Anonymous wrote:Also, what if a kid is sick. How do they make up a final if it’s on the last day?

They can come on the very last day or a make up day or in the afternoon on another day. I’ve done all of the above. In extenuating circumstances, like a death in the family and the kid is out of town all week or a severe illness, we’ve had to leave a copy of the exam with an admin and someone else proctors the exams and grades them at a designated time in the early summer. Counselors and administrators work past teachers and admins have access to our gradebook. We leave a key. There also might be a summer school teacher on staff to help out.

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Anonymous wrote:Our school calendar has underclassmen final exams scheduled on the last two days of school. This seems odd given the half days and that seniors in the same classes would have graduated and been done by then. Do any teachers know if this is accurate? In the past, the grades always seemed to be due prior to the last week.

You’re thinking of elementary school and possibly middle school then. High school has always worked this way. The exam is part of the final grade so grades cannot be due before the final exams. And final exams have always been scheduled up until the last day. So no leaving early for vacation this year. Sorry.

Our high school did not have any testing the last week of school last year. Kids just did fun end of school stuff. Well deserved after all the AP exams and SOLs.

Which school? Every school I’ve worked at had finals, a project or presentation of some sort during final exam week. That sounds like a waste of time and asking students to skip in HS. - teacher

I’m sure this is a troll now. Every FCPS high school has finals.

DD’s school has finals, but several of her classes do not. Finals for 3 of the classes are before the AP exams, so done by the end of April.

You’re not in FCPS then. Finals are not done in April. Name the school.

Sorry - facts. DC has one final exam now and one next week even. Some classes will have exams the traditional last week still, but there are definitely AP and DE classes with final exams now.

Western FCPS HS.

Are you sure the AP ones actually count as the end of the year finals? Maybe it’s just a review final of all the material.

Not PP, but our HS finishes up finals in all AP classes next week. This makes sense since they have AP exams in May and the subject matter needs to be wrapped up before that. It’s pretty common, not sure what school doesn’t do this.

Maybe that final is just to help prepare them for the AP exam but won’t actually count on their grade? That’s what I’m asking. In my child’s AP History class, they are doing a mock exam next week which will be scored AP style but not for an actual grade that counts.

DD has a mock exam this week and next (AP exam split into two) which will count as her final exam. There is no other final exam in this class, just extensions and extra work that will help them prepare for the next class in the sequence.

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Anonymous wrote:Our school calendar has underclassmen final exams scheduled on the last two days of school. This seems odd given the half days and that seniors in the same classes would have graduated and been done by then. Do any teachers know if this is accurate? In the past, the grades always seemed to be due prior to the last week.

You’re thinking of elementary school and possibly middle school then. High school has always worked this way. The exam is part of the final grade so grades cannot be due before the final exams. And final exams have always been scheduled up until the last day. So no leaving early for vacation this year. Sorry.

Our high school did not have any testing the last week of school last year. Kids just did fun end of school stuff. Well deserved after all the AP exams and SOLs.

Which school? Every school I’ve worked at had finals, a project or presentation of some sort during final exam week. That sounds like a waste of time and asking students to skip in HS. - teacher

I’m sure this is a troll now. Every FCPS high school has finals.

DD’s school has finals, but several of her classes do not. Finals for 3 of the classes are before the AP exams, so done by the end of April.

You’re not in FCPS then. Finals are not done in April. Name the school.

Sorry - facts. DC has one final exam now and one next week even. Some classes will have exams the traditional last week still, but there are definitely AP and DE classes with final exams now.

Western FCPS HS.

Are you sure the AP ones actually count as the end of the year finals? Maybe it’s just a review final of all the material.

Not PP, but our HS finishes up finals in all AP classes next week. This makes sense since they have AP exams in May and the subject matter needs to be wrapped up before that. It’s pretty common, not sure what school doesn’t do this.

Maybe that final is just to help prepare them for the AP exam but won’t actually count on their grade? That’s what I’m asking. In my child’s AP History class, they are doing a mock exam next week which will be scored AP style but not for an actual grade that counts.

