Teachers would prefer to average quarter grades or make their own finals as an alternative to final exams, they said in a survey given by their union last month. The school board voted in September to discontinue final exams beginning in the fall of 2016. More teachers—70 percent—participated in this survey than any previous one from the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA).
“The number of responses clearly indicates how strongly teachers feel about the importance of authentic, meaningful assessment that accurately reflects student learning,” said the MCEA report.
Teachers like averaged quarter grades because they’re “simple to calculate, easy to understand, accurate, and motivating for students since they will know that the quarters are equally weighted,” the report said.
Some teachers would prefer to write their own culminating assignments.
“I can use my final paper for Romeo and Juliet as my final assessment. Technically, I wouldn’t have to create anything new,” English teacher Nick Confino said. “If I did want some sort of additional final, I could do something and create it. I like that flexibility.”
The survey revealed that the other options, like averaged quality points—giving more weight to honors or advanced placement classes—or following the trend (rising or falling) of quarter grades, were unpopular.
Though the survey showed a consensus, not all teachers think making their own final assessment is an ideal alternative to county-made final exams.
“Many teachers voted for this option because it is the strongest of the options, not because they agree that this is an improvement over the current assessment practice,” the report said.
County-made assessments ensure a consistency from school to school. “Final exam data is currently used as a major data point to assess our success in closing the achievement gap,” the report says. “Eliminating exams removes a lens on the achievement gap.”
The final decision on grading options will be made at the Board of Education meeting Nov. 10, where the survey will be taken into account, said Scott Murphy, who’s overseeing the process to replace final exams.
