For Upper School students, the week before winter break and the first two weeks of January are incredibly stressful due to midterm exams. These assessments, which represent the final hurdle before the close of each semester, are a testament to students’ hard work and dedication. They study diligently to maintain or improve their final grades. Sidwell mandates that the final assessments represent 10-20% of the student’s overall grade, with each teacher or department deciding the final weight. 

However, it is not the case that every class has an exam as the midterm or final. For example, all tenth-grade history classes, with the exception of the History of Latin America, decided to host field trips last spring instead of traditional exams. This discrepancy in Sidwell’s exam formats underscores the need for standardized assessments, raising questions about whether or not it is fair for some classes to have field trips for exams. 

Since the final assessment can count as much as one-fifth of the semester grade, it is unfair for some teachers to choose instead to hold a field trip, which is often ungraded or scored very leniently. Offering freedom to teachers allows them to craft their class based on their expertise and interests. Still, the students must manage the fact that depending on which teacher fits into their schedule, their experience can be vastly different. Though all the juniors’ transcripts will have the Literature of the United States listed, the grade beside the class represents the teacher’s unique teaching

Therefore, in classes that are theoretically supposed to be standardized for an entire grade or level, such as English, history, or a specific math level like Geometry, it is only fair for teachers to unanimously choose to have a final assessment or a field trip. Standardized exams can ensure that all students are assessed using the same criteria, providing a more consistent learning experience and a fairer evaluation of their understanding of the subject matter.