Why don’t we have March midterms? For what reasons did administration change the exam schedule that we have had for years?
Several students agree that March exams were more convenient than the newly adjusted exam schedule. Although we had an exam in every class, and have dates and quotes coming out our ears, we would put our heads to our textbooks and study hard for a week. After, we would have Spring break, where for two weeks we were able to unwind and decompress; ultimately re-centering our focus on the end of the year.
However, due to recent changes, there are no looming March exams, with the exception of juniors and seniors having exams in their AP class in preparation for the College Board‘s AP exams in May. Alternatively, we have had a confusing past month filled with cumulative assessments. After winter break, we jumped right into a difficult few weeks. In some classes, students have had tests and essays; in other classes, homework and readings were piled on while teachers were cramming to finish their semester comments.
Olivia Tracey ’17 disagrees with the exam schedule change. She stated, “[Exams] were getting crammed in last minute, and it was very stressful for me. I liked it better last year because there was a set date for them. Before, I had a day where I could go home and study, but now I have to find time in my busy schedule to study for my exams along with other tests and quizzes.”
Amanata Adams ’17 added, “I guess [the new exams are] better, but the way they’re situated is more hectic than last year; we didn’t know they were coming up until the last minute.”
Amanata brought up another point: we were given a short notice. Teachers, in the beginning of the year, had advised us that there were no March exams this year; students were confused because it was unclear what assessments would replace these exams.
However, Ms. Weber commented on the new exam format by explaining, “[Exams] take up a significant amount of time away from school. Time to prepare for the exam, take the exam [itself], review it, and then we have spring break.” In other words, the administration’s reason for eliminating March exams was to use time at school to learn new material rather than spending weeks reviewing old material.
Ms. Stevens and Ms. Weber provided another reason for this change. Different classes need to be tested in various means; not every class requires a conventional multiple choice and short answer test. These different methods of testing students arose last year, but this year all academic departments have and are continuing to evaluate whether their classes will offer another approach to test students on the material they have learned. Some of these new methods include oral exams, thoughtful essays, and creative projects. These assessments will be factored into semester grades rather than final grades. Each teacher will calculate how much the assessment or project will factor into your semester grade.
So, what do you think about this new style of test taking? Do you prefer the new cumulative, midterm style or the previous March exams?
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