No, these are not mock exams at our school. These are finals and recorded as such. They start special projects after the AP exams, but finals are complete.

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Anonymous wrote:Our school calendar has underclassmen final exams scheduled on the last two days of school. This seems odd given the half days and that seniors in the same classes would have graduated and been done by then. Do any teachers know if this is accurate? In the past, the grades always seemed to be due prior to the last week.

You’re thinking of elementary school and possibly middle school then. High school has always worked this way. The exam is part of the final grade so grades cannot be due before the final exams. And final exams have always been scheduled up until the last day. So no leaving early for vacation this year. Sorry.

Our high school did not have any testing the last week of school last year. Kids just did fun end of school stuff. Well deserved after all the AP exams and SOLs.

Which school? Every school I’ve worked at had finals, a project or presentation of some sort during final exam week. That sounds like a waste of time and asking students to skip in HS. - teacher

I’m sure this is a troll now. Every FCPS high school has finals.

DD’s school has finals, but several of her classes do not. Finals for 3 of the classes are before the AP exams, so done by the end of April.

You’re not in FCPS then. Finals are not done in April. Name the school.

Sorry - facts. DC has one final exam now and one next week even. Some classes will have exams the traditional last week still, but there are definitely AP and DE classes with final exams now.

Western FCPS HS.

Are you sure the AP ones actually count as the end of the year finals? Maybe it’s just a review final of all the material.

Not PP, but our HS finishes up finals in all AP classes next week. This makes sense since they have AP exams in May and the subject matter needs to be wrapped up before that. It’s pretty common, not sure what school doesn’t do this.

Maybe that final is just to help prepare them for the AP exam but won’t actually count on their grade? That’s what I’m asking. In my child’s AP History class, they are doing a mock exam next week which will be scored AP style but not for an actual grade that counts.

It is common to do the final exam in an AP/IB class as a mock exam before the test. The grade is saved and entered as the final exam grade on their report cards. The remainder of the year is often extensions and projects that may or may not be tested.

I give the real final exam the week before the AP test (it's half an AP exam, doable in 90 minutes) and then during the June final exam block they do a final presentation on the topic from a set of choices. After the exam they are often missing class for other exams, so it's the kind of project that can be done piece meal when they're present. They do get a grade for it but it goes in as a regular 4th quarter grade vs a 10% final exam grade.

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Anonymous wrote:Our school calendar has underclassmen final exams scheduled on the last two days of school. This seems odd given the half days and that seniors in the same classes would have graduated and been done by then. Do any teachers know if this is accurate? In the past, the grades always seemed to be due prior to the last week.

You’re thinking of elementary school and possibly middle school then. High school has always worked this way. The exam is part of the final grade so grades cannot be due before the final exams. And final exams have always been scheduled up until the last day. So no leaving early for vacation this year. Sorry.

Our high school did not have any testing the last week of school last year. Kids just did fun end of school stuff. Well deserved after all the AP exams and SOLs.

Which school? Every school I’ve worked at had finals, a project or presentation of some sort during final exam week. That sounds like a waste of time and asking students to skip in HS. - teacher

I’m sure this is a troll now. Every FCPS high school has finals.

DD’s school has finals, but several of her classes do not. Finals for 3 of the classes are before the AP exams, so done by the end of April.

You’re not in FCPS then. Finals are not done in April. Name the school.

Sorry - facts. DC has one final exam now and one next week even. Some classes will have exams the traditional last week still, but there are definitely AP and DE classes with final exams now.

Western FCPS HS.

Are you sure the AP ones actually count as the end of the year finals? Maybe it’s just a review final of all the material.

Not PP, but our HS finishes up finals in all AP classes next week. This makes sense since they have AP exams in May and the subject matter needs to be wrapped up before that. It’s pretty common, not sure what school doesn’t do this.

