Irena, they no longer require PSSAs to graduate - it has gone to the Keystones (which is a huge mess). I have never heard of a kid opting out of the standardized testing. It is no big deal, though I hear that some districts try to make it a big deal.
I don't think that the testing really takes that long. My kids and most of their friends finished the testing in less than half the time given. Some teachers let them read when they finish early.
The plan with the Keystones was to have ten tests, and a student would need to pass at least six to graduate. They have had a tough time rolling out the tests, and there are only three available now - Algebra, Bio & English. DD Class of 2016 needs to pass those three, but I suspect that by the time your son (and my 4th grader) reach HS, the Keystone stuff will be figured out (or they'll revert to PSSAs).
