Homeschoolers' comments needed

["ElsaHaas" <ElsaHaas@si.rr.com>]

I just joined the list, so please excuse any cluelessness. I'm looking for
any homeschoolers (especially unschoolers) on this list who might be able to
give me examples of how FairTest has been helpful to them (directly or
indirectly), for an article I'm writing.

I'm a member (not a representative) of the New York City Home Educators
Alliance (NYCHEA). Our son is a "first-grader." 

The article I'm writing is for NYCHEA's newsletter. It's meant to introduce
a proposal for NYCHEA to set up a matching funds donation for FairTest. 

I worked for John Holt's magazine, Growing Without Schooling (GWS), 20 years
ago, so I know about FairTest from way back then. I recently read a column
in the NY Times about FairTest, titled "Watchdog of Test Industry Faces
Economic Extinction" (Michael Winerip, 02/22/2006), and got the idea for the
donation. 

I spoke with Monty Neill on the phone today, so I have the Times column, my
notes from that conversation, and a 1987 interview from GWS to work with.
But I thought I might get some good quotes from any
homeschoolers/unschoolers on this list, or some ideas from others. 

Issues especially relevant to homeschoolers/unschoolers in NYS and NYC
include: 

1.) If a bill ever comes before the state legislature, a push for testing in
earlier grades. (Right now testing of homeschoolers starts in the fifth
grade.)

2.) The apparent impossibility of getting a waiver from testing. (I read
something at one point that said the Commissioner has declared that he'll
never grant a waiver, even though waivers are supposed to exist.)

3.) Where kids have to be tested. (Currently they can be tested at home, by
the parent. I remember that years ago, research showing that subjects
"tested better" in the same room in which they had learned the nonsense
syllables, or whatever, was used to bolster homeschoolers' argument that
their kids would suffer a disadvantage if tested at a school. Can anyone
give me a reference for that experiment?)

4.) Which tests are on the list of "approved" tests for parents to choose
from. (For example, the PASS test, which was specifically designed for
homeschooling parents to administer, is currently on the list even though
technically it isn't "norm-referenced" - I think that's the word.) 

5.) Anything to do with the PSAT or SAT, of course. (Since many
homeschoolers go on to college.)

I'm sure there are lots of other issues I haven't thought of. Along with
testimonials from satisfied homeschoolers who've been helped by FairTest,
I'd greatly appreciate any brainstorming anyone could do on where to find
relevant information on the FairTest website.  

If you want to make a quick response today, that would be simply wonderful
(the deadline for this particular article is midnight tonight) - but I'll be
working on related things (maybe including an article in a larger
homeschooling publication) for months to come. So a later response will
still be useful. Thanks! 

Elsa Haas