Florida Math End of Course Exams Don't Count This Year

Tampa Bay area high school students who have been sweating over their mathematics end of course exams are getting a little breathing room courtesy of the state.

The Florida Department of Education informed school districts statewide earlier this week that end of course exams (EOCs) should not be calculated as 30 percent of students’ final grades in Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. That means students with regular coursework and exam grades that add up to passing marks can be promoted without consideration of the 30 percent weight state law normally demands for EOCs.

While that means students will know whether they passed or not long before the September time frame the state anticipated for finalizing results of its new testing procedures, there are some things parents need to know.

According to Pasco County Schools spokeswoman Linda Cobbe, the rule change for Algebra I only applies to the Florida Standards Assessment EOC and not Next Generation State Standards tests. In addition, all Algebra I students still need to pass an EOC in order to graduate. Where exactly that leaves students who took this year’s new FSA Algebra I EOC remains to be seen.

See Also:

• Watch: 4th-Grader Schools Board on Standardized Tests
• State Needs to ‘Step Back’ on New Assessments, Pasco Superintendent Says

While kids received an EOC reprieve for their final math grades, other EOCs still count toward final grades in certain subjects.

“EOCs in Biology, Civics, and U.S. History will be calculated in final grades because these results are not impacted by the independent verification study and student results will be released in June,” a message from the Pasco school district to principals stated.

Overall, the state’s decision to forgo placing so much weight on math EOCs is good news, Pasco officials say.

“We are pleased with this decision from the state, because we advocated for this in order to give our schools more flexibility in decision making during this transition year,” the letter to principals stated.

What are your thoughts on this? Should the EOCs count? Should they carry as much weight as they normally do? Share your opinions by commenting below!

Image via Shutterstock

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