The Family Learning Organization (FLO) is a nonprofit based in Spokane, Washington. For over 30 years, FLO has supported homeschool families by offering standardized testing and advocating for parental rights in education.
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. A peer-reviewed study published in Peabody Journal of Education found that homeschooled children are typically well-adjusted socially and score above average on measures of social skills, emotional development, and daily living skills (Richard Medlin, 2013).
What is the family learning organization?
The Family Learning Organization, or FLO, is a nonprofit in Spokane, Washington. For more than 30 years, FLO has helped the homeschool community. They provide year-round standardized testing and scoring for families, groups, and private schools across the country. Their mission goes beyond testing. They advocate for home education and parental rights. Plus, a portion of their proceeds supports homeschool foundations and families in need.
Parent proctoring without restrictions
FLO stands out because of their view on parent proctoring. Unlike some providers, like BJU Press, FLO doesn’t require a degree to proctor tests. Their stance is simple: if you're qualified to homeschool, you're qualified to supervise the tests. FLO handles the official testing while parents proctor from home. Tests arrive about a week before your testing date, and results can be sent directly to your home or emailed if you prefer.
Beyond testing services
FLO also offers many resources for homeschool families. They provide non-testing assessment options, like teacher checklists, for families in states that accept alternatives. Through their partnership with Classic Learning Test (CLT), FLO families get a 25% discount on CLT exams, which are popular with those in classical education. If a family is experiencing financial difficulties, FLO offers discounts on testing and up to $600 a year for tutoring help. Their customer service team is ready to help families find the best test that fits their curriculum.
The bottom line
FLO plays an important role in the homeschool testing world by making standardized assessments available to everyone, no matter the parent’s education level. Since they’re a nonprofit, the money they make supports the homeschool community instead of going to shareholders. If your state needs standardized testing, and you want an easy, parent-friendly option with fair pricing, consider FLO. You can reach them at 800-405-8378 or order from their website.
