High School Finals Canceled; Focus Remains on Engagement

As you all know, these unprecedented times have caused all schools to make necessary adjustments to best serve our students and families while working in a virtual format. With the recent announcement from Dr. Anderson that we will not be returning to school this year, we have decided BVSD high schools will NOT have final exams. There are many factors that go into this decision, but first and foremost we believe it is what is fair and best for the students we serve. 

Why Cancel Final Exams? 

We are aware that the topic of finals is the cause of anxiety for many of our students while engaging in Home Learning. As you can imagine, not all of our families have equitable access to a quiet and appropriate testing environment, making it difficult to ensure all students have equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the standards learned this year. 

Additionally, we continue to focus on the importance of engagement by completion of assignments while working from our homes. We believe that while Home Learning continues, students engaging with their teachers and completing the tasks assigned to them should be the determining factor for our students’ final grades, rather than an assessment that we cannot guarantee will be delivered to students in an equitable way. 

Looking Ahead

Thank you for your continued support and understanding during these uncertain times. As a school, and as a district, we remain committed to providing all of our students with the best possible educational experience, regardless of circumstance. We understand that Home Learning is not ideal for many of our families and can result in families being concerned about their child’s academic progress. We also know that students are missing the extra-curricular opportunities that they are unable to participate in. Please know that we will continue to keep you informed as we learn more about the future of teaching and learning in BVSD. 

Like you, we are disappointed that we will not be able to see our students in-person for the remainder of the year, but we will take this opportunity to find new and unique ways to serve our students well— taking a challenging situation and turning it into an opportunity to learn and grow in order to provide an even better learning experience for our students in the years to come.