By Maya Koeppen ’17

Following recommendations made last year by a mathematics exam work group and Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill, MCPS has begun to consider plans for dropping final semester exams. This change would potentially affect middle and high school students in courses in which the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) or HSA test are administered, such has U.S Government, Algebra 1 & 2, English 10 and Biology. This is in hopes of lessening student work load and minimize redundant testing.

Options being considered at the high school level include keeping cumulative exams but administering them over multiple class periods for both semesters one and two. MCPS is also looking at replacing these exams with in-class assessments, common tasks, and/or portfolio assessments throughout the marking period to be used as a cumulative final exam grade.

A team in the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs has gathered feedback from students, teachers and parents and cumulated a document of system interest, givens, and challenges. Challenges gathered include communication, scheduling, grading and meeting the state and local assessment policy.