In Virginia, you can choose to do end-of-year testing to show progress, or you can opt for an evaluation by a qualified evaluator.

Read more: https://heav.org/virginia-homeschool-laws/testing/evaluation-options/

I earned my BS from Virginia Tech in Human Development in 2007, and my Master’s in Teaching from University of Virginia, Curry School of Education in December 2008. I taught for several years (kindergarten, 2nd grade, 4th grade) in Henrico County Public Schools before staying home with my twins.

I have personal and professional experience with children with developmental needs, especially autism and ADHD. 

Our children started off in a Montessori school, and we believe that learning is all around us at all stages.

In 2020, when our kids were sent home, we opted to avoid online schooling and instead started our “formal” home education.

I put this in quotation marks because the way we educate is anything but formal. We have adopted more of an “unschooling” philosophy, mixed with project-based learning. And lots of educational field trips and travel!

The short answer is: no! One of the reasons why I was worried about hiring an evaluator for my children was because I didn’t want to have to go through and pull together a ton of information, projects, and proof of learning.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I want to be able to make this super easy for families. Overall, our meeting will be about 20-30 minutes for 2 children, with more time added on for more children.

Once we decide on our scheduled meeting (online via Zoom unless otherwise discussed), I will start by meeting with the parent/teacher for about 10 minutes. I am not interviewing you or trying to trick you. We will briefly discuss:

• educational-type activities you did this year
• extracurriculars
• field trips, museums, etc
• travel

I will then speak to each child, one at a time. This usually lasts 5 minutes or so. In conversation style, we will discuss:

• Favorite books
• Memorable experiences
• Examples of math and reading experience

Technically, nothing.

You may want to take a few minutes ahead of time to think through some examples, and you can have some pictures that you can show me. But again, this is a stress-less "evaluation."

If you wish to send me any information or materials ahead of time, you can email me at dorydoyle@gmail.com. I may not remember to pull specifics that we discuss via text/messages, so I ask that anything that I would need for the evaluation is emailed.

I will send you a message with the Zoom link in either the days leading up to our meeting or about the hour before. I do this so that it doesn’t get lost.

For the 2023-2024 school year, I am charging $50 a child for these evaluations. The goal is stress-less and affordability.

I will also have discounts for families that book and pay in full during my Early Bird enrollment (by the end of March 2024). That discount is $10/student. To be part of that group, you can fill out the form below. [EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT HAS ENDED]

I would ask that you pay via check (made out to Dory Doyle) or Venmo (@Dory-Doyle) prior to our meeting. I will also send you an invoice showing you paid after I receive it. If you would like the invoice prior to our meeting, just let me know.

You will receive a PDF evaluation letter, and you can forward it on to your county.

I will also send you a copy of my MT diploma, and you can include that as well, as proof of my ability to be an evaluator, though you do not have to include it with the letter.

Dear Homeschool Families,

I cannot believe that we are getting close to thinking of end-of-year evaluations.

In 2023, I shared with a few families that I could help them with their Proof of Progress reports for their Virginia school systems. I had no idea how many families needed this - a low-key and stress-free option. I was pleasantly overwhelmed with the number of families that I could help, just through word of mouth.

This year, evaluations will be just as relaxed as last year:

1. Sign up for your session via the Calendly link at a time that works for you. At that time, I will ask for the names and ages of each child who will participate in the evaluation. Link: https://calendly.com/dory-doyle/homeschool-evaluation

2. Please send payment via the method you selected (Venmo, credit card, check, or other)

3. I will send you the Zoom link ahead of time.

4. Be ready for our 30 minute Zoom session, as I will be speaking with you and your student(s). You can prepare any work samples to share if you would like, but this is not required. If you have more than 1 child, we may go a little longer than 30 minutes, but I try to be really respectful of this time limit.

5. You will receive your evaluation letter via email as a PDF within 2 business days.

6. Submit that letter to your county. Some families choose to also submit their Notice of Intent for the next year at that time.

I realize that it’s nice to have this evaluation scheduled ahead of time, so I am opening up an Early Bird Registration, which will give you a $10/student discount (instead of $50, it will be $40). To have access to this, you simply need to pick a date, register via that link, and pay in full before the end of March, even if you don’t have your evaluation until July!

A question that I get asked all the time: when should I plan on doing this evaluation? The answer is that you can do it whenever works for your family! We never stop homeschooling, so our “school year” never actually ends. For our family, I typically submit my end of year Proof of Progress in late April or early May, even though we have much more that we cover after that. But this is a personal preference!

I hope you’ve had a great year so far! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

My best,

Dory

Link to Register: https://calendly.com/dory-doyle/homeschool-evaluation

P.S. If you would like a bit more guidance and direction on homeschooling, I also offer consults to families. Simply email me back and I can get you that information.