IMPLEMENTATION
Finals, or end of the year summative assessments, will occur at the end of the fourth marking period. The test will be counted separately as the equivalent of half of a marking period grade. Students will take Finals only for their full-year courses and they will take the tests during the testing periods of that day. Single semester courses will not be tested and students will be permitted to stay home or return home if the allotted period is not a testing period for them (i.e. study hall, lunch, gym, or a half year course).
Teachers will be allowed to create their own assessments and they do not have to mirror the assessments of other teachers in the same course if they have different testing styles. Teachers can also consult with their students about the type of format for the finals so that both students and teachers can benefit from the test. All teachers must propose their assessments to their department supervisor for approval.
Teachers, especially in the humanities (English, Social Studies, and Language,) are encouraged to design formative final assessments such as projects or scored discussions where students can work with each other and thoroughly review the knowledge and skills they have learned during the course. "Open discussion or 'instructional conversations' (Tharp & Gallimore, 1988) are more likely to elicit a more coherent version of students' reasoning and relevant experiences" 1 (Shepard 11). Therefore, scored discussions are more beneficial to students than multiple choice tests because they tend to help students formulate their knowledge concisely and understand the course's goals. Studies have also shown that students perform better on collaborative assessments and that this is the method testing is progressing towards 2 (Surgenor 2). Additionally, "school learning should be authentic and connected to the world outside of school not only to make learning more interesting and motivating to students but also to develop the ability to use knowledge in real-world settings" 1 (Shepard 7). Summative assessments such as the one in US Government and Economics could be about the course's goal: how to become a better citizen. This kind of assessment will allow students to use the skills and knowledge they learned to discern the overall goal of the course and apply it to a "real-world" purpose.
Teachers will be allowed to create their own assessments and they do not have to mirror the assessments of other teachers in the same course if they have different testing styles. Teachers can also consult with their students about the type of format for the finals so that both students and teachers can benefit from the test. All teachers must propose their assessments to their department supervisor for approval.
Teachers, especially in the humanities (English, Social Studies, and Language,) are encouraged to design formative final assessments such as projects or scored discussions where students can work with each other and thoroughly review the knowledge and skills they have learned during the course. "Open discussion or 'instructional conversations' (Tharp & Gallimore, 1988) are more likely to elicit a more coherent version of students' reasoning and relevant experiences" 1 (Shepard 11). Therefore, scored discussions are more beneficial to students than multiple choice tests because they tend to help students formulate their knowledge concisely and understand the course's goals. Studies have also shown that students perform better on collaborative assessments and that this is the method testing is progressing towards 2 (Surgenor 2). Additionally, "school learning should be authentic and connected to the world outside of school not only to make learning more interesting and motivating to students but also to develop the ability to use knowledge in real-world settings" 1 (Shepard 7). Summative assessments such as the one in US Government and Economics could be about the course's goal: how to become a better citizen. This kind of assessment will allow students to use the skills and knowledge they learned to discern the overall goal of the course and apply it to a "real-world" purpose.
The tests will be administered on the last week of school; no homework will be given during this time period except to study or coplete their summative projects. Therefore, since the teachers are no longer teaching, no time needed for testing is taken away from learning time. Teachers are also allowed to prepare their students the week prior to the final exam, however, no class time will be mandated for this preparatory time. Buses will run on the normal schedule, so students will be responsible for getting into school for an afternoon test or leaving school early after taking a morning test. Students must receive permission from their Principal to schedule a make-up test with their teacher if they cannot attend school on their assigned test day. Make-up tests may be scheduled during lunch or a study hall period if the Principal grants their permission.
Students in AP courses who accumulate an average of a 4.0 GPA (grade point average) or higher throughout the first three marking periods will not be required to take their summative final. Because they have performed so well in the class all year, these students will probably have performed equally as well on their AP exam, a summative assessment. Therefore, Ridge High School's final exam would be redundant.
Finally, we plan to send our proposal to the Board of Education's Curriculum and Policy committees where it will be revised and brought to the full board for a debate and vote. We will also present our plan to the Ridge High School administration so that we can gain their support on our ideas when the technicalities of this testing system is brought to a Board of Education meeting. m
1 Shepard, Lorrie A. "The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture." Educational Researcher 29.7 (2000): 4-14. JSTOR. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
2Surgenor, Paul. "Summative & Formative Assessment." UCD Teaching and Learning/Resources. Teaching & Learning, Jan. 2010. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Students in AP courses who accumulate an average of a 4.0 GPA (grade point average) or higher throughout the first three marking periods will not be required to take their summative final. Because they have performed so well in the class all year, these students will probably have performed equally as well on their AP exam, a summative assessment. Therefore, Ridge High School's final exam would be redundant.
Finally, we plan to send our proposal to the Board of Education's Curriculum and Policy committees where it will be revised and brought to the full board for a debate and vote. We will also present our plan to the Ridge High School administration so that we can gain their support on our ideas when the technicalities of this testing system is brought to a Board of Education meeting. m
1 Shepard, Lorrie A. "The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture." Educational Researcher 29.7 (2000): 4-14. JSTOR. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
2Surgenor, Paul. "Summative & Formative Assessment." UCD Teaching and Learning/Resources. Teaching & Learning, Jan. 2010. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.