Final Decision: Finals
Finals are the best solution to next year’s testing for many reasons. With the new incoming PARCC testing, students will be bombarded by rigorous tests midyear and end of the year. To assign midterms on top of the PARCC testing would be highly unfair. Not only that, but midterms will take away from teaching time due to the fact that midterm testing would not include full days of teaching, and does not include class time at all.
Only having finals will make the last week of school strictly testing; as no new information is being taught, less homework and new material will allow students to study more for their finals while not taking away from learning time. Finals will still allow for students who take APs and receive a 4.0 to be exempt from the finals. This is to help reduce stress levels for AP students who are already studying for the AP exam. It also makes sense for these students not to take an addition final exam when their AP test is already a cumulation, end of the year test. Students will also be able to manage finals because they are a separate time from PARCC testing. Finals are also an end of the year cumulative test similar to what is given in college; therefore finals greatly prepare students for the testing life of universities and colleges.
Only having finals will make the last week of school strictly testing; as no new information is being taught, less homework and new material will allow students to study more for their finals while not taking away from learning time. Finals will still allow for students who take APs and receive a 4.0 to be exempt from the finals. This is to help reduce stress levels for AP students who are already studying for the AP exam. It also makes sense for these students not to take an addition final exam when their AP test is already a cumulation, end of the year test. Students will also be able to manage finals because they are a separate time from PARCC testing. Finals are also an end of the year cumulative test similar to what is given in college; therefore finals greatly prepare students for the testing life of universities and colleges.