by: Sarai Diaz Borja

As the semester comes to an end, Lee County High School final exams are just beginning. State testing will begin Tuesday with many classes with End of Course tests taking the last week to review.

Being prepared for the EOC tests is very important as the tests are worth 20% of a student’s overall grade in the course. Classes with EOC exams include Math I, Math III, English II and Biology.

LCHS assistant principal Marissa Fux explains that just simply paying attention in class, asking questions and getting the help you need could significantly improve a student’s test scores. While LCHS has been deemed “underperforming,” Fux has seen improvement this semester.

“I think for Lee County High School, we are slowly getting more and more prepared,” Fux said. “I feel like the benchmarks have helped us prepare the students.

Not only is the EOC a grade, but it has also shown to be beneficial to students.

“It shows what you know, shows what you’ve learned, shows that you’ve matured and are ready to move on to the next level,” explained English II teacher Zach Francis.

The state tests are an example of growth within students and their teacher’s skills. This helps teachers improve their teaching methods in the future. Francis admits, there is some added stress teaching an EOC course.

“They’re more stressful for a teacher’s perspective because you’re sitting there saying ‘I hope I taught them everything that I know’,” he said.

Many teachers doubt themselves as they see their students struggle with topics that may have been taught briefly or were just difficult to understand. There is always the doubt that maybe they didn’t teach well enough.

Although LCHS has been named an underperforming school, there is still hope for this semester and it’s test results.

“I think COVID still plays a role in the academic struggles some students are facing and dealing with,” Fux said. She encourages all students to try their best and to consider this more than a test but an opportunity to influence institutional policies.

“To me, the EOC is very important because its not just about getting a grade or a school grade or a passing class,” Fux said. “I think in the reality the things that we don’t see its teaching that you do have an influence on educational policies whether that be state or federal.”

Testing will begin Tuesday morning at LCHS. It is important to come prepared and ready to begin your exam. All students should bring a school owned device that is fully charged. Students cannot take a state exam on a personal device.

First block state tests are Tuesday, second block tests are Wednesday, third block tests are Thursday and Friday will be fourth block tests. Make-up testing will be held on Jan. 23. All students are to be at school by 8:00 a.m.