LOTS111 - Thoughts About EOC Exam?

We Introduced ourselves with our goofy question: You have your own late night talk show, who would you want to be your band leader?

Tanea: Nyaze - my musical buddy from college

Ryan: Hands down, Tim Blais from A Capella Science. He is a musical genius.

Lee: real talk, I’d want Ryan Reardon to be my bandleader.

Aaron: Jazz Saxaphonist Grace Kelly

Define end of course exams: Wikipedia says “The End of Course Test is an academic assessment conducted in many states by the State Board of Education.” I consider AP Exams, SAT Subject area tests to be EOC exams as well. Other Examples?

What are the advantages of End-Of-Course Exams for your students?

Ryan: It is a way to demonstrate mastery on an assessment common across multiple classrooms, so that student results can be compared

Lee: At the AP and IB level, it is an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the skills and knowledge gained from participating in the course all year long. They can demonstrate that they are potentially ready for university level work.

Tanea: They look competitive, and can show they are likely prepared for college.

Aaron: Could be a confidence builder… particularly if they have struggled and then demonstrate success. In very competitive schools, they can also build confidence for students that think of themselves as “average”

Thinking about our lens of inequity, what are the issues with End-Of-Course Exams for your students? Other concerns?

Lee: in a normal year, the pace is such that we end up teaching to a test rather than teaching kids to really love the scientific process. There seems to be a focus more on test taking skills rather than scientific thinking skills.

Ryan: EOCs do not take into consideration local factors such as socioeconomic status, access to resources, special education services, etc. Additionally, measurement using an exam precludes performance standards, which are key for a well-rounded science education

Tanea: The schedule doesn’t allow the time for students to really enjoy the science, and it becomes more about memorization and getting into a good school.

Aaron: In an academic culture dominated by fixed mindset thinking, EOCs can be used to limit a student’s options. Students define themselves as being either good at something or bad at something. If they perceive themselves as bad at science, they won’t take an AP science course. If they do poorly in an AP Science course, they then label themselves bad at science.

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