MCPS Assessment Strategy and Final Exams

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How is the calculation of semester grades changing?

As a result of the changes to semester exams and implementation of new quarterly assessments, there also will be changes to the way a semester grade is calculated in high school courses. MCPS staff gathered extensive feedback from school and community stakeholders, including colleges and universities, and examined the grading practices of various school districts in deciding how grades will be calculated going forward. MCPS will continue to use a letter grade system and calculate the semester grade as follows, effective in the 2016–2017 school year:

Marking Period Assessments

  • In certain courses, standardized marking period assessments will be given once each quarter and weighted 10% of each marking period grade. This will be calculated into the letter grade for the marking period. This only applies to courses that previously had a countywide final exam in English, mathematics, science, social studies, world languages, and technology.
  • In these courses, a separate grading category will be visible online, for students and parents to view results of marking period assessments during the semester.
  • Based on interest and feedback from stakeholders, the assessments will be allowed to go home with students after the assessment is given, which was not permitted with the current final exams.

Semester Grade Calculation

  • The separate final exam grade on the student report card will be removed going forward.
  • Similar to current semester grade calculations for courses in which there is no final exam, the semester grade will be calculated using the letter grades from each marking period.
  • For all high school courses, the semester grade will be calculated by averaging the letter grade for each marking period, using a “quality point” assignment (A = 4, B =3, C = 2, D = 1, E = 0).
  • The new semester grade calculation for high school courses uses the same quality point calculation that is currently being used in middle school courses and in summer school. At the secondary level, alignment of grading guidelines will bring more consistency to student grades in the district.
  • The MCPS grading calculation tables will remain nearly the same, except in a few situations where the average replaces the practice of assigning grades based on a downward trend. An updated grading table follows.

REVISED GRADING TABLE

Letters indicate MP1 MP2 = Semester Grade

AA = A / BA = A / CA = B / DA = B / EA = C
AB = A* / BB = B / CB = B / DB = C / EB = C
AC = B / BC = B* / CC = C / DC = C / EC = D
AD = B* / BD = C / CD = C* / DD = D / ED = D
AE = C / BE = C* / CE = D / DE = E / EE = E
MP1—Grade for first marking period of the semester; MP2—Grade for second marking period of the semester All calculations in the table above are the same as the current high school grading table, except where marked with *

This new grading calculation aligns with standards-based approaches to assessment and college expectations and provides a grading structure that is fair, consistent, and understandable for students and parents.

  1. Does the new grading calculation inflate grades?

The change in semester grade calculation is based on extensive feedback from school and community stakeholders. There was near-universal agreement about removing the downward trend of the current grading system (for example, AB=B). Grading calculations vary widely among school districts in the United States and there is no perfect or preferred method of grade calculation. Eliminating the practice of using a downward trend to calculate semester grades in favor of quality point averaging provides an approach that is fair, consistent, and understandable to students and parents. It should be noted that the quality point average is used in other school districts and also is currently used in MCPS to calculate final grades in middle school courses.

By using the quality point average and equally weighting each marking period grade, the majority of MCPS semester grade calculations remain exactly the same as the previous grading table, resulting in limited changes to current practice. By calculating the average as opposed to trend, the result is a rounding up in limited cases (AB = 3.5 = A and BA = 3.5=A).

It is also important to note that in high school courses that previously had a countywide exam, standardized quarterly assessments will count for a required 10% of each marking period grade, providing greater consistency throughout the district to student grades during a marking period. Regardless of the specific grading system used, colleges note that the centralized nature of the MCPS curriculum and assessment program will continue to provide students with the competitive edge for college admission and rigorous preparation for success in college and careers.

  1. Why are two-hour final exams being replaced with marking period assessments?

By replacing end-of-semester two-hour final exams with marking period assessments, we will better serve our students by increasing instructional time, using formative assessment data throughout the school year to inform instruction, allowing students to receive timely supports and interventions, and providing students with more frequent and varied measures to demonstrate learning. Our goal is to use our assessments to measure what our students are and are not learning so that teachers can adjust and improve instruction to make sure every student understands and masters the material.

It also is important to note that over the past two years, students, parents, teachers, principals, the Board of Education, and community members have voiced strong concerns about the amount of testing in all grade levels and the need to increase instructional time. This plan restores more than two weeks of instruction used for the final exam schedule each year.

Centrally developed marking period assessments will be given quarterly in each course that currently has a districtwide exam and count for 10 percent of a student's marking period grade, consistently across the district. The assessments will measure cumulative content knowledge and skills that build over the course of an instructional unit, marking period, or semester. These assessments are currently in development through central office, with the support of over 100 teachers who are currently developing the new assessments in all courses that previously had a districtwide exam.

This assessment strategy ensures that students are taking assessments during the marking period that are meaningful, rigorous, available to students and parents, and tied more closely to the instructional cycle to improve student learning. For more information on the assessment strategy, see the memorandum from Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers about replacement of two-hour semester exams.

  1. What is the timeline for implementation?

2015-2016

  • Eliminate two-hour middle school exams in middle school courses
  • Eliminate two-hour high school exams in PARCC and High School Assessment (HSA) courses beginning second semester 2015-16 (English 10, Algebra 1, Government, Biology); traditional high school final exam schedule remains in place
  • "Half day" exam schedule remains

2016-2017

  • Eliminate two-hour semester exams in all high school courses, to be replaced by centrally developed marking period assessments. High school final exam "half day" schedule eliminated; classes continue on a full-day schedule.
  1. What are quarterly or marking period assessments?

