With the end of the marking period approaching, the newly installed End of Marking Period Assessments (EMPAs) are also coming up. The purpose of these assessments is to prepare students for standardized tests in the future and to better develop students’ study skills. Here is everything you need to know about them:

The EMPAs will serve as a cumulative assessment of any material covered in the second marking period and are worth 20% of the previously accumulated points in the assessment category. They will take place from Friday, January 20 through Wednesday, January 25.

Each day that the exams take place the school day will have a normal start time of 8:00 am and end time of 2:46 pm, and there will be two exams, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each one will run for ninety minutes.

The tests themselves will be during blocks 1 and 4 while test prep for the next day’s exam will take place in blocks 2 and 5. During block 3, freshmen and sophomores will attend grade specific Program of Study Presentations with Department Supervisors and teachers to prepare for the upcoming Course Selection Process while juniors and seniors will attend their regular block three classes. During block 6, juniors will attend the same presentations while the other three grades go to their normal block 6 classes. Lunch will take place normally from 11:00 am to 11:46 am. 

No student is able to be exempt from taking the End of Marking Period Assessments no matter what grade they average within each class. Additionally, students enrolled in half-year courses must take the exam. Students are expected to remain in school for the entire day even after exams are finished. Make-up exams will take place after school in the Library/Media Center from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm and will be administered and monitored by the HHS administration. The administration will verify and determine a student’s eligibility for make-up exams, and once approved, the student must coordinate the make-up and date with their teacher. 

Any students with questions can reach out to the principal and may also view the test schedule sent out by the administration so they know which exams they are taking each day and where to go during each block.