Silly Season In Nevada's High Schools

Tomorrow starts silly season or proficiency exam testing week for Clark County High Schools and perhaps the rest of Nevada's high schools.
On Monday, the testing starts and Tuesday, all 9th graders are off of school along with those who are proficient in reading.  There is also testing on Wednesday and Thursday.  How does it benefit 9th graders not to be in school on Tuesdays?
With each test, they need teachers to proctor the tests.  So, while those teachers are proctoring the tests, the students who are supposed to be in the teacher's class get a study hall instead, the school's cafeteria.  Further, other classes are just cancelled Monday, Wed. and Thur.
Basically, this week will be a wasted week in Clark County high schools.  And for what?  Proficiency exams?
Proficiency exams cost school districts millions of dollars in the tests, test scoring, materials for the test, man hours learning how to give the exam in addition to the hours giving the tests.  It's a big business for test makers and also the scorers, most of whom are teachers, who also get paid to score the tests, especially the writing portions of the test.
And so why do the students take the test/  Well, for those who speak and read English and are good at taking tests, the exams are supposed to show that the student has met certain criteria to graduate.  That's fine, but what about those students who don't speak English or write it very well?  That's about 1/3 to 1/4 of the students in CCSD.  If you ever wonder why the graduation rate in CCSD is so low, this is a major reason.  Many of the Hispanic students in CCSD speak Spanish, either at home or at school or both.  If they cannot speak or write or read English, what chance do they have for passing the proficiency exams?
I do understand the rationale for the exams- the politicians want to hold schools accountable and this is one way to hold the schools accountable.  They also want to make sure that students are qualified to receive a diploma, but are there not other, cheaper ways to do this?
Unfortunately, this is not going to change.  Proficiency exams have now become a big business in Nevada and they have lobbyists who will try anything to prevent the gravy train from stopping.
But proficiency exams have become a waste of time, money and fail to accomplish it's goals, but provides money to outside firms- money that belongs to the taxpayers and the school districts,
If you get rid of proficiency exams, you will keep more kids in schools, have a higher graduation rate and the teachers don't have to teach to the test.