SNOW HILL – The Worcester County Board of Education approved with reluctance a policy increasing the weight of certain final exams for high school students.
The school board last week approved a change bringing local policy in line with a state requirement that biology and government final exams count for 20% of a student’s grade. Afterward, they voted unanimously to send the state board of education a letter highlighting their opposition to the policy.
“We passed it not because we agree with it but because the state forced our hand,” said school board member Katie Addis, who made the motion to send the letter. “I believe we should make that known to the state.”
Tom Hamill, the school system’s local accountability coordinator, told the school board last Wednesday that the state recently mandated that all students in high school take a state-developed final exam in biology and government. That exam must count for 20% of a student’s grade.
“As a result of this change we’ve had to suggest some changes to policy,” Hamill said, presenting the board with proposed changes.