NEWARK– School system officials updated the Worcester County Public Schools final exam policy last week.
The Worcester County Board of Education voted unanimously at its March meeting to reduce the weight of the final exam from 20% of a student’s grade to 10%. The change was recommended by a committee of high school educators.
“The committee overwhelmingly agreed that we should return to final exams counting as 10% not 20% of the final grade,” said Annette Wallace, the school system’s chief operations and academic officer for grades 9-12.
In January, school board member Jon Andes, who retired from the position of superintendent in 2012, suggested the school system’s executive team review the weight of the final exam. He said at one time it had been 10%, not 20%, of a student’s final course grade. Superintendent Lou Taylor agreed that he didn’t like the 20% stipulation either and said he’d have staff review the issue.
Wallace last week said she spent the past several months forming a committee and reviewing the issue.
“The committee was comprised of any high school principal or coordinator who wanted to be a part of that process,” she said.
After meeting via Zoom, the committee overwhelmingly agreed to recommend that the board reduce the final exam weight to 10%. The school board voted unanimously to adopt the proposed change.
Andes thanked Wallace and the staff committee.
“As a lousy test taker—I am a horrible test taker—I deeply appreciate the change that’s being made,” Andes said.