Maybe that final is just to help prepare them for the AP exam but won’t actually count on their grade? That’s what I’m asking. In my child’s AP History class, they are doing a mock exam next week which will be scored AP style but not for an actual grade that counts.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Our school calendar has underclassmen final exams scheduled on the last two days of school. This seems odd given the half days and that seniors in the same classes would have graduated and been done by then. Do any teachers know if this is accurate? In the past, the grades always seemed to be due prior to the last week.

You’re thinking of elementary school and possibly middle school then. High school has always worked this way. The exam is part of the final grade so grades cannot be due before the final exams. And final exams have always been scheduled up until the last day. So no leaving early for vacation this year. Sorry.

Our high school did not have any testing the last week of school last year. Kids just did fun end of school stuff. Well deserved after all the AP exams and SOLs.

Which school? Every school I’ve worked at had finals, a project or presentation of some sort during final exam week. That sounds like a waste of time and asking students to skip in HS. - teacher

I’m sure this is a troll now. Every FCPS high school has finals.

DD’s school has finals, but several of her classes do not. Finals for 3 of the classes are before the AP exams, so done by the end of April.

You’re not in FCPS then. Finals are not done in April. Name the school.

Sorry - facts. DC has one final exam now and one next week even. Some classes will have exams the traditional last week still, but there are definitely AP and DE classes with final exams now.

Western FCPS HS.

Are you sure the AP ones actually count as the end of the year finals? Maybe it’s just a review final of all the material.

Not PP, but our HS finishes up finals in all AP classes next week. This makes sense since they have AP exams in May and the subject matter needs to be wrapped up before that. It’s pretty common, not sure what school doesn’t do this.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Our school calendar has underclassmen final exams scheduled on the last two days of school. This seems odd given the half days and that seniors in the same classes would have graduated and been done by then. Do any teachers know if this is accurate? In the past, the grades always seemed to be due prior to the last week.

You’re thinking of elementary school and possibly middle school then. High school has always worked this way. The exam is part of the final grade so grades cannot be due before the final exams. And final exams have always been scheduled up until the last day. So no leaving early for vacation this year. Sorry.

Our high school did not have any testing the last week of school last year. Kids just did fun end of school stuff. Well deserved after all the AP exams and SOLs.

Which school? Every school I’ve worked at had finals, a project or presentation of some sort during final exam week. That sounds like a waste of time and asking students to skip in HS. - teacher

I’m sure this is a troll now. Every FCPS high school has finals.

DD’s school has finals, but several of her classes do not. Finals for 3 of the classes are before the AP exams, so done by the end of April.

You’re not in FCPS then. Finals are not done in April. Name the school.

Sorry - facts. DC has one final exam now and one next week even. Some classes will have exams the traditional last week still, but there are definitely AP and DE classes with final exams now.

Western FCPS HS.

Are you sure the AP ones actually count as the end of the year finals? Maybe it’s just a review final of all the material.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school calendar has underclassmen final exams scheduled on the last two days of school. This seems odd given the half days and that seniors in the same classes would have graduated and been done by then. Do any teachers know if this is accurate? In the past, the grades always seemed to be due prior to the last week.

You’re thinking of elementary school and possibly middle school then. High school has always worked this way. The exam is part of the final grade so grades cannot be due before the final exams. And final exams have always been scheduled up until the last day. So no leaving early for vacation this year. Sorry.

Our high school did not have any testing the last week of school last year. Kids just did fun end of school stuff. Well deserved after all the AP exams and SOLs.

Which school? Every school I’ve worked at had finals, a project or presentation of some sort during final exam week. That sounds like a waste of time and asking students to skip in HS. - teacher

I’m sure this is a troll now. Every FCPS high school has finals.

DD’s school has finals, but several of her classes do not. Finals for 3 of the classes are before the AP exams, so done by the end of April.

You’re not in FCPS then. Finals are not done in April. Name the school.

Sorry - facts. DC has one final exam now and one next week even. Some classes will have exams the traditional last week still, but there are definitely AP and DE classes with final exams now.

Western FCPS HS.

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Anonymous wrote:Seniors at Oakton are exempt from finals if they do the internship which runs May 13-22. After that is the 5 day weekend, presentations for the internship, and then grad rehearsals and honors stuff. Graduation is June 3. So basically Freshmen-Juniors have a month more of school than the seniors.

