There will be no conference period days before finals week in Winter Term this year and next year. In addition, some subjects, including Mathematics and World Language, will use mass testing blocks.
Andover’s Academic Council makes the end-of-term schedule every year, with faculty being consulted about major changes. In previous years, one full day at the end of both Fall and Winter Term was dedicated to conferences, allowing students to meet with their teachers before their final projects and exams. Caroline Odden, Dean of Studies and Instructor in Physics, explained that due to the shortened Winter Term, the Academic Council that makes the finals schedule chose to prioritize class time over conference day.
“Due to the placement of Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Memorial Day, our Winter Term is compressed this year (2024-2025). In order to maximize classroom time during the Winter Term, no conference day was scheduled for this winter. The academic calendar looks much the same for next year (2025-2026) – we will have a conference day in the fall, we will not have one in the winter, and the Monday of the end-of-term week will be free as it usually is in the spring,” wrote Odden in an email to The Phillipian.
Clyfe Beckwith, Instructor in Physics, former Dean of Studies and former chair of the Academic Council, shared that the partial removal of mass-testing blocks over the past decade aimed to reduce student stress and allow for varied assessment formats.
“The schedule has changed… roughly every ten years. If you go back 30 years, finals were scheduled in large subject-based blocks, such as science, math, and english. Each subject had a designated time slot, and students took their exams en masse at locations like the Smith Hockey Rink and the Memorial Gym, with about 400 students in a room using small desks,” said Beckwith.
Beckwith continued, “At some point, the schedule shifted. In the mid-2010s, we changed to a period-based schedule, meaning teachers could give exams in their classrooms. Along with this, the allotted exam time was extended to 80 minutes, allowing for two different benefits. First, students who required extended time could complete their exams in 120 minutes. Second, teachers gained more flexibility in assessments, allowing for more creative formats like one-on-one discussions about final papers.”
Currently, the finals week schedule varies in length from term to term due to the dual presence of mass-testing blocks for certain subjects and regular assessment blocks for each of the schedule’s seven periods, lengthening the duration of finals week. Paul Murphy, Instructor in Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, supports using mass testing blocks and common assessments for subjects that use an exam, as opposed to a project, for their final. He noted that mass-testing blocks provide increased consistency and test security across sections.
“If you teach Math 330 and you teach two sections, you could be giving the same test to kids on a Monday and Thursday. That just seems weird, mainly for cheating purposes. There’s a test security issue and math and science are often the only ones that are really testing… I love the idea of everyone taking the same test, not only everyone in Mr. Murphy’s class but everyone in Math 590 for instance. Professionally, it makes us get together and meet and talk about these things, which I think is really an important conversation,” said Murphy.
Additionally, the placement of conference day has shifted this year. Though there was not usually a conference day in the spring, Winter Term finals week will also not have a conference day. Emerson Buckley ’25 highlighted the importance of conference blocks for subjects that use tests, as well as projects and presentations.
“It’s a pretty negative thing because a lot of students, including myself, use those times to feel more comfortable and more prepared for our final exams, or [it] could be the blocks in which you retake an exam. It cuts down some of the time and the resources students have to prepare and feel ready to take their exams. Even for presentations, it’s a good time to review with your teacher, so I think [conference day] is resourceful for every class,” said Buckley.
Pointing out the frequent changes in the end-of-term schedule, William Ogle ’26 expressed how he found the finals schedule stressful due to its inconsistency across terms and the added pressure of taking exams outside of familiar settings. He further emphasized the importance of having a conference day to support student preparation.
“I’m not really a fan of how inconsistent the schedule is or how it varies across terms. I know that’s partly due to holidays and special circumstances, but it causes undue stress on students since we’re not able to establish a strong rhythm during testing…I also heavily dislike [removing conference day] because it’s the culminating week in the Term and often the most difficult one. Getting some expertise or even minor clarification from my teachers is really appreciated right before such a stressful time. With that being taken away, I feel less equipped to perform well,” said Ogle.