In place of a series of two-hour multiple choice/short answer exams in core courses at the very end of the semester, marking period assessments will be given quarterly in each course that currently has a districtwide exam. These quarterly assessments will be administered, scored, and graded consistently by course across the school district, and student performance on these assessments will be monitored by teachers, schools, and central office, in order to ensure timely support. Like in college, marking period assessments will be content-specific and vary in format, to include cumulative tests, projects, or other common tasks similar to what is already included in the curriculum. The assessments will measure cumulative content knowledge and skills that build over the course of the semester or school year. More than 100 teachers are currently working with central services staff to develop the new marking period assessments in all courses that previously had a districtwide exam. Our teachers’ expertise, firsthand curriculum experience, and insight are invaluable to developing assessments that are of high quality, embedded in instruction, and expected to deliver the information needed to provide timely support to schools and students. Assessments are being piloted this spring, along with testing of data systems to ensure that the new assessments and technology are ready for next school year.

This assessment strategy also seeks to ensure that students are taking assessments during the marking period that are meaningful, rigorous, available to students and parents, and tied more closely to the instructional cycle to improve student learning.

  1. How are teachers being included in this plan?

Teachers are playing a significant role in ensuring that new marking period assessments are ready for next school year. More than 100 teachers are currently working with central services staff to develop the new marking period assessments in all courses that previously had a districtwide exam. Every high school and a majority of middle schools are represented across the assessment teams, which also include special education teachers and English for Speakers of Other Languages teachers. Our teachers’ expertise, firsthand curriculum experience, and insight are invaluable to developing assessments that are of high quality, embedded in instruction, and expected to deliver the information needed to provide timely support to schools and students. Assessments are being piloted this spring, along with testing of data systems to ensure that the new assessments and technology are ready for next school year.

  1. How does this increase instructional time?

Currently, two-hour high school final exams are administered during half-day schedules (one week each semester), in which students take 2 two-hour exams in the morning and are released to go home in the middle of the day. As a result, students and teachers will regain more than two weeks of instructional time that were previously used for half-day exam schedules, in addition to review time and make-up testing.

  1. How does this help teachers, students, and parents?

In the past, students would take a two-hour exam at the end of the semester in their class and not have the opportunity to receive feedback from the teacher regarding their performance. Students would often learn about their exam performance by letter grade on a report card, when the report card was distributed. Teachers would not be able to use the assessment information in actionable ways to support student learning. Parents and students did not routinely have an opportunity to review the performance on the exam, without making a formal request to the school and making an appointment to review the exam with the teacher weeks later. With marking period assessments given during a unit of instruction, teachers will be able to use the assessment information to help with instruction the next day or the next week, and provide students with immediate feedback to support their learning. Specific feedback on these assessments will also go home for parents to see and to facilitate communication with the teacher.

  1. Does this increase the workload on students or teachers?

Required formative, quarterly, and common assessments, which teachers are currently grading, are already built into the curriculum in most of the courses that have final exams. The marking period assessments will not be an add-on, but part of the curriculum and authentic instructional cycle.

  1. Will students be prepared for college?

Absolutely. It is essential that this assessment strategy evolves to ensure that students are taking assessments during the marking period that are meaningful, rigorous, available to students and parents, and tied more closely to the instructional cycle to improve student learning. This approach also aligns with current practices in higher education, where students in college are asked to apply cumulative learning through multiple measures such as tests, papers, research, and projects.

It is important to note that students take many multiple-hour, college-level exams throughout their school careers, beginning in 3rd grade through high school. High school exams include Advanced Placement (AP) exams; International Baccalaureate (IB) exams; PSAT; SAT; ACT; and ACCUPLACER, among others. Students also will take PARCC or HSA tests in certain grade levels and core courses. Each subject area PARCC test takes about four hours over two days to administer.

In addition, like final exams, marking period assessments will continue to measure cumulative student learning over time and mirror what students might experience in college and the real world. Marking period assessments will be fully aligned to state and national measures.

  1. If MCPS wants to reduce the testing load on students, then why not eliminate PARCC exams or High School Assessments instead?

Federal and state mandates require that standardized assessments such as the PARCC and HSA exams continue for accountability purposes. The Maryland State Department of Education has requested that school districts review their local assessment programs to find ways to reduce testing and increase instructional time. For MCPS, the two-hour semester exams offer the best opportunity to reduce the testing burden and regain more than two weeks of instructional time during the school year.

  1. Are other school districts eliminating final exams?

Yes. Because of the concerns of educators, parents, and students, school districts across the United States are taking steps to reduce the number and amount of assessments. Local school boards in Loudoun County and Anne Arundel County have taken recent actions to eliminate semester final exams. Several other school districts offer teacher-developed final exams, not centrally developed finals.

Trends in higher education also reflect a growing movement toward project-based assessments, research projects, or other alternative cumulative assessments that take varied forms other than multiple choice and short answer tests. It has become common practice in colleges and universities for professors to assign projects, research papers, or other assessments as alternatives to traditional final exams.

This approach aligns with a recent Council of the Great City Schools report, Student Testing in America's Great City Schools: An Inventory and Preliminary Analysis, and the Obama administration recommendations to reduce the amount of state and local testing. The Obama Administration Action Plan calls for "fewer and smarter" assessments that are "worth taking, high quality, time limited, fair measures, fully transparent to students and parents, just one of multiple measures, and tied to improved learning." The governor of Maryland recently convened a work group to review state and local assessment programs with the goal of increasing instructional time and reducing the amount of student testing.