S/O - should MCPS bring back final exams for each semester?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

DP
So AP English is just one semester, and all the other AP classes?

There is no "AP English" - there is AP English Language ("Lang") and AP English Literature ("Lit"). Both are two semesters each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m okay with finals but detest pop quizzes which add unnecessary stress, and think midterms are overkill.

So you think an exam halfway through a course that lasts from September-June is overkill?

Mcps has semester classes so nothing lasts from September to June.

What? When I was in high school, nearly every course lasted the full school year. So every math, science, history and English course only lasts for 3 months (like in college)?

Yes it is semesters..just like college.

But not really, because most MCPS classes you have to register for the A and B semesters, which ends up being a full year. You just may have the B semester with a different teacher or in a different period.

[Anonymous]

That seems odd to me. If the course ends up being a full year, why switch teachers halfway through?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That seems odd to me. If the course ends up being a full year, why switch teachers halfway through?

It seemed odd to me at first too. But we've gotten used to it. I suppose it has to with scheduling for teachers and classrooms.

[Anonymous]

And the teacher doesn't always change. Maybe half the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the teacher doesn't always change. Maybe half the time.

So what is the reasoning behind making it two different semesters with possibly two different teachers? If everyone has to take a full academic year of these courses, why are they breaking them up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And the teacher doesn't always change. Maybe half the time.

So what is the reasoning behind making it two different semesters with possibly two different teachers? If everyone has to take a full academic year of these courses, why are they breaking them up?

Because some courses are only one semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And the teacher doesn't always change. Maybe half the time.

So what is the reasoning behind making it two different semesters with possibly two different teachers? If everyone has to take a full academic year of these courses, why are they breaking them up?

Because some courses are only one semester.

Are there that many of them? I have to take English, math, science, history, foreign language for full academic years. I think maybe an elective or two was only one semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And the teacher doesn't always change. Maybe half the time.

So what is the reasoning behind making it two different semesters with possibly two different teachers? If everyone has to take a full academic year of these courses, why are they breaking them up?

Because some courses are only one semester.

Are there that many of them? I have to take English, math, science, history, foreign language for full academic years. I think maybe an elective or two was only one semester.

Health is one semester, and it's required, so there need to be a bunch of other options available for the other semester. Some of those are A/B electives, but you can just register for one or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And the teacher doesn't always change. Maybe half the time.

So what is the reasoning behind making it two different semesters with possibly two different teachers? If everyone has to take a full academic year of these courses, why are they breaking them up?

Because some courses are only one semester.

Are there that many of them? I have to take English, math, science, history, foreign language for full academic years. I think maybe an elective or two was only one semester.

There are enough of them that sometimes you switch teachers.

[Anonymous]

I like the semester system. I think it is more forgiving for students who are struggling in a subject and want to switch to another.
Besides, they are able to take some smaller units of study that are state requirements like Health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the semester system. I think it is more forgiving for students who are struggling in a subject and want to switch to another.
Besides, they are able to take some smaller units of study that are state requirements like Health.

Let's say you are struggling in 10th grade English but you have to take it. Do you mean you can switch from honors to regular English?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the semester system. I think it is more forgiving for students who are struggling in a subject and want to switch to another.
Besides, they are able to take some smaller units of study that are state requirements like Health.

Let's say you are struggling in 10th grade English but you have to take it. Do you mean you can switch from honors to regular English?

Talk to the counselor. I think you can do it. The grade stands for the first semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And the teacher doesn't always change. Maybe half the time.

So what is the reasoning behind making it two different semesters with possibly two different teachers? If everyone has to take a full academic year of these courses, why are they breaking them up?

A couple of reasons for breaking a full year course into two semesters:
- Provide a concrete "wrap-up point" where all teachers need to be at the same spot in curriculum. Without it, some teachers might speed up or slow down the curriculum and cover more or less or different content than other teachers in the school and county.
- Used to be a good spot for a cumulative exam covering 4 months of material, which also used to be a good way to compare the content being taught and success of students across the county.
- There are some courses that are only a semester (Health), and depending on the school's schedule, there may be some shifting around of when different sections occur.
- Allows a break point for students to change course levels.
- Allows a break point for counselors to level enrollment in sections (which may get lopsided due to course enrollment changes during the semester) or even adjust the number and type of sections (drop an Honors section and add an on-level section, or collapse sections that got too small)
- Although sometimes a class of students really settles in, gets to know each other and works really well together, other times there is just a mix of students that need to be broken up in order for everyone to refocus on coursework.
- Teachers all have different personalities and styles, and students all have different personalities and styles. Sometimes the match between teacher and student is amazing, most of the times it is good, and sometimes it is a poor fit. (And I'm not saying the teacher is bad - the same teacher can be amazing for one student and a poor fit with a different student.) Switching classes around gives everyone a fresh start.

Back to the original question, I think MCPS should bring back final exams, but only for Honors courses (AP/IB have their own tests). Right now, there really isn't a distinction from a curriculum perspective between Honors and on-level. Having semester cumulative final exams in Honors would bring some meaning back to the idea of Honors courses, and would better prepare college bound students.

-HS Teacher

[Anonymous]

But they are pushing on level students into college too where they end up in remedial courses.