The Tuscaloosa City School Board of Education will consider waiving a requirement for the system's high school students to take end-of-semester exams during a specially called meeting later this week.

The meeting, set to begin at noon Thursday, will also include an update from Superintendent Mike Daria on COVID-19 in the area, its impact on the system's plans for in-person instruction in December and what to expect for the spring semester.

The agenda for the meeting noted that while high schoolers are currently required to take exams, there are exceptions allowed for students with excellent grades and attendance. The proposal, under consideration Thursday, will waive the requirement for end-of-semester exams for all students. A summary of the proposal said it has been reviewed by the system's teachers and principals, who support the waiver.

"Due to the pandemic, students and teachers have had to experience unplanned absences due to being quarantined for safety reasons, and they have had to adjust to a new learning platform and make adjustments to their learning styles and teaching styles," the proposal read. "In an effort to meet the demands of our student population and our faculty due to these unexpected and unavoidable occurrences, we are opting out of the traditional exams or exemptions this fall semester."

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If adopted, students in good standing with their schools would not have to take exams or come to class on exam days.

Students who are not in good standing or those who want to improve mastery of course material and/or boost their grades would be allowed to use exam week to complete standard-based assignments in lieu of exams.

Stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread for updates on the board meeting Thursday as they develop.

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