End-Of-Course Testing Weight Goes Down

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Mr. Miller’s English II students complete an assignment in the media center. The English II students work hard throughout the semester, so they are prepared for the EOC.

When end-of-course exams come around, underclassmen are eager to get them over with. But this year, the pressures of exam season may not be so daunting, as the weight has been changed from 25 to 20%.

This year, the state decided to change the weight of the end-of-course exams, which are state-made, affecting Math I, Biology, and English II.

Many classes are going back to NC Final Exams — all English classes, most core social studies, math and science classes, are already on the 20% scale. “Compared to other classes, 25% seems like a lot,” said Kelley Collins, Leesville Biology teacher.

Students stress over exams all semester and some spend hours studying for the EOC — the test they feel impacts their grade the most. “In my opinion 25% for one test seems like too much. It puts a lot of pressure on students, even the ones who do really well in the class. Students can study for hours, yet some of them still don’t succeed on the exam,” said Jessie Frank, a sophomore taking English II this semester.

Students often stress over exams, feeling their whole grade can be affected by one test. “Since the percentage went down, I think students will do better because they put their attention on the whole semester rather than just one test,” said Frank.

Compared to students, teachers aren’t affected by the change “I think [the change] is more helpful to students. The change doesn’t affect the way I teach, but I think it will take pressure off students for how important the EOC is,” said Christine Dobbin, Leesville Biology teacher.

Both students and teachers agree: The change will benefit grades and relieve some of the pressure that students put on themselves.

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