More high schools ditching final exams

texastaximom
Wed, 30 May 2007 09:51:56 +0000

bandit–are they are returning to the EOCs or End of Course Exams, for specific exit level classes? A few years ago they were Biology, US History, Geometry, and English, and taken in the year that the student completed that course. My son had to take a “practice” EOC in Geometry and Biology this year but they weren’t counted as grades. I’m not sure if I agree that exit level should be ninth grade (when many take Bio and Geo), but then again if you pass it then it should mean three years without state testing/classroom given over to state testing. That alone would be worthwhile.

The EOCs never replaced teacher finals in our school back when they were given, just as TAKs scores are not given as grades currently. Our school does let students exempt out of exams if they have not gone over the absences limit and they have passed their state testing. I think this is doing a disservice to the kids. Colleges certainly don’t exempt you from exams because you came to class.

In fact, the way many seniors at our school are encouraged to organize their four year plan does not prepare them for college. By senior year, many just need Government/Econ and English to graduate, and so they will take those two classes (not necessarily AP version) and fill in with study halls and such. Now add in the exam exemptions and you have a student who will not be prepared for four college classes per term plus a hefty mid-term test/paper and final test/paper. I think the schedule should be reversed, with an increase in AP/Honors classes each year so that the senior year has the most rigorous scheduling that models what would be expected in college.