End of Course Tests (EOCs) have been around for a few years. EOCs were not always been mandated for every public school, well that was until 2009-2010 when the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) came along (Haynie 1).These tests are a dreaded topic to most public school students in various states, especially those in North Carolina. The tests are especially horrible for a student at Middle Creek High School. Well at least they are in my opinion. In the beginning the tests were used to make sure students learned the required material throughout the school year. Nevertheless, after the NCDPI stepped in giving EOCs for eight classes taken in high school (Haynie 1). These tests are given at the end of each of the eight courses to see how well the students master each subject (Haynie 1). This was their intended purpose but they did not end up that way. The tests became transformed into a way to determine the graduation eligibility of a student. Nevertheless, EOCs do not challenge the students; they are merely an attempt for the school recognition due to high-test scores. EOCs do not need to be gotten rid of but modified because they have problems like any other test. The tests do not challenge the students because they lack rigor, are not fair to students on each academic level, and are a waste of money. Each class taught in a public high school should have rigor. This should be especially true in the eight classes that require an EOC. Rigor is something that is challenging and that allows the student to think critically. Having the students think critically will allow them to master the subject instead of memorizing the information to pass a test. Memorizing information does not benefit the student; they are on... ... middle of paper ... ...ther these tests are beneficial or not. Works Cited Haynie, Glenda. “End-of-Course (EOC) Multiple-Choice Test Results.” Measuring Up: Evaluation and Research Department. E&R Report 10.21 (Feb 2011): 1-3. Print. "Helping Children Overcome Test Anxiety." American School Counselor Association. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. Olson, Lynn. “States Turn to End-of-Course Tests To Bolster High School Curriculum.” Education Week (June 6, 2001). Print. "Performance of Students in Each course on the ABCs End-of-Course Tests." 2009-2010. Education First NC School Report Cards. Web. 20 Feb. 2011. “Performance of Each Student Group on the ABCs End-of-Course Tests.” 2009-2010. Education First NC School Report Cards. Web. 20 Feb. 2011. "States Continue Move to End-of-Course Exams”. FairTest. The National Center for Fair & Open Testing. FairTest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
Education." Midwest Quarterly 44, no. 2 (Winter2003 2003): 211. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 11, 2014).
Since this test has been devised, the number one question everybody is asking is, “ isn’t it unfair to base a student’s entire future on one test, when he or she simply could have had a bad day when taking the test”? The president Kirk T. Schroder of the Virginia Board of Education, answer this question by saying, “First of all, these tests are untimed, so no student is under arbitrary time pressure in taking the test.
Miltich, Matthew. "Standardized Testing and Assessment Do Not Improve Education." Education: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 2005. 151-54. Print.
The high school exit exam is outdated and does not reflect California’s new, more rigorous academic standards that emphasize skills needed to succeed in college and careers in the 21st century.” When interviewed, Torlakson was quick to point out that in January 2013, he had recommended a number of alternatives to the exam in a 176 page report to the Governor and State Legislature. Those alternatives included using the results of the eleventh grade Smarter Balanced Assessments; using results of other exams, such as the SAT, ACT or Advanced Placement tests, as a “proxy” for the exit exam; or using course completion in high school as a measure of proficiency. When asked if the exit exam was now abolished, Superintendent Torlakson hesitated, but explained that he, along with Mark McLean, CDE Assessment Development and Administration Division Director, look forward to forming a panel of students, parents, teachers, and education administrators to develop a more thoughtful approach to high school graduation requirements. This task force will have three years to review current procedures and determine if a new test should be developed. The final report will be presented to the Governor for approval. Personal interviews with a small number of random California teachers, students, and parents confirmed what Superintendent Torlakson stated in his interview, “The CASHEE is no longer relevant and California needs to continue to find effective ways to achieve college and career readiness for all students.” Whether the exit exam reappears in a new format or not, students, teachers, parents and CDE administrators interviewed agree that exams are only effective when support is provided to help struggling students eventually
Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved April 19, 2019. From: https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSOC120.10.2.
The ASCA National Model. (n.d.). Newport News Public Schools. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/guidance/document
2. Testing and Grade Retention. Retrieved October 24, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.fairtest.org/arn/retenfct.htm
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Olson, Lynn. "In More States, It's Now ACT Or SAT For All. (Cover Story)." Education Week
Kohn, Alfie. The Case Against Standardized Testing: Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools. Portsmouth NH: Heinemann 2000.
Once students took a national assessment, which was not created by their state, many did not reach the level that was considered college and career ready. This was because different states, or more specifically different people, believed a knowledge of specific skills was significant in preparing a child for life after high school while others believed alternative skills were important in that preparation. Using nationwide assessments, namely the ACT or the SAT, to measure one’s preparedness for attending college or a specific career geared school may not produce the most accurate results for all; however for the sake of this essay, let it be assumed that using national assessments is the most accurate method at this time. Looking to the recent results of the nationwide evaluation, it is clear that something needed to be done. When there is a problem, it is in man’s nature to want to fix it, which is where David Coleman, Gene
Exit Exams are an unfair way of determining whether a student should or should not receive his or her diploma. Most students work very hard throughout high school to receive good grades. This should be enough to determine whether a student should pass high school. There are many intelligent students which do not have good test taking skills, exit exams keep many good students from graduating and teachers have to narrow their lesson plans for these types of exit exams. These are all good reasons why exit exams should not be required in graduating from high school.
In classrooms all across America, students sit perched over their desks in the process of taking standardized tests. As the students take the tests, teachers pace nervously up and down the rows of their classroom, hoping and praying that their students can recall the information which they have presented. Some children sit relaxed at their desks, calmly filling in the bubbles and answering essay questions. These children are well prepared and equipped to handle their tests. Other children, however, sit hunched over their desks, pondering over questions, trying to guess an answer. They struggle to recall information that has been covered many times in class, but they can’t.
Assessments were not aligned and incongruent with what was happening in the classroom. It was difficult to accurately measure student success (Polikoff, Porter, & Smithson, 2011). One of the greatest contributors to the difficulty of aligning assessments to standards is that the standards are so complex (LaMarca, 2001.) How can a single assessment demonstrate mastery of so much content? Also, some assessments items measure multiple standards. This can be difficult to analyze. Furthermore, some assessment contain content that is neither developmentally appropriate for the intended audience or it may content that is not mentioned in the standards (Polikoff, Porter, & Smithson, 2011). This can be discouraging and frustrating for both students and