After a nearly 10 year hiatus, midterms have made a comeback here at Audubon High School. Since none of the current students have ever had a midterm, questions and concerns emerged: ‘What does this entail exactly?’ ‘Why start them again after such a long time?’ Or even ‘Am I going to fail?!’ Now that the midterms have been completed a new set of questions have arised: ‘How much has my grade been affected?’ or ‘What does this mean for finals?’ 

After asking both students and teachers about their thoughts and findings, here are the takeaways. Overall, the majority of the student body in all grade levels feel the midterms were fair and their score accurately showed their academic abilities. The results also indicated the teachers did their part by providing sufficient study guides and reviews that set their students up for success. Student responses also reflected that the midterms were rigorous without being overwhelming. About 75% of the students in grades 10-11 felt they were difficult and challenged them without being impossible to do well on. 

The teacher’s feedback was also positive. Mr Collazo shared he feels midterms are a great way to prepare for college exams. Mrs. Root shares this same sentiment that it is vital for students to understand how to study and prepare for larger exams more than once a year, and having midterms and finals adds a balance to the curriculum. Mr. Collazzo also mentioned that there was more of a discrepancy in grades compared to their test scores for the AP and Honors levels than the generals. Some people are good test takers and some are not. 

Although there are inevitably mixed feelings about the midterms and individual classes, the students who we were able to talk to felt the teachers provided in-depth reviews and study materials and allotted enough class time to cover and revisit difficult topics. 

Overall, it’s safe to say the midterms were a success for teachers and students and provided meaningful insight into student achievement. They provided students with a good practice for improving study and test taking skills while allowing teachers to reflect on their content and teaching methods. 

Mr. McMichael explained that this year’s implementation of midterms was a trial to assess their use, purpose, and validity. We will have to wait and see if midterms and final exams return for the 2023-2024 school year.