New Formatives Bring Concerns
by Danielle Katz ‘18
Semester exams were eliminated be- ginning this school year, and MCPS staff and students were not shy to voice their opinions on the new Required Quarterly Assessments (RQAs).
From views on how it does not prepare students for college to support in enforcing better work through the semester, MCPS had no scarcity of opinions on this change. Exams used to count for 25 percent of semester grades. The new quarterly assessments count for 10 percent of the quarter grade, and the quarter grades calculate into a nal semester grade. For a full chart on how the cumulative grade is determined, visit the MCPS website at http://www. montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/assess- ment-strategy/faq.aspx.
Some teachers, like English teacher Lynnette Evans, appreciate the hard work the new grading system encourages. “I do like that the exam is embedded within the quarter grade. Before the RQA, some students would ‘cheat’ the system by doing nothing for two marking periods and then passing with a C on the exam [after failing both quarters]. The emphasis on the course work, and the RQA serving as a cumulative task makes sense instructionally and performance-wise to me. Though, I will miss the week-long exam period because I used that time to grade and plan,” said Evans.
Unlike semester exams, the county did not provide reviews for students before they took the RQAs in the first quarter. According to MCPS Director of Secondary Curriculum Scott Murphy, these exams were not meant to be studied for, as noted from a curriculum update, and MCPS is still deciding on providing reviews for later RQAs. Math teacher Deborah Hiltner modeled her RQA reviews from past exam reviews, and she saw differences between previous final exams and the RQA. “I felt [the RQA] to be less comprehensive,” she said. “I didn’t feel it covered as much content because we were limited on time.”
Other teachers expressed similar concerns. Evans observed that the English RQA was difficult for students to complete within one period. “The format- ting of the test to me seemed too long for some students, even for those who do not have extended time,” she said. “In terms of con- tent, the test did measure what students have learned, but it did not always align with the sequence of tasks covered.”
Teachers also have worries that students will not be ready for college exams. RQAs test on a smaller amount of content than semester exams. “In college, you’ll have a midterm and semester final exam. It’s detrimental to students to not have that experience in high school,” explained Hiltner. “Only students in APs will get a similar experience.”
These concerns are addressed in an article on the MCPS website, which argues that colleges have begun structuring cumulative projects similar to RQAs.
“This approach also aligns with current practices in high- er education, where students in college are asked to apply cumulative learning through multiple measures such as tests, papers, research, and projects. It is important to note that students take many multiple-hour, college-level exams throughout their school careers, beginning in 3rd grade through high school,” the article states.
Eliminating exams prompted a decision on how semester grades would be determined. It was decided that students will receive the higher or averaged higher grade of the two quarters.
“I like that I can earn Bs next quarter and still have my As from first quarter locked in place. Junior year is a lot of work, so now I feel more comfortable spending more time on studying for the SATs,” said junior Mary Beth Magin.
She too has concerns that college acceptance will be more dif cult as MCPS will be viewed as having grade inflation. Murphy does not share these worries.
“As part of an extensive feedback and benchmarking process, we spoke to colleges, universities, directors of admissions, and deans in and out of Maryland. We are not concerned about perceived grade infation … When colleges look at students from all over the country and throughout Maryland, colleges know that every district handles things like grades, GPA, and exams differently, and Montgomery County is known for a strong, centralized, rigorous curriculum and grading system.” said Murphy.
MCPS continues to collect feedback to improve future testing. Teachers were asked to complete a survey about the length of the RQA and how well it aligned with what students learned.