Is end near for final exams at Lake Park?
PARCC, ACT, SAT, Advanced Placement, final exams. Is there such a thing as too much testing? What role do final exams play in student learning? Have schools reached a tipping point about the amount of time devoted to testing?
These are questions Lake Park High School administrators and teachers have been discussing, opening the door to an emerging philosophical shift among some departments about testing and final exams.
Beginning in December 2015, Lake Park will be modifying the final exam model that has existed for years. Teachers are moving beyond the traditional multiple-choice final exams by restructuring their tests and, in some instances, eliminating final exams.
Rather than requiring finals the last three days of each semester - where two or three exams are scheduled each day during 80-minute periods - students will follow a modified schedule of their eight-period day. The flexed schedule provides opportunities for increased instructional time and opportunities for more authentic, performance-based assessments such as oral presentations and demonstrations.
The traditional weighting of final exams has ranged from 10 to 25 percent and varies by department and course. Lake Park's review of data (in math, science, social studies and English) showed that final exams have very little impact on semester grades.
Nearly 70 percent of grades did not change as a result of how students performed on final exams. In fact, almost 25 percent of student semester grades decreased based on their final exam performance compared to only 6 percent of students increasing grades.
While mathematics and science teachers are electing to offer traditional exams, other departments - including English, world languages, career and technology education, and fine arts - are establishing end-of-semester projects to measure student learning.
The social studies department has taken the lead with this initiative, along with some courses in other academic departments, by assessing student achievement throughout the semester rather than relying on grades earned on final exams. Teachers have eliminated final exams and are enthusiastic about this new direction.
The change also provides opportunities for students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes to opt out of second-semester final exams. AP students who earn an A or B for their semester grade and take the AP exam have the option of taking the final exam. AP programming represents one of Lake's Park's greatest success indicators, with 852 students taking 1,438 AP exams and 82 percent scoring a 3 or higher.
With the increasing demands of standardized testing and the loss of instructional time, schools across the U.S. are reviewing how to measure student learning. To help support this transition, Lake Park educators are participating in assessment literacy training to increase their understanding of effective assessment and different ways to measure student learning.
Lake Park's change in final exams embraces a philosophy that supports assessment for student learning rather than assessment of student learning. We are committed to maintaining high expectations for student achievement and successfully preparing students for college and careers while meeting the requirements of standardized testing.
The end of the first semester in December adopts a new philosophy and one that will be a valuable learning experience for students as well as staff.
• Lynne Panega is superintendent of Lake Park High School District 108. Her column appears in Neighbor monthly during the school year.