Midterm Exams on Hiatus

Masterman’s Teacher’s Committee serves as a union body that meets with the Principal about working conditions. Principal Laurie noted that “this can include areas like the bell schedule, the number of prep periods each teacher gets, and parking.” Most of the issues presented are largely logistical and mechanical, and do not address curriculum or instruction. To fill this gap, Principal Laurie formed a new body—known as the Instructional Cabinet—focused solely on instruction, to understand what makes Masterman academically successful and to identify where improvements can be made. Introduced to the Masterman community via a school-wide email on November 6th, 2024, the newly formed Instructional Cabinet is “a team dedicated to fostering collaboration and supporting instructional excellence across all grade levels and subjects.” The email outlined that the team “will work together to guide curriculum, enhance student learning, and strengthen our school community.” 

The cabinet serves as an attempt to provide clarity and transparency around decision making. For the first time, this interdisciplinary forum allows representatives from each department (science, math, english, etc.) and three administrators to engage in a dialogue and share their ideas. Principal Laurie noted, “I take all of that as guidance before ultimately making decisions, informed by discussion and shared input.”

One of the recent discussions centered around midterms. Historically, Masterman has had midterms and finals every year, with recent changes in the structure over the past couple years due to COVID. 

In an early meeting this year, one member of the cabinet suggested a return to the school-wide midterms structure. Principal Laurie explained that the cabinet was initially a proponent of the midterms proposal, and designed a plan that included a two week block in the academic calendar near the end of the second quarter. The team decided no new work would be assigned during these weeks. The first week would be preparation week, dedicated to review, while the second week would be blocked for midterm exams. This proposal was sent to each department for feedback. 

The proposal was met with mixed reviews. Principal Laurie commented, “Some departments were like, ‘yes, we are ready to go.’ Some departments were like, ‘hold on, we have questions.’” Broadly, staff members felt there wasn’t enough time to plan for midterms effectively. Additionally, losing two weeks in January could lead to classes falling behind in the curriculum. For many AP courses, the class content has a set structure from September to May, which would be impacted by the proposed midterms schedule. The cabinet also recognized the stress that the exams cause across the student body, since students have to study for multiple exams and each carries a lot of weight towards a student’s final grade. 

However, many staff members highlighted that midterm and final exams prepare students for high stakes exams in college. For AP classes specifically, many teachers noted the importance of mirroring the experience of the AP exam in a midterm to give students an opportunity to practice. 

After weighing various options and teacher voices, Principal Laurie and the cabinet decided that due to insufficient planning time, there will not be midterms this academic year; however, for AP classes, there will be opportunities to replicate and practice the structure of the actual AP exam without having significant impacts on final grades. Consensus around the value of midterm and final exams led to the decision to have finals at the end of this academic school year. Moreover, with more time to plan, the 2025-26 school year will feature midterm and final exams built into the schedule.