Vance County Schools students will begin taking exams, end-of-course (EOC) and end-of-grade (EOG) tests in less than two weeks, and school officials are working hard to make sure parents are informed about schedules and understanding the logistics necessary to satisfy state requirements in a safe environment.
Exam schedules are posted on each school’s website, according to Aarika Sandlin, public information officer. High school students will kick off the testing season, taking EOC and Career Technical Education (CTE) the week of May 17-21.
Testing continues through the end of May and into June for students on a year-round calendar.
“NCDPI has indicated all state exams must take place on campus,” Sandlin said in a written statement to WIZS News. “We have exam schedules for all of our schools posted on each school’s website and encourage families to contact their child’s school for specific concerns or questions,” she said.
The testing schedules provide details for students who have returned to in-person learning as well as those students who continue to learn remotely. Sandlin encouraged any parent to contact their child’s school if they have questions about the test schedule.
North Carolina students in grades 3-8 take EOGs in Reading/English Language Arts and Math. Students in grades 5 and 8 also take a Science EOG.
Students in grades 9-13 take EOC exams in Biology, English II, NC Math 1 and NC Math 3.
Exams count as a percentage of high school students’ final grades. The state also uses this information to measure proficiency and to maintain metrics and data, Sandlin said.
There will be no school report card letter grades this year.
“There are no opt-outs for state assessments and we encourage all of our families to be present for all of their state testing,” Sandlin said.
For basic information and tips about preparing students for the standardized testing, parents can visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dOqA6dZ_3pShTaVc9ADOY2su2nvKn-B0/view.