The Homeschool Well
Florida Portfolio Review
Let us help you celebrate your family's successes this year!
Hi! We are Kim and Jenny
We are former public school teachers turned homeschool moms. We know homeschooling is a big job—but it's also an incredible opportunity to shape your kids' minds, hearts, and lives in a way that will last forever, as we have personally experienced with our own children.
With help from each other and our homeschool community, we were able to have a thriving homeschool life over time, and now we help other moms do the same!
Shelley K.
"I have nothing but positive things to say about Kim’s homeschool evaluations! She has such a genuine enthusiasm and interest in your students educational journey and made the yearly evaluation easy, informative and fun. Highly recommend her!"
How to Homeschool in Florida:
Know the Legal Requirements
If you are ready to homeschool in Florida or are already homeschooling, it is important to know your parent educator responsibilities For more details, click here to read the statute from the Florida Legislature:
- File a Letter of Intent (LOI) with your school district to let them know your child will be homeschooled. This is only to be done once until the homeschool is terminated, not annually.
- Make a note of the date, as this will be the date your annual evaluation will be due by every year
- Keep a copy of the LOI and include it in your portfolio and/or keep it for your records
- Each school year maintain a "portfolio" that documents the learning that takes place during the year (click here to see a portfolio sample).
- include a log, planner, or calendar that shows the learning that took place on certain dates
- keep a list of materials used
- include work samples from the student
- When it is time for the annual assessment (before your anniversary date) , parents choose one of five ways way to have their child assessed:
- schedule a portfolio evaluation with a certified teacher
- schedule a norm-referenced test to be given by a certified teacher
- make arrangements for your child to take the state assessment at a public school
- schedule an evaluation through a psychologist
- make other arrangements for evaluation with the district superintendent
- Once the evaluation is complete, the teacher or psychologist documents and signs whether or not the child has made a year's worth of progress commensurate with their ability
- The parent sends this documentation to the district office by the anniversary date
- It's important to note that additional information does not need to be sent to the district office (no grades, attendance, test scores, etc.)
If you have questions or need further clarification, feel free to contact us or your home education office within your local school district.
Matthew K.
"Very passionate professionals that provide a relaxing environment to assess educational progress. They have a seamless process that makes it easy for parents and stress-free for students. Our child thoroughly enjoyed their chat with Kim & Jenny. We give them an A+!"
What exactly is a Portfolio Review?
An annual portfolio review is one way that a homeschooling family can satisfy the state requirement to wrap up a homeschool year. It is a time for families to look over all of the accomplishments from the last year and celebrate successes. We view it as a special, relaxing time to reflect on all the learning that has taken place and finish the year with excellence. Florida outlines certain guidelines for a portfolio review (click here to read the statute):
- Must be done by a certified teacher (of the parent's choosing)
- A discussion with the child needs to take place
- Parent should provide a log of educational activities, reading materials, and work samples (click here to see a portfolio sample)
- The parent should keep these records for 2 years
- The certified teacher should fill out a form stating the child has demonstrated progress
- The parent sends the form to the district superintendent's office and keeps a copy with the portfolio
At The Homeschool Well, we are passionate to provide an encouraging evaluation of your homeschool year and look forward to partnering with your family and establishing a connection that will grow through the years.
Kim P.
"We really enjoyed the process in which you conducted the evaluation, you made it comfortable and you made it about Sarah! I like how you pointed out where she had improved and grown, specifically in her writing assignments. That positive acknowledgement from you will definitely give her something to draw on when she lacks the confidence to write. Thank you for the resource sites as well. See you again next year:)"
Our Experience
We have over 60 years of combined teaching experience between the two of us! Each of us has over three decades in a variety of settings with children in all age groups, from every socio-economic, ability, and behaviorally-challenged backgrounds. We are thankful for how God has enabled us to do all these things with the community and for our kids.
Jenny Barr:
- B.A., Elementary Ed.
- M.Ed., Masters of Education
- Certified Florida Teacher in Grades 1- 6 Elementary Ed. and K-12 Exceptional Student Education
- State of Florida Reading Endorsement
- Employed in the public school system for 9 years in a variety of teaching positions
- First Grade Teacher, 5/6 Grade Teacher
- Specialized training in Reading Recovery™ intervention strategies
- K-3 Schoolwide Literacy Specialist/Coach and Trainer
- Homeschooled her two gifted-special needs boys through middle/high-school
- Worked and homeschooled - customer service manager for a family-owned online business
- 4H volunteer and club co-leader
- Hosted in-home and online Bible studies for moms in her community
- Florida Homeschool evaluator and mentor to moms in need
- Member of PPEA Family Events team made community contacts, planned field trips and organized events calendar
- Created and taught online reading, writing, and ESOL lessons to US and international students
- Volunteer in her church’s children’s ministry
Kim Godfrey:
- B.S. Varied Exceptionalities for K-12
- Employed in the public school system for 11 years in a variety of teaching positions
- Self Contained 1st-3rd grade Varying Exceptionalities
- K-5 VE Mainstream setting
- K-5 Resource (Push in) Reading and Math
- Former certified personal trainer who developed her own business and continues to teach, to small groups, wellness tools and strategies
- Homeschooled her two gifted-special needs children through high-school ages
- Employed as Children’s Ministry Director at her church and continued on as full-time volunteer
- Employed in her children’s homeschool co-op creating and teaching biblically-based classes based on leadership and wellness
- Maintained a part-time Portfolio Evaluation business
- Volunteer Board Member for Pinellas Parent Educators Association planning events, field trips, classes and meetings
- 4H volunteer and club leader/co-leader
- Volunteer teacher at Children’s Outreach Center ministry developing and teaching biblically-based lessons
- Homeschool co-op teacher
- 4H & Christian Summer Camp Counselor
- Speaker and member of event coordinator teams for multiple Homeschool Moms Rest Retreats and PPEA support group meetings
Wendy F.
"Kim's passion and love for teaching is evident in her interactions with the kids. She is an encourager at heart and desires for them all to succeed. She is funny, insightful, patient, and kind, and my kids always looked forward to her classes. As an evaluator, she is thorough, but makes the children feel as if they are talking with a friend. My kids looked forward to being evaluated by her, she truly is all around amazing!"
What Can I Expect from My Portfolio Review?
- A relaxed, friendly meeting with us online that fits with your schedule
- A comprehensive evaluation of your homeschooling year and conversation with you and your student to celebrate your accomplishments
- A signed, completed form you send to your district to satisfy Florida law
- Prayer over you and your loved ones
At The Homeschool Well, it is an honor to link hands and establish a connection with you and your family that will grow through the years. We cherish our time together watching your children grow, and it's our goal to help them feel empowered by their unique gifts and God-given talents.
Frequently Asked Questions
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LaToya E.
"Kim is a gem! She and Jen were a pleasure to work with for our annual evaluations. The whole process was easy: scheduling, sharing documents, and getting the completed forms. She even got my non-talkative teen to chat for whole 15 minutes! She prayed for us, answered my questions, and helped me get a jumpstart on being ready for next year."
Michael S.
"Kim and Jens experience and willingness to support and grow the homeschooling community drew us to them for our annual evaluation. The evaluation process was thorough, included several tips for improving, and was still fun for child!"
You can do this, Mama!
We believe that every mom can homeschool her own kids. Even if you don't have any idea where to start, or you think you are already failing at this whole homeschool thing… WE BELIEVE IN YOU. You can do hard things! And we're here to help and encourage you through it.
Be ENLIGHTENED, Be ENCOURAGED, Be EMPOWERED
~ Kim & Jenny ❤️️
