A new exam policy has come into play in the 25-26 school year to help improve Green Level as a school. Previously, all students were required to take an exam for every class at the end of the semester. However, starting this year, all grades can be exempt from teacher-made exams as long as they follow a certain criterion. They must have a minimum of a B in the class and fewer than 10 absences and 10 tardies.
Prior to this year, only seniors could be exempt from teacher-made exams. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors have always been required to take teacher-made and state-made exams. Exams used to be worth 20% of your grade, and the other 80% was made up of your 2 quarters in the class.
The new policy benefits students who have test anxiety. This can also encourage students to be present more in their classes and on time for them, considering they can’t have more than 10 absences/tardies.
Freshman Maddie Dziminski discussed how the new policy will benefit her. She says she likes it because it gives her and others who struggle with test-taking the opportunity to keep a good grade. She thinks it’s nice that she won’t have to take any of the teacher-made exams coming in as a freshman.
On the other hand, Dziminski says, “It isn’t fair for the seniors who have waited 3 years for this privilege, and now everyone has the same freedom as them.”
Now, coming from a senior, Lainey Beamish says that it is not fair that freshmen can just walk in and skip the exams. She says that she wishes she could go back and not have to go through the stress that exams brought.
Beamish explains, “Exam taking is a rite of passage when it comes to high school.”
However, from a teacher or administrator’s perspective, this new policy is intended to promote attendance. Some may argue that this requires less stress towards the end of each semester and if the students follow the rules they will not have to prepare for a final exam.
“I want to make sure my students are gaining knowledge throughout the whole semester and are able to show what they know.” Ms. Elam, math teacher, said, “I spoke with another teacher and she had given me a different perspective on how it could help students with test anxiety.”
Some see exams as a way for students to show what they know by the end of each semester. Without finals, students may lack on some of their work and start to care less about the material they are learning especially during the end of a semester.
On the other hand, some students could use this new rule to stay on track with their work. If you know you have the opportunity to be exempt from finals you may push yourself throughout the whole semester. It gives students a set goal.
This new policy is being enforced throughout all of Wake County. It has created a lot of commotion, positive and negative. While it may relieve stress for underclassmen and reward good attendance, it also causes frustration among seniors who feel like their hard-earned privilege has been given away.
This change highlights a bigger question about fairness- should schools value tradition and seniority or focus on making school less stressful for all students? For now, it’s clear that Green Level’s exam policy is reshaping students’ views on responsibility, privilege, and academic success.
