When the horse dies . . . dismount!
Okay, I won’t beat the High School Manifesto dead horse anymore 
!
My New Horse: Assessment
Yesterday I was doing some work with the division’s assessment committee. One of the articles, by Ken O’Conner, made a point that made me go hmmm. The scenario goes like this . . . a student says, “I have to get a B on the final to pass this course.” But does that make sense? If a final examination is truly comprehensive and the students’ scores accurately reflect what they have learned, should a B level of performance on the final translate to a D for the course grade?
I agree that a student should be able to improve their mark by performing well on a final exam. The part that I am unsure about is what does this mean for classes that have a major component of their grade that comes from a major assignment – like a research essay for example? Maybe that begs the question–need there be a final exam in such an instance?
May 11th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
We continue emphasize the need for varied assessments. Most courses of study require students to attain and master a varied skill set. I think in many cases it’s difficult to devise a final assessment that accurately captures all the varied learning that should have occured over a semester or year.
For example in P.E., students are required to develop skills and understandings in a number of areas. How can a final exam, even performance based assess all that has been learned?
I have a hard time believing that traditional 2 hour final exams accurately assess learning in most cases. Some but not most.
BTW, the discussion at this meeting should have been recorded. I’m truly impressed by the thoughtful arguments made from many perspectives based on research and not simply out of a need to maintain status quo. It is clear that those involved are truly trying to do what’s best for kids. Kudos.