High School Testing and Dropping Out

[Heather (in NY)]

We report as home schoolers in New York, and are facing our first year of CAT tests- my son is registered as a 9th grade student. The PASS tests he took in 5th and 7th grade were not a problem, but the list of subjects on the CAT test: Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Language Mechanics and Expression, Math Computation, Math Concepts and Applications, Science, Social Studies, Spelling, and Study Skills, is slightly daunting.

In the past, by his own choice, he used a Spectrum test preparation booklet before the test, and learned some of the concepts he did not know at that point. He has already asked for something similar for the 9th grade CAT test, and I cannot find anything. I asked on our local list already.

Does anyone know of anything like this?

Can anyone whose kids have taken these without preparation reassure us that it is not necessary to prepare to get the minimum score?

I am comfortable with no preparation, but he may feel anxious about this. I think he has a desire to do "well"- he has a kind of competitive nature.

I really believe that focusing on this test very much will be a waste of energy. Having the test preparation booklet helped him feel prepared without it taking up much time. I am planning to suggest that he forget about it until it is time to take the test, but he may not really be comfortable with this.

Yuck, I really hate that I even have to think about this. Maybe it is time to drop out, he will be 16 in the spring. The only reason we may want to continue reporting is that it allows him to participate in the high school music program, which he still enjoys. We already asked, and they said that he has to be registered in order to participate.