Who Needs Exams. Lets give everyone an "A".

Eliminating Exams…..

Would you fly on a plane if you knew the pilot did not pass the flight exam?

Would you allow a surgeon to operate on you if the surgeon did not pass their medical exam?

NO. 

And, for this reason alone, throwing out exams (or dictating their worth and/or quantity) due to a backlash of time spent on administering the PARCC tests does not justify ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water’.

Why? (2 reasons)

1  1. Testing is to ensure understanding, retention, build confidence, manage time and expectations, improve study skills, extract group study habits, and ‘prepare’ for failing, just to name a few life skills that are critical for success.  These skills are taught while taking ‘tests’ (quizzes or exams), not when you eliminate them.

Every day presents ‘tests’…from learning right from wrong, to making the ‘big’ work presentation, to the ‘new’ sport we take on. Any of these important learning experiences prepares one for life….well beyond the classroom.

2. Teachers are smart: We educate and hire the best teachers and now we want to dictate if they give tests and if they do, how many and how they will be graded/valued.  This is a clear sign of suffocating out teachers with nonsensical rules, regulations, and requirements.  When do our kids’ teachers get to use their education and experience? Why not hire robots? Each teacher must be provided the proper tools, content, and goals – but in no way should we (parents/MCPS/State) dictate how and when they deliver, utilize, and expose these tests to our children.  Customizing to the classroom needs and topic must not be eliminated!   English teachers might want quizzes per book while science teachers might want a mid and final exam due to accumulative knowledge learning.  All topics and classrooms are different…and dictating one system is a flawed idea.  If you believe the commercially driven PARCC test is bringing this issue to light, then lobby the State, don’t micromanage our teachers. 

It is time MCPS stops this madness! (Montgomery County Public Schools "MCPS")

Parents need to make their opinions known since MCPS’ recent decisions are making our kids their Guinea Pigs:

1.      Students are the Guinea Pigs for Google and Pearson when MCPS rolled out chrome notebooks with a lack of sustaining funds and a vision of ‘what success looks like’ by adding this new teaching tool.

2.      Students are Guinea Pigs when MCPS changed the start times for the entire county.

3.      Students are Guinea Pigs when the State and MCPS rolls out a commercial version of the assessment testing without piloting and teaching students how to type (since typing skills are critical for an online test)

4.      Students are Guinea Pigs when MCPS wants to eliminate or micromanage the exams within the classroom, without regard to the teacher and subject matter.

Stop the madness!

MCPS has put forth four options in response to the ‘get-rid-of-test’ lobbying.  Take two minutes and make a difference before OCTOBER 19! 

http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/policy-feedback.aspx.

Earlier Posting:

Posting September  18 , 2015

Yea, no final exams! Yea, no more SAT/ACT! Where are we headed with these decisions?

Many of you have commented and followed the PARCC testing issue over the past year, nationwide.  As a result, a group of Montgomery County parents lobbied the Board of Ed last year to take a look at final exams and perhaps eliminate them, primary b/c of the time dedicated to the PARCC testing.  Consequently, a group of parents, staff, and community reps have been tasked with the job of looking into testing in middle and high school.....which is just around the corner for us!

As some background, which is not easily condensed, final grades in some classes of middle school students need a final exam in order to get credit in HS for the class.  These exams are 1-2 hours.

  

On a related note, how schools/MCPS weighs the exam seems to be worth noting.  Today, the final grade is not the result of the 4 quarters, averaging them out.  Instead, in some cases, the 2nd marking period might be weighed more or the final might be given a % like 25% of the total grade. 

Some discussions are focused on replacing exams with projects, nixing the final exam weight, and a new formula to include the final exam.

While you might not have time to participate at your school as much as you would like, here is an opportunity to help your child - who is headed to middle school shortly, right from your desk.  Take this brief survey BEFORE the Board of Ed makes 'A DECISION' that will directly impact your child.

The survey link:  http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/policy-feedback.aspx.

DEADLINE FOR Online Feedback – October 19, 2015

Board of Education Action – November 10, 2015