[Counselors] Semester Test exemption

Wed Jan 11 11:20:37 CST 2017

We did away with our semester test exemption this year, due to the fact those days have to be counted against the students.  It hasn’t increased our absences.  Pretty much the students with chronic absences last year were the same ones who had them again this year.

Mattie McClenny
Hugo High School

We also do the semester test exemptions.  Our policy is as follows:

"Exemptions for final exams are based on attendance, grades, and discipline records.  All parent excused, unexcused, and documented absences count towards semester test exemption status.  Activity absences are the only absences that will not affect semester test exemption status.  To be exempt from taking semester exams, a student must have an "A" average with no more than 5 excused absences or a "B" average with no more than 4 excused
absences, no discipline record, or excessive tardies (5 tardies = 1 absence).  Students who qualify must have completed the exemption process by obtaining required signatures from teachers, parents, and administrators prior to test day.  Once the process is complete, the exemption form must be turned into the attendance office for a student to be placed on the exemption list.  Students are not allowed to leave campus multiple times during the day even if his/her exempted testing hours do not run consecutively.  Once a student has arrived at school, student must be present in all assigned classes.  Classes will not be interrupted during testing by school staff and student will not be called out of class to
leave once the testing period begins.  Student who are disruptive on test days may lose exemption status."

I also wanted to share with you that during our professional development at the beginning of this semester, we had a panel of recent (high school) graduates come in to do a question/answer session with us.  We had done this panel last January as well with a different set of recent grads.  In both sessions, students that had gone on to college/university shared with us that they wish they had experienced finals while in high school because they had a difficult time with finals and how to prepare for them in their first semester of college.  When asked if they would have been willing to give up their test exemptions while they were in high school though, they all said no way.  LOL.

Thank you!

*Sally Randolph*
Counselor, A-J
*Skiatook High School*
Skiatook, OK
918.396.1790 Ext 2409

*"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.*

Our middle school has an exemption policy as well.  The teachers and students like getting out of the semester test and it does encourage attendance.  Students must have:
A-2 or fewer absences
B-1 or no absences
C-no absences
Our high school has a similar policy.

Ours at Buffalo is the same as yours. We struggle with it as well. Students who are always exempt end up never taking a comprehensive exam, and they need to know how to study for and take those if going to college. On the
other hand, we have pretty good attendance rates and feel like the exemption option contributes to that.

Kingfisher switched its policy last year. First semester, there are no exemptions for anyone. Our administration feels that students need to take at least one cumulative test in high school before they get to college, and sometimes, excellent students will go all through high school being exempt from exams, then get to college having never taken a cumulative test. This is our second year to do it and it has been successful. During second semester, our exemption policy is as follows: Anyone with four (4) or fewer absences who has an A, B, or C in a class is exempt. Those who have been in ISD or OSD are not exempt. Three tardies in any class equals one unexcused absence. We haven't really noticed an effect in attendance in either semester---the ones who miss a lot of school will miss no matter what.

QUESTION:
We are reconsidering our semester test exemption policy. We currently allow students to be exempt based on a limited number of absences and good grades (an A with less than 4 absences, B with less than 3, etc.) We are considering doing away with this policy but are concerned about how it will effect attendance.

Do any other high schools have semester test exemptions and what is your policy?
Cindy Bartley
Counselor
Shawnee High School
1001 North Kennedy
Shawnee, OK  74804
(405)275-3631; fax (405)275-9501
cbartley at shawnee.k12.ok.us<mailto:cbartley at shawnee.k12.ok.us>

Class of 2017 website<http://teacherweb.com/OK/ShawneeHighSchool/Bartley/newsflash.aspx>
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