In 1997, the University System of Georgia (the 32 tax-supported institutions of higher education) adopted new admissions requirements that force applicants who are not graduates of accredited high schools to take and pass a set of seven SAT II subject tests. Credible analysis indicates that the passing scores represent a much higher standard than that to which public school graduates are held. Attempts by homeschoolers to discuss the new policy with the Chancellor and his staff in 1997 yielded no progress (see the HEIR web site, www.heir.org, for details). What homeschoolers were told was "Bring us a proposal, and we will consider it."

In March of this year, a coalition of homeschoolers and private Christian schools began meeting to develop a proposal for the Chancellor. The coalition represented a broad cross-section of Georgia homeschoolers, including GHEA, HEIR, Harvest Home, AAEN, Family Resource Network, and support groups from all over the metro area. In addition, the coalition corresponded regularly with homeschoolers outside the metro area. After six months of work--and I do mean work--the coalition completed its report and submitted it to the Chancellor.

The coalition proposal is an important accomplishment for the homeschooling community in Georgia, because it is the first time that we have spoken to the Chancellor with a unified voice. It was not an easy task to take many divergent viewpoints, and reach a compromise that was acceptable to all. But we did it. You can see the complete coalition report at http://www.heir.org/coaleqad/. There also is a downloadable Adobe Acrobat version, which you may print and circulate.

As you read the coalition report, there are some things you should keep in mind.

First, keep in mind where we are today, without implementation of the coalition recommendation. Homeschoolers must take seven SAT II subject tests, and achieve very high scores on each one of them. The required passing scores are the same, whether you want to attend a research university (Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, Georgia State, or the Medical College of Georgia), or a two year associates program. This is a very bad position for homeschoolers; it virtually eliminates us from the University System of Georgia. The coalition proposal is a big improvement for homeschoolers over the current policy.

Second, keep in mind the obligation of the Chancellor's staff to establish admissions policies that uphold reasonable "standards." In other words, the admissions process must allow the University System of Georgia to determine whether the applicant has the aptitude for post-secondary education, and whether the applicant has the prerequisite preparation necessary to be successful. For public school graduates, aptitude is assessed by the SAT I scores, and prerequisite preparation is assessed by completion of the College Prep Curriculum. Also, the standards are lower for two year institutions, and highest for research universities. The coalition proposal provides reasonable mechanisms for assessing both aptitude and preparation.

Third, keep in mind that the coalition worked hard to reach a reasonable compromise between the Chancellor's concern for "raising the bar" and our concern for fairness in admitting homeschoolers. The key word here is compromise. We've proposed an admissions process in which the homeschoolers who are admitted will be arguably better than approximately one-third of the students admitted. That's a higher standard for homeschoolers than for other students. At the same time, we proposed a process for documenting the successes of homeschoolers. If our students succeed at rates comparable to or better than other students, then the admissions requirements should be relaxed.

You really should read the entire report. But in brief, what the coalition proposed was the following:

1. To be allowed into the admissions pool, our students must achieve a SAT I composite score that is in or above the middle third of the scores achieved by all students admitted to the institution in the prior calendar year, either as entering freshmen or as transfers.
2. To be allowed into the admissions pool, our students must take an appropriately normed achievement test, obtaining a composite score in or above the middle third of the scores achieved by all students taking the test. The test would be taken within twelve months of the application. There are a number of appropriate tests, including the Iowa Test of Academic Proficiency (ITAP), California Achievement Test (CAT), or Stanford Achievement Test.
3. For homeschooling applicants in the admissions pool, the final admissions decision will be made by the admissions office of the institution to which the application is submitted. In addition to aptitude and achievement, the admissions decision requires some consideration of the nature of the applicant's preparation, i.e., whether or not the applicant is prepared for the courses that will be required in the freshman year. To enable the admissions officer to make an informed judgement, we propose the use of an academic studies report (ASR). The ASR will provide a brief yet complete statement of each topic studied, the materials used, the nature of the student’s activities, and an assessment of the student's accomplishments. In addition, the ASR will provide a summary, organized to convey an overall picture of the student's preparation for college.

What this proposal does is set a higher requirement on homeschoolers than on other applicants, because homeschoolers may not be in the bottom one-third. It also requires homeschoolers to take a nationally normed achievement test that is not required by the compulsory attendance law. On the other hand, it relieves homeschoolers from the burden of seven SAT II tests, and gives them reasonable access to the University System of Georgia.

The Chancellor has not yet responded to the coalition's proposal. We are in the process of working with the General Assembly members to encourage them to support our proposal. You can help in this process. Contact your State Senator and Representative. Give them a copy of the coalition report. Encourage them to contact the Chancellor and express support for the proposal. You also should contact the Chancellor's office. A letter from your support group would be very effective.

The homeschooling community in Georgia faces a test. Will we support the coalition's efforts, speak with one voice, and assert ourselves? Or will we remain silent, and allow the Chancellor's staff to dictate a policy that blocks our rightful access to the University System of Georgia. The answer is up to you.