AP Exams - did you let your student go to school late/leave early day of exam

[Anonymous]

I realize we are in the first week of AP exams but wondering how many of you let your DC either arrive to school late (they had an afternoon exam) or leave school early (they had a morning exam) and skip the rest of their regular classes that day. According to my kid "everyone is arriving late/leaving" and I am the mean parent. My response was "it is an exam that you have been working towards for the past 9 months, you still have finals in these regular classes so need to stay current on those so you do well on your finals". Finals start the week of 5/20 and in some classes they are on the bubble of two grades so keeping up with the content is needed. Am I being unreasonable?

[Anonymous]

AP English Lang/Lit teacher here.

On days a student has an AP exam, they are expected to come and stay only for the exam at my school. However, I am available in my classroom each day and students may choose to come see me when they are not taking exams for one-on-one help or encouragement. Over the past two weeks, I've had a handful of kids come by every school day (around their AP exams) to practice another timed exam-type essay and then talk through the paper and how it would be scored on the AP Lang or Lit FRQ rubric with me.

I support this policy: my students have worked hard all year, and the current protocol is similar to what they will find in college. Finals for non-AP classes happen after AP exams end, and just as they will do in college, students should be revising on their own at home or meeting with teachers these weeks.

I work at an American international school overseas (I mention this because I know from past experience that if I don't clarify I am in a non-US timezone, someone will appear to comment on the fact that I am seemingly posting during the school day). We have a consistent track record of markedly high AP scores, so whatever we are doing is working for the kids.

[Anonymous]

Out FCPS HS has a form parents are supposed to submit prior to the start of exams that lets the attendance office know if the student will be arriving late/leaving early on exam days. It’s pretty standard for kids to go in just for their tests and use the rest of the day to rest, study, etc. Beforw and after a 3.5 hour exam, their minds are elsewhere and they’re not getting much out of class anyway.

[Anonymous]

My school makes kids come to class before or after the exam and it’s stupid. Imagine taking a 3 hour exam and then sitting in pre calculus class or whatever. No one is learning anything that way.

[Anonymous]

I let mine skip the classes before the test.

[Anonymous]

Lake Braddock excuses them from all other classes the day of AP test. My kid went to one class after she left and ate lunch because it would have put her behind, but most of the classes are half empty due to various test being given, and there isn't instruction

[Anonymous]

No, they still have other classes to attend before/after.

Now I do let them go late/pick up early during finals week if they don't have a final in a class.

[Anonymous]

Of course you let them arrive late/leave early! Teachers expect this and kids need dow time before/after their APs

[Anonymous]

Our school's policy is that kids have the morning off for an afternoon exam and leave after. For early morning exams, students have the afternoon off the day prior and are also free to leave they are finished. The kids who have some disadvantage are those who have 2 exams in 1 day. Sounds brutal.

[Anonymous]

Our school excuses kids who have an AP exam from the remainder of classes that day.

[Anonymous]

My kid isn’t taking AP exams and goes in for 2 hour days which seems a bit odd to me.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think many kids are skipping class at my kid’s school that I’ve heard of. They have tests, quizzes, things are in full swing. My kid has a math quiz tomorrow and an oral presentation Friday.

[Anonymous]

Yes, my son gets time and a half due to a disability (hearing loss, takes him longer to read and spell). His AP lang test started at 8 and ended at 1. Normally it is 3 hours and 15 min but he had 4 hours and 52 minutes which thinking about it just seems way too long for a test. He was hungry and tired after finishing, no way I was making him go to afternoon classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my son gets time and a half due to a disability (hearing loss, takes him longer to read and spell). His AP lang test started at 8 and ended at 1. Normally it is 3 hours and 15 min but he had 4 hours and 52 minutes which thinking about it just seems way too long for a test. He was hungry and tired after finishing, no way I was making him go to afternoon classes.

That is a long time for a test. That is always one of the issues with time and a half. It’s a really long time to focus and test.

[Anonymous]

DC goes to Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS and most kids do not attend the rest of the day before/after their exam. Parents do need to send a quick note to the attendance office to have it excused.