FINAL EXAMS WILL BE MANDATED FOR REST OF SCHOOL YEAR

By Saber Hanington 1/6/2022

Principal Silsby confirmed that for the first time since the spring 2020 final exams will be mandated for semester classes as well as midterms for Advanced Placement classes.

Cony High School has not held final or midterm exams since the beginning of its hybrid program, which was implemented in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Administration thought it would be unfair to press high-stakes tests on students who were only in school part-time.

Now that students are back in school full-time, department heads and other staff say it's both fair and important that students take these heavily weighted exams, said several teachers including Mrs. Rodrigue and Mr. Lippert.

One of the key reasons to bring back the exams is to address the faculty’s worry for seniors; it is believed that the Class of 2022 needs more experience with high-stakes tests, Silsby said.

“In college, most students definitely face finals, and it’s not uncommon for grades to be determined by very few high-stakes tests during the semester, so this sort of experience can help them be better prepared for what they’ll face,” said Mrs. Rodrigue, the head of the English department.

In prior years, seniors who had a class grade of 85 or above weren't required to take a final or midterm exam, but this year, all students are required to take the exams regardless of grades, said Ms. Richardson, the head of guidance.

The decision to mandate final and midterm exams was briefly discussed at a recent department head meeting, but details had not been finalized at that time. Students and staff can expect that final exams will take place again sometime in January 2022.