10th grade PSAT was optional at my D’s school years ago. My D1 need to register it at school and pay $10 at that time. Now they make it standard in the same school, so my D2 is going to take it in 10th grade without cost.
OP, most schools who have 9 and 10 graders take the PSAT are offering it to provide extra practice so their students will do better on the 11th grade PSAT, of course practice helps improve scores. They offer the tests “early” because most kids are not on an advanced track and may not have involved parents who will have them take the SAT as a sophomore, or even multiple times, as your children will, or who will not help with SAT practice at home or through a prep class or tutoring. The school administered tests are for many students the only practice they will get.
I don’t think there is any need to panic about not taking the 10th grade PSAT , since you are clearly an involved parent who will give your children multiple chances to take the SAT and who would see that they have multiple opportunities to improve scores through outside practice, if needed.
I don’t advocate lying and taking an excused absence. If your son will not be missing an important exam or quiz, etc., just have him take the test and the unexcused absence and get notes/class info. etc. from his classmates. If he would earn zeros on things he will miss in class, there is no need to panic about not taking this year’s PSAT-your child can practice for the SAT in other ways and still be vvery successful.
I did what @jonri said in post #59.
I took my kids out of classes for testing and competitions multiple times and had no problems with the teachers.
Some competitions took 2 consecutive days. Some happened in the evening but I asked the teachers for absence during the afternoons so that my kids could have some time to relax. Teachers usually root for the sincere kids.
Call in and say he is taking a mental health day.
Sounds like a good plan, let us know how it works out.
It’s a shame there aren’t at least a few (emphasis on few…) days allocated as excused absences for “family reasons”. Just like the working world, why shouldn’t a kid have a few days to take care of other business? Luckily most teachers are more flexible than the rules as they are written and a few unexcused absences have no consequence, but families should not have to worry about this or lie that their kid is sick.
Reminds me of my D’s 3rd grade teacher. I took my D out of school for the day because there was an educational opportunity outside of school that included hearing Sally Ride speak. It was a private school, so I didn’t have to lie, there were no consequences to worry about, but it was still an absence from school. At the end of the year, her teacher gave “perfect attendance” awards to her class (her own, not the official school award) and included my daughter. When I reminded her that my D had taken the day off, she said she felt that was a worthwhile educational opportunity so she didn’t hold that against her. I thought that was pretty cool.
Not sure anyone has said that.
Some of us are just realists. There are a lot of moronic policies (and educators) in the education world, but fighting city hall, so to speak, may not be worth it when a really easy work-around exists.
Yes, I remember when my mother was told by a HS administrator that I was in danger of having to repeat the school year if I had any more absences. I had the flu that year and was out for two weeks. There was some iron clad, maximum # of days of instruction that one couldn’t exceed for any reason, including medical. Maybe it was 12 or 14?
I was a straight A student so this seemed rather silly. But there was no workaround.
I repeat that OP should find out if school has official personal days. After all, what would you call it if the student had to be taken out of school to attend a family funeral or something like that? You wouldn’t call in sick, it would have to be categorized as something personal or family-related. How can it hurt to check out the school’s handbook or speak to the attendance person and find out if they offer a different category of excused absence that she might not be aware of? Our school does, so maybe others do as well!
@b1ggreenca - The OP said
So we are taking her (and all the people telling her) at their word. (I’m thinking funerals and such are a different category, there are things people can take their kid out for such as religious observances). But I suppose if she looks at the handbook herself she might be able to find something they missed (or didn’t care to find).