The Class of 2015 shouldn’t just say hello to Palmetto but should also welcome in the End-of-Course Assessments (commonly referred to as EOCs).

In May, the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) started implementation of the EOC in Algebra 1. This exam counted as 30% of a student’s final grade. The EOCs are assessments given to students in certain subjects to see whether or not teachers and students are meeting state standards. According to the FLDOE these exams are supposed to increase college and career readiness by testing certain subjects.

This year two more exams are going to be added to the mix- Geometry and Biology. In certain high schools in the state, they are also field testing the United States History exam. For the Geometry and Biology exams they will count as 30% of the final grade. On the other hand, students in Algebra 1 are required to pass this exam to receive credit for graduation.

The main question everyone is asking is whether or not these exams are necessary or just another exam to stack the already increasing pile of test papers.

“It kind of equalizes Florida to be teaching all the material of Algebra 1 and Geometry,” Math Department chair Susan Kaplan said. “If it is totally geared toward the subjects then yes, it seems worthwhile.”

While some teachers have their own word on these exams, it is the freshmen that will be sitting down for these exams in May, and some of them don’t think that it’s fair.

“I don’t think its fair because if you get all A’s in both semesters and you fail the exam you may end up with a C,” freshman James Lehr said.

Another issue with these exams is that they are computer-based. Although it may seem like the state is doing a good thing by going “green,” it may just bring along more problems. This year there are over 600 freshmen that currently attend Palmetto and each one of them will have to take an exam and there are only so many computer labs in the school. This means that the testing period will increase and also interfere with AP exams since they also start the same week as the EOCs.

“It just kills AP classes,” Ms. Kaplan said.

Last year the EOC testing took up two weeks, but, with more exams being implemented, the testing window will increase and ultimately interfere with the time that teachers need to teach. With a longer testing window, some classes will become two to three hours long.

“CBT [computer-based testing] is the way of the future,” Testing Coordinator Angel Menendez said. “But I don’t believe the future is here yet.”