The Mycenaean

Exam week at Leesville has followed the same schedule for many years: One exam a day for four days. After the exam is completed, students attend a one hour review period and are released from school at 11:30. On the last day of exams, students are permitted to leave at 10:30, promptly after the exam expires.

This routine may not be valid any longer. The Leesville staff are currently voting on a proposed exam schedule.

The new plan suggests that throughout exam week, school will run on a different schedule.

For the first two days of exams, only non-EOC tests will be given. On day one, students will take exams for period one and three. On day two, students will take exams for period two and four. Students who have non-EOC classes will spend the testing periods attending prolonged review sessions. The bell schedule will run like a normal day of school — 7:25-2:18.

On the third, fourth, and fifth day of exams, students will take exams for EOC classes. Students who do not have EOC exams–and have completed their teacher-made exams on Day 1 and Day 2 –will not have to attend school.  

There are multiple reasons why the new exam schedule could be a welcome change. Only students in EOC classes will be at school on EOC testing days, providing a quieter environment for successful testing and more proctors would be available for testing. Teachers would have up to three days more for grading exams and there will be more days for students to use for make-up exams.

If this schedule is used, then seniors will be able to take exams with the rest of their class, rather than having a senior-only exam period in the auditorium. Senior exam exemptions are still valid.

Similar exam schedules are implemented at both Knightdale High School and Millbrook High School. Supposedly, this exam schedule “significantly” improved exam scores at those two schools.

However, there are some issues with the new exam schedule. Starting the new schedule this spring would not necessarily be fair to students acclimated to the previous exam schedule. Concerns also include the issue of taking two exams in one day. While this seems problematic, data reports that this causes no “significant” drop in scores.

The use of this new schedule is not yet official. Teachers have been asked to vote on the new schedule to decide whether it should used this spring, next fall or not at all.

Time	Day 1	Day 2	*Day 3	*Day 4	*Day 5	Day 6
7:25-9:50	Period 1 Non-EOC exam/ EOC review	Period 2 Non-EOC exam/ EOC review	Math EOCs (7:25 – 10:25)	History and English EOCs (7:25 – 10:25)	Science EOCs (7:25 – 10:25)	Make-up
9:55-11:20	Period 2 Review/ Lunch	Period 4 Review/ Lunch	—	—	—	Make-up
11:25-2:18	Period 3 Non-EOC exam/ EOC Review	Period 4 Non-EOC exam/ EOC Review	—	—	—	Make-up

*Students who are not taking the specified EOC classes do not have to attend school on EOC testing days; if they missed an exam on Day 1 and/or Day 2, then they can make up on Day 3, 4, and 5.