homeschool law, the word "stanine" probably needs unpacking before anything else.

What Is the 4th Stanine?

Stanine stands for "standard nine." It's a nine-point scale used to normalize standardized test scores across different assessments. Stanines work like this:

• Stanines 1-3: Below average
• Stanines 4-6: Average range
• Stanines 7-9: Above average

For West Virginia's rule, the 4th stanine is treated as an approximately 23rd-percentile threshold. So when the law refers to performance within or above the 4th stanine, it is setting a low floor rather than ranking your child against public school students. Improvement from the prior year is also an acceptable-progress route when the mean score is below that threshold.

This is a meaningful distinction for parents who panic when they hear "your child has to pass a test." The benchmark is not a pass/fail cutoff like a state achievement test. Most homeschooled children who receive consistent instruction across the five required subject areas will meet the 4th stanine threshold without special test preparation.

Which Tests Count?

West Virginia Code §18-8-1 requires a "nationally normed standardized test." The statute does not restrict families to a specific test. Commonly used tests that qualify include:

• Iowa Assessments (ITBS) — widely used, available through private testing providers
• Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10 or similar) — not the college SAT; a separate achievement test
• California Achievement Test (CAT) — available for home administration in some forms
• Terra Nova — normed assessment available through testing services

Many WV families use a testing service rather than administering the test themselves. Organizations like Christian Home Educators of West Virginia (CHEWV) sometimes coordinate group testing days, which reduce the per-student cost. Independent evaluators and learning centers in the state also offer standardized test administration.

The test must be nationally normed — meaning it benchmarks your child against a national sample of students at the same grade level. A curriculum-based quiz or portfolio rubric does not satisfy the standardized test requirement on its own.

When Do You Actually Need to Test?

Assessment is required every year. You are not required to use a standardized test every year, and assessment results are submitted to the county superintendent only in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11.

The practical calendar looks like this:

• Grade 3: Assessment year. Results submitted to the county superintendent by June 30.
• Grades 4, 6, 7, 9, 10: Annual assessment still required; results are kept on file rather than routinely submitted.
• Grades 5, 8, 11: Assessment year. Results submitted to the county superintendent by June 30.

You submit your assessment results to the county superintendent after each reporting year. For a standardized test, acceptable progress means a mean score within or above the 4th stanine, or improvement from the prior year.

What Happens If Your Child Scores Below the 4th Stanine?

This is the question that causes the most anxiety, and the answer is more nuanced than most families expect.

West Virginia law does not automatically remove homeschool status if a child scores below the 4th stanine once. If a standardized-test mean is below the 4th stanine without improvement from the prior year, the instructor must initiate a remedial program. If acceptable progress is not shown for a second consecutive year, the parent must submit additional evidence that appropriate instruction is being provided to the county superintendent.

There is also an alternative to standardized testing: portfolio review. Under §18-8-1(c)(2), families can choose to have a certified teacher or licensed evaluator review a portfolio of the child's work instead of submitting standardized test results. If you anticipate that your child will struggle with the testing format — due to test anxiety, a learning difference, or the particular demands of a standardized test environment — the portfolio route may be more appropriate.

The two options are not mutually exclusive. Some families use standardized testing in early assessment years and switch to portfolio review later, or vice versa.

Portfolio Review as an Alternative

Portfolio review involves assembling a collection of your child's work from the school year — writing samples, math assignments, science projects, reading logs — and having a certified teacher assess progress in the five core subjects and whether it is in accordance with the child's abilities. The teacher prepares a written narrative; you keep the assessment on file and submit it to the county superintendent in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11.

This route puts more preparation responsibility on the parent (you need to maintain organized records throughout the year) but removes the standardized test anxiety factor. If your child has an IEP or significant learning differences, portfolio review is often the better fit.

The Hope Scholarship and Testing

If your child receives WV Hope Scholarship funds, the program has separate oversight and annual state reporting requirements. Do not assume that the traditional homeschool county-submission schedule is the Hope Scholarship schedule; confirm the current Hope assessment requirements with the Hope Scholarship Board.

The WD09 code (standard homeschool) and WDHOPE code (Hope Scholarship participants) are tracked separately by the state. If you're using the scholarship, confirm with your scholarship coordinator which assessment documentation they require in addition to the county superintendent submission.

Practical Tips for the Assessment Year

Start earlier than you think. Many families treat assessment years as a surprise. If you know grade 3 is coming, start thinking about which test provider you'll use six months out. Scheduling fills up, especially if you're using a group testing day organized by a local co-op.

Keep records throughout the year. Whether you're planning to test or do portfolio review, having consistent documentation of instruction throughout the year is far more useful than cramming at the end. An attendance log with subject notes takes five minutes a day to maintain.

Know your test. Different nationally normed tests weight subjects differently. The Iowa Assessments and Stanford Achievement Test are both solid choices with strong national norming samples. Spend time with practice materials so your child understands the format before test day — this reduces score variability from test-taking confusion rather than actual knowledge gaps.

Understand what's being measured. The 4th stanine is not a high bar. It's approximately the 23rd-percentile threshold for this rule. Children who receive attentive, consistent instruction in the five required subjects (reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies) will typically land well above this threshold without intensive test prep.

If you're navigating WV's assessment requirements for the first time — or figuring out how assessment fits into your overall compliance picture — the West Virginia Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the full framework: NOI filing, assessment options, county-specific considerations, and what to do if your county board pushes back.

See more West Virginia guides →