Bayside School Services offered standardized testing for homeschool families from 1988 until recently closing. They allowed parents to administer tests at home, simplifying the testing process.
Research from the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) shows that homeschooled students typically score 15 to 25 percentile points higher than public school students on standardized academic achievement tests. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), approximately 3.3 million students were homeschooled in the United States as of 2023, representing roughly 6% of the school-age population.
What are bayside school services?
Bayside School Services was based in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. They provided standardized testing to homeschool families from 1988 until they recently closed their testing program after 34 years. Founded by Donny and Sandy Ball, who were former homeschoolers, Bayside focused on DIY testing. This meant parents could give tests at home when state laws allowed. They offered tests like CAT/6 TerraNova and CTBS TerraNova, with a price that included materials, shipping, scoring, and practice tests. The Bayside website is still up for limited services like late payments and ordering diplomas.
What made bayside unique
Bayside had a unique approach. Their model let parents handle testing, which made things easier for many homeschool families. Instead of finding testers or traveling, families could order materials any time, give tests at home, and send them back for grading. Prices were around $45-60 and covered everything—practice tests, shipping, handling, and scoring reports. Since the founders were former homeschoolers, they really understood family needs. Customers loved their simple testing method, especially families with special needs kids who thrived in familiar home settings.
Alternative testing providers
With Bayside closing, families need new options. BJU Press Testing offers Iowa Assessments and Stanford 10 tests online—no approved tester required. Seton Testing Services has similar options with over 30 years of experience. If you're looking specifically for CAT/TerraNova, Basic Skills Testing provides those assessments for grades K-12. Homeschool Boss offers NWEA MAP Growth testing with detailed reports. Each provider has different prices, test choices, and requirements.
The bottom line
Bayside's closure ends a long-standing service that truly understood the needs of homeschool families. Thankfully, there are many other options available. BJU Press and Seton Testing offer reliable choices with Iowa and Stanford tests. For CAT/TerraNova, Basic Skills Testing is still around. Before choosing a provider, check if your state accepts the specific tests—some states have fixed lists that may not include everything. The homeschool testing scene has changed a lot, and online testing is now common.
