Why should they buy in?

I recently read an article by Curt Dudley-Marling in the text Closer Readings of the Common Core. Dudley-Marling did a great job of pointing out the positives about the CCSS (“standards matter… teachers must know what they’re aiming for if they’re going to provide students with appropriate instruction,” p.93) while pointing out the inevitable flaws.

He says that “high standards and testing linked to those standards have never done much to improve the quality of schooling… or the professional lives of teachers (p.92).”
He also states that “the standards will be a cudgel with which to continue the assault on teachers and the teaching profession,” (p.96)
and that “in the likely scenario that the CCSS fail to lift achievement in high-poverty schools, the new tests will function mainly as evidence of the failure of teachers,” (p.98).

Herein lies the issue with the CCSS- the high stakes testing attached to them. When one of my students asked me this fall about the SBAC test (“Does it go on our report card? Do we need to pass it in order to pass 3^rd grade?”) I found myself struggling to offer a politically correct answer, so I answered truthfully. In third grade friendly language, I had said something like, “no, you don’t need to pass this test for any personal reason. It doesn't go on your report card. It doesn't tell us if you’re ready for 4^th grade. Actually, the test is really to see if teachers are doing their jobs. If the test asks you to answer 2+2 and you get it wrong, the people in charge will say, ‘oh that Mrs. Banville isn't doing her job, her students don’t even know 2+2!’ And then I would probably be asked to not be a teacher anymore. I would lose my job.” Then one of my critical thinking students Colin said, “Well that’s not really fair Mrs. Banville. What if we’re just having a bad day and we don’t test well? Like what if I’m tired that day or sick?”  I remember saying, “that’s the thing Colin. It isn't fair. The test is a quick snap shot, it doesn't know you like I do. I know you can do 2+2, and I know if you’re having an off day. So if Mrs. Dixon (our principal) came to me and said, ‘Colin doesn't know 2+2!’ I could say, ‘oh yes he does Mrs. Dixon. Look in his math notebook, look at all the great things he can do!’”

            The SBAC test virtually has no effect for students. They can test horribly and it would have no consequence for them. Which is a fact another one of my students, Shawn, picked up on. He said, “so we can just fill in random answers if we want and it won’t matter?” Yes, I had told him. But then of course I put my teacher hat and spoke for a while about how important it is to always do your best in anything and everything you do. But deep down, my long lost teenager self was rebelliously shouting, “random answers! Down with the system!” I would never buy into this test if I were a kid. Never. So, my long winded question is, given the high stakes attached to the SBAC assessment, what is in it for kids? Why should they buy in? Why should they spend 8 hours on a grueling rigorous test if it makes no difference to them in the long run anyway?