Charlotte-Mecklenburg high school students who are taking certain math, English and science courses this semester will have to report to their schools for state exams in December, even if they signed up for the district’s Full Remote Academy to avoid exposure to the coronavirus.
The state requires End of Course and End of Grade exams to be taken at schools, but CMS had hoped to get some type of waiver for full-remote students. But the district notified families this week that the Department of Public Instruction said no.
"State Board policy and regulations allow us no exceptions and State Board policy will not allow students to opt-out of onsite testing," a message to CMS families says.
Most other North Carolina districts have also offered a full-remote option, designed to serve students who have health conditions or family situations that heighten the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19. The ruling presumably applies to all of them.
For most students, that won't be an issue until spring. But students taking first-semester English 2, Biology, Math 1 and Math 3 will take End of Course exams in December.
"Failure to report in-person can impact high school students’ final grades," the CMS message notes.
CMS opened with all students learning remotely. The phased-in plan for returning to schools calls for high school students to stay home until they take exams the week of Dec. 14. Their in-person rotation starts in January, with students attending school one week and learning from home for two.
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