My daughter sat her first SAT's a couple of weeks ago, she's only in 1st grade.

How much can be read into the results at this age and do the results through the early grades count for anything when it comes to applying for junior high, or are they only important when they sit them in the grade prior to applying to a new school?

I find it all a little confusing

Wow, wish I could help. Much must have changed, or they must do things differently in your county. I always thought SATs were for college entry, and never heard of them being used in any other way. I know I did take a few other tests in grade school to see if I was smart enough for the Advanced Program (always failed by a measely few points ), but I don't think they were called an SAT.

Hope someone else can shed some light on this for you!

SAT's are just for college entry, although they can be taken early I think 7th, 8th grade is early, 1st grade would be very very early?

Are you sure it wasn't some type of state testing? Here in PA they do the PSSAs and I know TX has an equivalent. I she is being tested for the gifted program then that's usually administered by the school district ed psychologist.

I agree with Nethead. I think you're probably getting confused with the state test (Michigan has the MEAP, Texas has the TAKS etc. etc.) don't worry about them too much at this young age. Here in TX they have to pass their 8th grade Taks before they can go on to High School....don't even get me started about how "useful" these tests are for the teachers and especially the kids that's a whole other topic and I've only had one cup of tea so far this morning so I'm not feeling fully equiped to get on my soap box just yet!

Yes, it sounds like they are the state tests. I think they are more about how the school is performing at that age, they give a good overview of how your daughter is doing a will give you a state performance average too. Nothing to worry about! My girls are doing the VA state tests this week.

In our school they do those in October. For all grades. The reason why in October is because they know what to concentrate on in the next few months.

And it is called TAKS here in Texas.

I'll ask my kids about it when they get home - oh my daughter isn't talking to me It could be STAR testing, which is more about evaluating the performance of the school, or maybe finals which mine are doing at the moment. There certainly is a tremendous amount of testing here, I have been told that because LA school standards were historically very poor this has become a big issue. Usually the test scores form part of their overall grade point average. The state school entry is by where you live but if you are thinking of private middle schools the system will be different, mainly $$$?

They call it STAR testing here too. Ds did that a couple months back. I think the results are out now for the school, they mail us the results over the summer.

Thanks everyone, I think it must be a state test then. But the results report say that it is a national %.

It says on Stanford Achievent Test. So I guess the school were calling them SAT's for short, and thats where my confusion came in.

I guss they combine with other states to come up with the National %??

It's got to be part of that No Child Left Behind business where they spend all the time testing kids; it's a Federal mandate.

Of course, that would be wrong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanfor...nt_Test_Series

Dating from its origin in 1926, the test is now in its tenth incarnation, or "Series". Although in many states it is being replaced by state-created tests (mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001), it is not equivalent to most of these tests, in that the Stanford series are more comprehensive in scope than the newer assessments. The SAT 10 is currently published by Pearson plc, who acquired Harcourt Assessment on January 30, 2008.

It is not to be confused with the SAT, a test administered by the College Board for use in college admissions.

Fixed it for you.

Fantastic Meauxna, thank you for sorting me out.

Sorted me out, too.
(I was all ready to go on a preprogrammed Bush rant but now I can't. darnit)