NWT Homeschool Assessment: Choosing Your Method and Passing the Principal Review

The first question most new NWT homeschool families ask is: "Will we be tested?" The answer is: not necessarily — but you will be reviewed, and the distinction matters. Understanding how NWT homeschool assessment actually works is the difference between dreading the principal meeting and walking in prepared.

How Assessment Is Structured in the NWT

Under the NWT Home Schooling Regulations, parents and the school principal collaborate to determine how student progress will be assessed. This happens at the first formal meeting, typically in early fall, before you have taught much of anything. The method you agree on is not mandated — the regulations allow for:

• Written tests or standardized assessments
• Portfolio review (work samples, reading logs, projects)
• Oral evaluation
• Observation and anecdotal records
• Any combination of the above

The principal must then meet with you a minimum of two times per year to review progress using whatever method was agreed. This gives families real flexibility — a child who struggles with timed tests can be assessed through portfolio and conversation, as long as the principal agrees to it upfront.

One practical implication: get the agreed method in writing at the start of the year. A brief signed note stating "Student X will be assessed through portfolio review and oral evaluation twice yearly" protects both you and the principal. If you change principals mid-year (which happens in smaller NWT communities), the written agreement travels with the file.

What Principals Are Actually Looking For

Your principal is required by the DEA to determine whether your child is making adequate progress toward the outcomes for their grade level. They are not evaluating whether your home is organized, whether you are using approved textbooks, or whether your child performs the same as a classroom peer.

"Adequate progress" is not defined numerically — it is a professional judgment call. That judgment is informed by what you show them. A principal who sees consistent documentation, clear growth over time, and a parent who can speak specifically about what their child knows and can do will nearly always find progress adequate.

What principals flag as concerns:

• No documentation at all, or documentation that is impossible to connect to any curriculum outcome
• Work that is clearly below grade level with no explanation or remediation strategy
• A parent who cannot describe what their child has been learning
• Significant gaps in particular subjects (a child with excellent literacy records but no math documentation)

If a principal determines that progress is insufficient, they must report to the DEA, which can then require additional meetings, mandate a change of assessment method, or in serious cases, revoke the home schooling authorization. In practice, most situations are resolved through conversation long before reaching that stage.

Writing a Progress Report Your Principal Can Use

Some principals will ask you to provide a written progress report before or at the review meeting. Others will work entirely from your portfolio. Either way, having a written summary prepared is good practice — it focuses the meeting and gives the principal something to file.

A progress report for an NWT review meeting does not need to be lengthy. A functional one-page-per-grade-level format includes:

Student information: Name, grade equivalent, school year

Subjects covered: A brief list of subjects studied and the primary resources used for each

Progress by subject: One paragraph per subject. Be specific and use before-and-after language where possible. "At the start of the year, Aiden was reading at approximately Grade 2 level with support. He is now reading Grade 4 chapter books independently and can summarize what he has read." This is more useful to a principal than "Aiden made good progress in reading."

Challenges and responses: If your child struggled with something, note it and describe what you did. This shows the principal you are attentive and responsive — which is the point of home schooling oversight.

Goals for the next period: Two or three specific goals. This demonstrates forward planning.

Keep the language plain. You are not writing for an academic journal. The goal is to give a busy principal enough specific information to sign off confidently on your program.

Managing the Principal Meeting Itself

Bring your portfolio binder to every meeting. Even if the principal does not ask to review it, having it present signals preparation. Walk in knowing your child's current level in each subject, one concrete thing they have learned recently, and one thing you are working on.

The meeting is also a resource opportunity. Principals in NWT schools often know about local enrichment programs, community elder involvement, distance learning options through Aurora Polytechnic for older students, or DEA-funded resources you may not be aware of. Ask about them.

If a principal raises a concern, do not become defensive. Ask specifically what they need to see more of, and confirm it in writing afterward: "Following our meeting on [date], I understand you would like to see additional work samples in mathematics by our spring review." This creates a shared understanding and gives you a concrete target.

When Assessment Reveals a Real Gap

Sometimes a review genuinely surfaces that a student is behind. This is not a crisis — it is useful information. The NWT framework does not require instant catch-up. What it requires is a plan.

If your principal identifies a gap, work with them to define what adequate progress looks like by the next review. For many subjects, six months of focused work can close a significant gap. Document your response — the resources you added, the frequency of instruction, and any outside help you sought. This documentation is your evidence at the next meeting.

If your child has a diagnosed learning difference or disability, discuss it openly with your principal and ask what accommodations can be reflected in the assessment agreement. The NWT Education Act includes provisions for students with special needs that apply to homeschooled students. Your DEA may also be able to connect you with educational psychology resources or funding for additional support.

The NWT Portfolio & Assessment Templates include a pre-formatted progress report template and an assessment agreement form designed specifically for the NWT two-meeting cycle — so your documentation matches what your principal expects before the meeting starts.

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