Worries over a drop in attendance and failing classes have teachers and students concerned about potential changes to the Bismarck Public Schools test exemption policy.

"The biggest concern is that it doesn't have a negative impact on attendance," Century High School Principal Mike Heilman said.

When the policy was introduced in the early 1980s, attendance increased 3 percent. Although it is a small number, it could add up to about 100 students absent per day, Bismarck High School Principal Ken Erickson said.

The principals presented possible alternatives to the current test exemption policy at the school board meeting Monday. The current policy allows students to not take semester finals if they miss no more than eight days for school activities, have no more than two absences that are excused by a parent, have no more than two tardies and have no unexcused absences.

Students at Century are concerned the final tests could be the difference between a passing and failing grade, according to a survey of 510 students.

The school board asked high school principals to draft a new test exemption policy earlier this year because of complaints that students weren't prepared for comprehensive tests in college and that students were going to school sick when they should have stayed home.

"I don't think the board is saying it has to be a super hard test … but comprehensive," board member Dan Kuntz said. "If you kept up with the material, it should be the easiest exam."

The board does not want to tell the teachers what test to give, but it does want students to encounter some form of a comprehensive test during high school.

Teachers and students like the policy as it stands. Teachers spend less time with students who missed class or reviewing lessons in class.

"I was just shocked at how good the attendance was," Century English teacher Jesse Armstrong said. "It was tied so closely to the test exemption."

This is her first year teaching at Century. She came from Fargo North High School. Fargo North had a test exemption policy for the second semester for seniors, which worked for that class, she said. Otherwise, she spent part of each class reteaching a lesson because a third to half her class would be absent, she said.

"I've been taking a lot of tests," Century junior Greg Larson said. "I'm sick of them. We see it as a punishment. Tests to a point are important, (but) you can get too much of a good thing."

Larson takes advanced placement classes and is preparing for APtests in May. The AP tests are comprehensive subject tests students can choose to take near the completion of the course in hopes of scoring well enough to earn college credit. Other forms of comprehensive tests students take include the state assessment test, the measure of academic progress test and college entrance exams, which can include the pretests such as the PLAN and the PSAT and the ACTand the SAT.

Proposals for changing the policy included changing it so only second semester finals could be exempt; no test exemption, but giving two personal days for meeting similar attendance standards; and a test exemption for all but one core class that would change by grade level. The board members did not like the idea of giving students two days off for meeting the attendance criteria.

They did like the idea of making one final required for all students per semester. Instead of placing the burden of required finals on core class teachers, which is English, math, science and social studies; the board would like to see a way that other classes could be involved in the tests.

"I think there's a line there, somewhere, without destroying the incentive," board member Dan Kuntz said.

The principals will come back before the end of the school year with a policy it could implement by next school year. The principals will ask for input from a group of assistant principals, teachers and possibly students.

The school board also approved the purchase of two pieces of property along Centennial Road between Century Avenue and 43rd Avenue. The district bought 2.79 acres from Sam W. Turnbow and an adjacent 8.881 acres from BJT Properties LLLP at $14,420 an acres for a total of $168,295.82.

The site is large enough for an elementary school, but no plans are in the works.

The property will be added to the district's land inventory for potential school sites. The district also owns two parcels in northwest Bismarck, one parcel in northeast Bismarck and one in Lincoln.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)