By Morgan Hill ’16

The Board of Education voted unanimously on September 8 to remove county exams for all high school students. The decision will become effective for the 2016-2017 school year, making the final exams at the end of this school year the last exams that the county will administer. Externally assessed courses, which are classes that require students to take the PARCC or HSA tests, will not be subjected to county exams for the second semester of this school year.

The decision comes just weeks after the board eliminated all exams for middle school students in MCPS. In doing so, the Board hopes to shift education to a more project-based system of learning. Before making their final decision, the Board reached out to students and parents across the county for input on the proposal. “This is a decision which directly benefits the students,” said Eric Guerci, Student Member of the Board (SMOB). “In reaching out to students, this was the option they felt was the best by an overwhelming majority.”

Leadership came to agreement about the removal of exams less than two months after the idea was first proposed. It has been pointed out that the Board took little time to debate the consequences of its decision and how it would affect students in the long run. “I fear that MCPS is moving too fast on something that is going to have a deep impact on the high schools. They have in many ways ‘put the cart before the horse,’” said science teacher Glenn Miller, who is a Sherwood representative to the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA). “The Board of Education and the MCPS leadership should have spent more time vetting this idea and talking it over with stakeholders. They should be able to show what the other assessments are going to look like instead of just mentioning the idea in broad terms.”

The formulation of a final grading plan for calculating semester grades is still underway. The Board recently unveiled four possible grading options that could replace the old system. The first option would determine semester grades by averaging together the student’s grade percentages from the two quarters of the semester. The second option would use a point system similar to the one used for calculating a student’s GPA. An A would be worth four points, a B worth three points, and so on. To calculate the semester grades, the two numbers would then be averaged together. Another option is the use of a trend line. A student who earns an A in the first quarter and a B in the second quarter would receive a B for the semester. This option has received little support from board members and faculty across the county. The last option would be to replace the county-made final exams with exams made by teachers for their respective classes. The Board is slated to make a final decision regarding grading options on November 10.

In recent years, concern has been increasing regarding semester-ending exams. Both teachers and students alike voiced concern over the amount of instructional time the exams consumed. Under the new plan, teachers will regain a week of instructional time as well as multiple days previously dedicated to reviewing material for the exams. “This would help students have more time to learn and process the material than under our traditional model.” English teacher Patty Jasnow said.

The Board and community members also had concerns over the effectiveness of the exams. Many questioned if the exams accurately indicated how well the students understood the material. In an analysis of countywide exam performance, Board members found that nearly 50 percent of Algebra 1 students were failing their math exams each year. Across all math classes, more than 60 percent of students failed exams annually. Additional analysis showed that many of the students who failed exams were excelling in the class during the quarter.

Testing advocates believe that exams prepare students for college level learning, which includes cumulative exams. “I feel students still need the experience of preparing for a final in all core courses,” said engineering teacher Brendan Lees. “Unless colleges are eliminating final exams also, students still need the practice.”

Moving forward, the county will look to resolve the details regarding implementation of the plan. Eventually, the Board will develop and implement communication programs, which will allow the county to report to both students and parents on student progress. Changes to the plan are also probable, as the Board looks to identify the best possible grading guidelines and procedures to accompany the policy.