Just in time for Spring Break, Orange County Public Schools has announced the district is cutting several end-of-course exams for elementary students. This includes locally-created exams for science, art, music and P.E. for Kindergarten through fourth grade. And a social studies test for K through fifth graders.
Orange County Schools Superintendent Barbara Jenkins says they cut tests in areas that may have been excessive."If they’re not in special education, they’re going to be taking math and reading and that pretty much gets to the end for the student that is in Kindergarten through second grade. That is a single test called the Iowa Test of Basic Skills,” said Jenkins.
The changes don’t affect state standardized tests which students start taking in third grade. Parents have been concerned about the number of tests students are required to take.
The end-of-course exams were going to be used for teacher evaluations. Jenkins says there are enough tests to base a teachers’ performance on.