We have practice state tests this year. They count for nothing, but they are given to students to get them "used to" doing the state tests.
So far, the state tests kind of count for nothing. They are not tied to the teacher's evaluation, they are not tied to funding, they don't go towards gifted program placement. If the school does very poorly as a whole, the school may lose it's charter. But that doesn't look very likely, as they compare to the surrounding public school district. Our school routinely does 20-30 points better than the surrounding district.
Of course, this may change. But I am planning to opt out of the practice tests this year. I also plan on opting out of all state tests until they start to count towards something tangible. So, DS7 will likely not take a state test here until the 7th-8th grade.
