The Perception of the Final Exam as Preparation for College-Level Assessments and Its Reliability as a Measurement of Student Understanding of Course Content

With the goal of increasing both student accountability for learning and college readiness skills, many high schools have adopted the collegiate practice of the using final exams. Peters Township High School is one such school whose practice of using final exams has come under scrutiny. Very little research exists on the efficacy of this practice at the secondary level. The purpose of this research was to conduct a case study at Peters Township High School to determine if final exams were a valued practice that provided students with the skills and practice needed to be successful in college and if they were an accurate measure of student learning. The framework for this study was the four research questions focused on discovering teacher perceptions about the purpose of the final exam and its reliability as a measure of student learning, analyzing the historical impact of final exam grades on student grades, and comparing the high school and college experiences. A mixed-methods approach was taken using qualitative and quantitative data from teacher and alumni surveys and analyzed alongside quantitative data on historical final exam grades and final grades. The data revealed that high school and collegiate practices were not aligned and that final exam grades were not an accurate representation of student learning. However, the research showed that when weighted properly and incorporated as part of a comprehensive assessment plan, the use of final exams can improve student retention and capacity to study.