With the school year quickly approaching its end, final exam schedules and senior week activities bring changes to the normal bell schedule.
Senior Finals are May 18-21, with underclass exams the following week, May 24-27.
Earlier in the year, the district informed parents that semester exams were designed so that teachers can accurately understand and report levels of achievement. As a district, we are committed to empowering our teachers in developing the assessment experiences for students that most effectively and meaningfully measure a course’s most essential standards.
During the summative “exam” periods for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, students may see a variety in types of assessments, including cumulative projects, re-submission of work to show achievement gains, portfolio development, advance access to passages and exam artifacts, and open access to notes and other resources.
Additionally, our campus teams of teachers are working collaboratively to ensure consistency in assessment experiences within each course. And because students have been learning in both Face-to-Face and ConnectedLearning environments, teacher teams will review the exam administration environment expectations to ensure that all students have access to the same resources, whether at home or in school.
Along with exams, the 2021 senior class will also get an opportunity to get exemptions on exams. Exemption information (for seniors only) has been updated. The rules that allow seniors to be exempt are the following; they must have passed all previous STAAR tests, 80% (75 in AP) or above for all courses, fewer than 3 unexcused absences, no suspensions or alternative school during the spring semester, and the seniors must be present during the final week.
STAAR testing has been a part of Texas for many years, and with COVID running throughout our state, there have been different approaches to testing. There are more online tests than ever, and that has caused some technical problems.
Along with the problems, the schedule for test takers is also different. STAAR testing dates start the week of April 5 for English 1 and 2 tests, and end the week of May 4 with Biology, Algebra, and US History.
Graduation is a major event, and is always dreamed of as you grow up. This year, things are a bit different. While graduation will still take place, it will not be at the UNT coliseum like usual. Due to COVID-19 and the indoor UNT coliseum having a capacity of 10,500, CH Collins, the football stadium used by all four high schools in Denton ISD, will hold the ceremonies.
The Denton ISD website provided a quote about the ceremony; “Hosting this ceremony will mean so much to our students who have not experienced normal milestone events during their final years of high school,” said Dr. Jamie Wilson, superintendent of schools.
