Reply to Message from Jack Smith about Grade Inflation

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Reply to "Message from Jack Smith about Grade Inflation"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As an MCPS parent, I would be willing to pay for my HS student to take a final exam on a weekend.  Can this option be available to parents who care for and want this final exam?

To make it equitable - do not include this result in GPA and parents can fundraise for any non-paying FARMS students who want to take the test.

[/quote]

+1.  The question of grades really is distinct from whether we should have final exams.  Students need to learn how to take final exams and to maintain a grasp of what is learned over the course of a year.  We are doing them a disservice by not making sure they have these experiences.[/quote]

I'm certain they have plenty of exams with or without finals. [/quote]

But finals play an important role in (a) assessing how the student has retained material through the year and built on what was learned throughout the class and (b) help the students to retain such information.  Studying for finals is also a different skill from taking exams that cover a shorter length of time.

Whether we like it or not, in college (and even more so some graduate schools) a very significant portion of a student's grade is dependent on the final.  I don't think it is a good idea for college to be one of the first times a student experiences a final exam.

But MCPS is more concerned about the achievement gap (or the appearance of an achievement gap) than preparing students to succeed at competitive colleges.[/quote]

Everyone gets a trophy! So embarrassing.[/quote]

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