The College Board has come up with an option StudyBuddy has recommended all along. It lets 9th graders use standardized test results to make plans for later, when it counts.

The family has the advantage of knowing, in the 9th grade year, what's going well and what's not. That gives ample time to focus resources on strengthening any weak areas.

Schools can now order, for January 2009 administration, the Preliminary SAT Scoring Service, or PSSS. It's a two-hour test to be given to kids in the 10th grade or lower which, except for the essay requirement, is the same as the PSAT (normally available only to 10th graders and only in October).

The College Board apparently believes this will motivate kids, sooner, to plan for college.

That's unlikely: the kid who hates school will still hate school, the kid who can't read will still not read, and the one who's lazy won't change. It is true, however, that well-motivated kids need better help in planning for their futures; and it's quite possible this new system can help with that.

Parents will agree that early in the 9th grade year is a good time to assess how things are going. Now they won't have to struggle or pay extra for an early PSAT. This test essentially replicates it except for the essay; but unlike the PSAT, it is not linked to the National Merit Scholarship Program. Students are free to take that later on.

Five minutes can give a reasonable overview. Go to the College Board's Preliminary SAT Scoring Service site for information.

The description it offers targets school professionals; but it is well written, free of jargon, and should be of interest to parents as well. If there's time, continue and click on PSSS Downloads in the sidebar on the left. Select PSSS: Prepare for the Test to see sample test questions: there are 42 slides covering math, grammar, and critical reading. Difficulty level is parallel to that on the PSAT.

Oddly, there is a note of caution at the end, asking the student to be sure to have a scientific graphing calculator on the day of the test, and to be completely familiar with its use. (We have never heard kids say they had trouble caused by taking a simple calculator with them at test time.)

Certainly some families will focus on the negative effects of one more test. Bear in mind that federal standards are not arbitrary, but rather a response to the needs of individual industries and professions worldwide. Families have every right to know their kids learn at the rate of kids in other advanced countries. Used as a planning tool, test results can help. For more information, psss [at] collegeboard [dot] org (email the College Board).