What is the internship?

Each student has to set up their own internship. Whatever they want, unpaid.

An internship that only runs 9 days? I don’t get it. How on earth do they get one?

It's just fancy volunteer hours and/or working for a family/friend business. "intern" at the animal shelter where you've walked dogs for years. "Intern" at mom's restaurant as a server where you are already working anyway. "Intern" at uncle Joe's accounting office shadowing him for the week.

For a kid with no family connections, they don't really exist.

So typical white privilege then. That’s Oakton for you.

Our high school gives senior exams early but we must give a final exam or have a final “culminating” project to everyone else during the final week of school. This has been true for years. No one would come to high school for movies and games. This is not something new.

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Anonymous wrote:Seniors at Oakton are exempt from finals if they do the internship which runs May 13-22. After that is the 5 day weekend, presentations for the internship, and then grad rehearsals and honors stuff. Graduation is June 3. So basically Freshmen-Juniors have a month more of school than the seniors.

What is the internship?

Each student has to set up their own internship. Whatever they want, unpaid.

An internship that only runs 9 days? I don’t get it. How on earth do they get one?

It's just fancy volunteer hours and/or working for a family/friend business. "intern" at the animal shelter where you've walked dogs for years. "Intern" at mom's restaurant as a server where you are already working anyway. "Intern" at uncle Joe's accounting office shadowing him for the week.

For a kid with no family connections, they don't really exist.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seniors at Oakton are exempt from finals if they do the internship which runs May 13-22. After that is the 5 day weekend, presentations for the internship, and then grad rehearsals and honors stuff. Graduation is June 3. So basically Freshmen-Juniors have a month more of school than the seniors.

What is the internship?

Each student has to set up their own internship. Whatever they want, unpaid.

An internship that only runs 9 days? I don’t get it. How on earth do they get one?

agree it is weird. my son said "I don't work for free" and went to school and did nothing that whole time, besides maybe one or 2 finals. My other kid set one up with an outside extracurricular group that she was involved with and was in with the owner so could set up something. I know a neighbor kid worked at Meadowlark gardens for hers and another that went to a middle school theater program and did some stuff.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Seniors at Oakton are exempt from finals if they do the internship which runs May 13-22. After that is the 5 day weekend, presentations for the internship, and then grad rehearsals and honors stuff. Graduation is June 3. So basically Freshmen-Juniors have a month more of school than the seniors.

What is the internship?

Each student has to set up their own internship. Whatever they want, unpaid.

An internship that only runs 9 days? I don’t get it. How on earth do they get one?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seniors at Oakton are exempt from finals if they do the internship which runs May 13-22. After that is the 5 day weekend, presentations for the internship, and then grad rehearsals and honors stuff. Graduation is June 3. So basically Freshmen-Juniors have a month more of school than the seniors.

What is the internship?

Each student has to set up their own internship. Whatever they want, unpaid.

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Anonymous wrote:Most finals at Oakton are in April. Then AP or SOL exams. Some “finals” the last week of school are only to pull up a grade. I do think it’s a failure to not convey final exams are administered that last week of school which has historically been all fun and games. It’s a big shift in what was traditionally a fluff week. Last year teachers said their grades were already done a week earlier.

Wow! Shame on Oakton HS. My kids are at Chantilly, and I've taught at 3 other HSs in FCPS. We/they always had finals (or sometimes projects due) during the scheduled final exam half days.

It’s not that serious. Finishing up the syllabus a week ahead of time is responsible and good time management.

My guess is that Oakton is actually doing less than other schools. Sure, they might be "finishing up the syllabis." But they are certainly skipping out on additional learning/extensions/applications/projects that other high schools are including in their curriculum.

You really think having 2-3 two hour days translates to so much more learning and extensions? Most AP students at Oakton have weekly tests and quizzes and loads of homework. Not sure why you think otherwise. DC has been working hard non stop since August and they still have a lot of work ahead.