#3 is one thing that has been, I think, purposefully ignored. If there is no consequence for a poor result, or for refusing to be tested, what impetus is there for students to even try?  At the high school level the amount of buy-in for tests like the SAT, ACT, and AP tests is much higher than for things like PARCC, CMASS, TCAP, and CSAP precisely because students will do their best when the assessment means something to them.