While students prepare for end-of-semester grades each year, some are able to scrape by in classes without taking final exams.
In Williamsburg-James City County schools, there has been a version of exam exemption policies in place since 1974, said Assistant Superintendent Cathy Worley.
Originally in both York County and WJCC schools, the exam exemption policies were only available to seniors under certain guidelines such as class grade and attendance. But as the Virginia Department of Education connected standardized testing to higher standards for state accreditation, the policy changed in 2002 to create an incentive for students to pass their Standards of Learning tests.
In the past, the district’s exemption policy states students of any grade that pass the SOL assessment will be exempt from the exam that correlates to that course.
On the VDOE website, it is clear the SOL tests are created on a minimum level of educational assessment.
“The SOL test is designed to demonstrate mastery of the subject and while they say it’s a minimum standard I wouldn’t say it’s a minimum passing rate,” said Katherine Goff, spokeswoman for York County Public Schools.
In York County, the exam policy changed in October 2018 because of state changes in SOL practices.
Previously, students earning an advanced diploma in Virginia had to earn nine certified course credits, which meant taking nine SOL tests.
Now, however, the state has reduced that to five tests in an effort to place more significance on skill-based assessment rather than multiple choice tests, Goff said.
Seniors still maintain the same exemption policy, however. In York County and WJCC, seniors can be excused from exams after meeting a few requirements such as a limited number of unexcused absences and grade in the class, according to WJCC’s website and Goff.
Tony Valdu, director of secondary instruction for the district, said the logic behind this is to reward seniors by gradually teaching responsibility for attendance and good classroom citizenship.
Now, for younger students, the policy has changed. While students can still be exempt from taking exams in courses with required SOLs, the number has lessened. Once a student has taken the required limit, they can no longer use SOL courses or tests to make them exempt from end-of-term exams, according to the district’s website.
As a result, York County students are learning more than how to simply past a test on paper.
York County has already been implementing that ideal as part of their strategic planning process by opportunities through the new mentor and internship program that give students real-life skills.
“They are now demonstrating the skill that is something that will be more beneficial in some cases that a one time test,” Goff said. “I think (VDOE) is encouraging schools to take a more authentic look at assessment by tailoring it this way.”
Valdu said this also helps prevent against over testing the students. When there are less standardized tests a student has to take, they then take the exam or equivalent of a final assessment.
That doesn’t necessarily mean a multiple choice test. For some classes, it might mean a final project or some other way to determine the culmination of skills for the course.
“A multiple choice test is good to measure what students knew, but not what they’re about to transfer to the real world,” Valdu said.
