End of Course Exams Begin May 14th

End-of-Course Examinations are on the horizon.

 What is the EOCEP?

The Education Accountability Act of 1998 requires the development of end-of-course examinations in gateway or benchmark courses. The program is called End-of-Course-Examination Program (EOCEP).

The examinations, which count 20 percent of the students' final grade in each gateway or benchmark course, currently include Algebra 1/Math for the Technologies 2, English 1, U.S. History and the Constitution, and
Biology 1/Applied Biology 2.

Who takes the EOCEP tests?

All public middle school, high school, alternative school, virtual school, adult education, and home school students who are enrolled in courses in which the academic standards corresponding to the EOCEP tests are taught, regardless of course name or number, must take the appropriate tests.

When are the EOCEP tests administered?

We will administer EOC exams on the following dates:

Monday May 14         (A-day)           US History, Algebra 1

Tuesday May 15^th       (B-day)            US History, Algebra 1

Wednesday – Friday      Make-up exams for US History and Algebra 1

Monday May 21^st        (B-day)            Biology, English 1

Tuesday May 22^nd       (A-day)           Biology, English 1

Wednesday – Friday      Make-up exams for Biology and English 1

There are several steps parents can take to help maximize their child’s performance on EOC exams. Parents can make sure their student gets a good night’s rest, eats a healthy breakfast, and reports to school early on these dates. It is also important for parents to talk with their child about EOC exams to help reduce test anxiety, praise their child when he or she performs well on the EOC, and encourage him or her to try harder and focus when they encounter difficult questions on the test.

Students can also take steps to help them perform better on test day, such as arrive early on test day, be comfortable but alert, and stay relaxed and confident. When nerves take over, students should remember to take several slow, deep breaths and relax. During the test, students should try to answer questions in a strategic order; that is, answer the easy questions first to build confidence and tackle the difficult questions last. A final step for students is to review their tests after completion, making sure they did not forget to answer any questions, miss-mark any answers, or made any other type of careless mistake.

These few simple steps could help Dutch Fork High School students earn passing scores on EOC exams. For more information about testing you can contact Ms. Melissa Turner, Testing Coordinator at 476-3416 or Robert Jackson, Assistant Principal for Instruction @ 476-3353. Additionally, you can visit the South Carolina Department of Education website http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/41/ for more information.

Good luck with End-of-Course Exams!

Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction