Straight A’s equal no finals for seniors. That was the policy of Massapequa High School for many years. Recently, however, the building administration eliminated the system, which exempted qualified seniors from final exams.
In the past, many seniors and teachers had favored the senior exemption system as a reward for seniors’ hard work in their last year, and a break for students after four long years.
However, the current administration was concerned that the lack of finals may inhibit a senior’s admittance and success at various top-ranked universities across the country. They feel that the students are put at a disadvantage without finals.
The revocation of senior exemptions feels like a punishment for many students.
Some even feel that this is simply being done to pay for the actions of the seniors before them, specifically last year’s senior prank. Yet, the administration firmly denies any connection between senior pranks and the loss of the senior privilege.
“Taking a final is not a punishment,” Executive Assistant Mr. Quigley said. Finals are simply an expected part of the course.
Even though seniors will no longer be exempt from final exams, over recent years many teachers of senior classes have elected to give final projects instead of written exams. This would, therefore, eliminate a final, and thereby no exemption would be necessary.
“I know that the decision is not popular with seniors,” biology teacher Mrs. Frontino said, “but it keeps the focus at the end of the year, when focus can be difficult.”
Yet, many seniors remain dismayed. Journalism students conducted an anonymous survey on October 19 in a sampling of twelfth grade social studies classes, totaling to 89 seniors, on senior exemptions being revoked. The results showed that a majority of the students felt as though this change will negatively affect them, and 92 percent of surveyed seniors disagreed with the removal of senior exemptions, showing that students overwhelmingly disapprove of the change.
Furthermore, most seniors agreed that keeping senior exemptions would have most likely made seniors work harder, set higher goals, and try harder in their classes to get out of their finals. Only six seniors felt that keeping senior exemptions would cause seniors to slack off, and only two felt that seniors wouldn’t take their classes seriously, since they would have the possibility of getting exempt from their finals.
Senior exemptions have officially been revoked. All seniors will now take their finals or complete final projects at the end of their courses.