Marlborough School Committee ends fixed midterm and final exam schedule at high school

MARLBOROUGH -- September 28, 2021, Marlborough School Committee scraps the locked MHS midterm and final exam schedule. Principal Dr. Dan Riley told the committee that 85 to 90 percent of students' grades went down under the existing structure, which weighted each term at 20 percent and each cumulative exam at 10 percent; under the approved change, each term counts 25 percent and individual teachers and content teams decide whether and how to give a major summative. Riley said the change recovers more than 40 hours of instructional time across seven previously reserved exam days. The committee also approved staggered openings for the Oct. 13 PSAT/SAT, with 200+ MHS students registered, and three MCAS days, took a first read of revised homework Policy 7.700, removed obsolete food service charging Policy 3.900, and ratified the SEIU Local 888 paraeducator contract. CFO Doug Diaz reported the district has run 100 percent of scheduled bus routes despite a driver shortage and named Friday, Oct. 1 Bus Driver Appreciation Day.