Back Again, Midterms in Howard County

From January 17 to January 20, Howard County students took midterm exams for the first time since the Covid-19 lockdown. The class of 2023 was the last class to take exams during their freshman year in 2019. Midterm exams test students’ understanding and application of topics from the first semester. More challenging and longer than tests and quizzes, midterm exams require more studying and can be difficult for students without experience taking them.

Senior Ogoluwasubomi Taiwo said, “Midterms freshman year were quite scary and did not help much with my test taking ability, but they have served as a nice glimpse into what midterms and finals may look like in college.”

Reservoir’s Honor Societies provided after-school services to help students review and prepare for upcoming exams. The Math Honor Society covered all math levels for two weeks during its after-school tutoring hours. The Science Honor Society also provided tutoring sessions through its members to any students needing extra help. The psychology teachers, Mrs. Frivold and Mrs. Hynson also opened their doors to students for Psychology review.

The studying, time, and stress from cumulative exams like midterms and finals have led to debate over its necessity in calculating grades. During the 2021- 2022 school year, the Board of Education held a vote to decide whether or not to continue requiring end-of-semester cumulative exams. In a 5-4, decided by the former Howard County Student Member of the Board, Peter Banyas, the BOE voted not to require midterm exams but to require final exams worth 10% of a student’s final grade.

This year when voted on again the BOE required both midterms and final exams, making each worth 10% of a student’s final grade. While Howard County votes yearly to decide the faith of their cumulative exams, other counties have decided to forgo them altogether. According to the Washington Post, The #1 ranked Public School in Maryland, Montgomery stopped giving students final exams to increase the teaching time and decrease the time spent testing students. Montgomery teachers give their students shorter quarterly exams that eliminate the need for abbreviated schedules to accommodate two-hour final exams. The test also allows students to gauge their performance every quarter to facilitate conversation between the student, parents, and teachers if help is needed.

The continuous review and practice of material needed to prepare students for frequent smaller tests encourage long-term potentiation. Students preparing for expected quarterly exams will review their material more often, increasing the synaptic strength between the neurons in their hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

When asked about her views on midterms, the current SMOB and junior Abisola Ayoola said, “I
think midterms can be beneficial to students, but the amount of weight it holds on the final grade
causes people to stress, and dampening the potential good.”
Abisola does believe that midterms can help students prepare for college exams, however, states,
“it should be optional, or at the very least not be a detriment to a student’s grade. That way they
can get the practice, teachers get the metrics they need, and stakes are lowered.”