Home Schoolers Perform Better, Study Says
24 March, 1999
By Justin Torres
CNS Senior Staff Writer(CNS) – A study released yesterday by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) in Purcellville, Va., finds that home schoolers perform at least one grade level better than their public and private school counterparts.
The survey, compiled by Professor Lawrence Rudner of the University of Maryland, looked at 20,670 students in 11,903 families. It showed that home schooled students outstrip other students by up to four grade levels by the eighth grade.
"We've always known that homeschoolers perform very well on tests, but we wanted a credible, independent study to confirm that belief," said Michael Farris, president of HSLDA. "We believe that this study does precisely that."
Some other findings of the study include:
– Homeschooled students tend to watch less TV than other students,
– Homeschooled families are larger than the average American family,
– Teacher certification of parents was unrelated to academic achievement,
– Boys and girls who are homeschooled do equally well on tests.
HSLDA plans to distribute about 200 copies of the study to key members of Congress today.
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