Mansfield ISD’s semester exam schedule has undergone some changes, and students will now take their final exams for their core classes before the Christmas break, instead of after like previous years.
Students will come to school and review during their classes on Monday, with the bell schedule remaining the same. Exams will be during blocks five through nine on Tuesday and Wednesday, and exams on Thursday and Friday will be during blocks one through four.
Teachers like Jeri Bordelon have no issue with taking the exams before the break, as they think students will be more likely to pass.
“I think it’ll allow kids to use the information they’ve learned quickly without trying to retain it,” Bordelon said. “You lose a lot of time over that break.”
Bordelon has also overheard feedback from her students regarding the schedule change.
“It’s all been pretty positive,” Bordelon said. “They don’t want to worry about it over the break.”
Legacy Principal, Dr. Shelly Butler, doesn’t view the change as strictly positive or negative, but just wants what will be best for students.
“I never want to do anything that is detrimental to students,” Dr. Butler said. “And according to what the community has asked for, kids don’t want to study over Christmas break.”
Butler also said that the decision to change was made last year, but it was only enforced at Lake Ridge, Timberview and Summit.
“I did not want to make that change,” Dr. Butler said. “I felt like a month was not enough time for me to communicate back to the students and parents at Legacy, so I opted to stay on the normal, traditional testing schedule.”
Dr. Butler has been as eager as the rest of us to see how this plays out.
“We’ll see what happens,” Dr. Butler said.
