QSEs will replace fall final exams in many core courses this year according to Klein ISD’s updated exemption requirements.
Assistant principal Jeffery Matters said the Klein Forest Campus Instructional Development Counsel (CIDC), which includes teachers, faculty, and community members, believed students experienced too much testing throughout the weeks following Thanksgiving break. This includes STAAR retesting, QSEs, and finals.
“[Students] get tested enough so hopefully this will be a positive change,” Matters said.
The CIDC took the proposal to the district for review, and the district made the adjustments to the exemption requirements. Matters thinks this change will add more instructional time for teachers.
“Instead of cramming for a QSE and then having to cram for a final exam, it’ll be easier to help the students just prepare for a QSE,” U.S. history teacher Cory Degidio said.
In the 2022-2023 school year, College Career & Military Readiness (CCMR) status became an exemption requirement, which Matters considers a major change. Now, almost 80% of students graduate with CCMR status.
“If you’re going out into the real world, it’s important that you learn a trade and earn certifications that are going to help you so that you can have a good salary,” Matters said.
Students can meet CCMR status by taking college courses, earning college credit, or by meeting TSI criteria. Degidio thinks this helps students explore different pathways to what they can do after graduation.
“In order to benefit in the modern economy, you can’t just coast on a high school degree anymore,” Degidio said.
Since 2022, Klein ISD has changed the exemption requirements every year. Matters said the campus tries to improve processes, the way they deliver assessments, and the way they collect data.
“Nothing ever gets better if it stays the same, right?” Matters said. “We’ll keep our eyes out for other ways to improve any system that we have.”