I passed!

Prior to today, the last three standardized tests I took (25 years ago) were the NTE (for teacher certification), GRE, and MAT. The latter two were for admission into graduate school. The last couple of weeks I had really been wishing I had taken this Praxis 5411 test in 2002 when I completed my doctorate, but I'm happy to say that I PASSED the test this morning. The method I had used to study the past couple of weeks was to take three practice tests (which contained a total of 234 questions) and then make notes on the topics (ex. Supreme Court cases) I felt I needed to learn more about. I took two of the tests a second time. Two of the tests were free, and I paid $20 for the third test (the longest one which had 110 questions). The certification I am pursuing is in curriculum and instruction, but this test was about school administration. Most of the questions related to principals and superintendents. Testing sure has changed in the past 20 years. I had to take off my mom's gold bracelet and her analog watch to enter the testing room. Evidently it's possible to use a bracelet to cheat? I have ZERO idea how someone has managed to cheat with a small gold bracelet. They also used a wand on me like at the airport! I was allowed 2 hours to take the test on the computer (110 questions), but I finished in about 90 minutes. I knew that the passing score for PA was 143 (out of 200), and so I was elated when my score showed up at the end as 188! WOOHOO! So now I just need to finish my application with the state department of education, pay them some money and pay IUP some money, and then I do believe I will be certified from PS-12th grade, which means in the eyes of the state I will no longer be homeschooling my children but rather they will have a private tutor (me), which means I don't have to submit their portfolios to someone else in the future and they don't have to take standardized tests. Plus it means I can make a little money each spring reviewing the portfolios of other homeschoolers.

Paul got to sleep in this morning (considering he usually is up by 3AM Monday through Saturday) as he was in charge of getting the kids to the Children's Museum by 10AM as I was out the door by 7:30. I was at the museum by 10:15. He went to work for a few hours but left earlier than normal to see a presentation by Nadia's acting class at 4:30. Paul's parents also were there. We all had dinner at Friendly's afterward. Paul's parents thought at one point they were going to miss it because they decided to give Paul's mom a longer chemo treatment this week, but then the nurses said they'd wait until next week to start the longer treatment. We're headed to Bloomsburg again tomorrow morning for Star Wars Day and then next Thursday to see a production of BFG, and then I think we'll take a little break from driving out that way. During Nadia's class the boys had their last day of bouncing on the inflatables. Paul's mom watched them a little while Paul's Dad and I went to Verizon to switch my phone plan, and then I did a little bit more shopping at JcPenney. All in all I'd say we had a great day! I am ever so thankful that I passed the test the first time since it cost me $120 to take it today, and I'm glad I don't need to take any more tests for the foreseeable future. I had forgotten how stressful that can be!