THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2008
Timing of Final Exam Irks Students
Numerous Township High School Dist. 211 students are upset about a district policy that could block them from receiving their diplomas this June.
The policy requires all seniors to take a final exam if they did not pass the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) that was taken when they were juniors. Prior graduating classes had the choice of either taking a final exam or accepting a final grade without taking the exam.
Students at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates are upset because the final exam is scheduled for after their June 1 graduation, meaning those students will be unable to receive their diplomas on graduation day.
According to Community Relations Coordinator for High School Dist. 211 Tom Petersen, due to the "inconsistency" with scoring on the PSAE over the years, Supt. Dr. Roger Thornton and the administration will review this issue, and will make a report to the board at its Thursday, May 15 board of education meeting.
Final exam dates could be changed to allow those specific students to receive their diplomas at graduation, officials said.
According to district policy, all students are required to take final examinations. Seniors may qualify for an exemption from their last semester final exams in all courses, excluding English, math, and/or science, if the student:
* has at least a C average in the course;
* has fewer than six absences from the class;
* has never been truant from the class;
* has never been suspended from the class; and
* is not incomplete on assignments required by the teacher.
Seniors may qualify for an exemption from their last semester final exam in English, math, and/or science if the student meets all of the above criteria plus meeting or exceeding standards on the PSAE in the corresponding core academic area.
Seniors who are not exempt from last semester final exams will take their tests at the regularly scheduled times for semester examinations.
The PSAE is an assessment that is given to juniors throughout the state of Illinois. It measures the performance of juniors on the Illinois Learning Standards for reading, writing, mathematics, and social science.