Emily Dyer<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
At North Toronto, we like to think that we go to the most difficult school in the TDSB. Our academic standards are quite high compared to some schools, but there are also some schools where it is just as difficult to do well. One of these schools is Lawrence Park. The workload is extremely similar to ours; the three people I interviewed, who have averages ranging from 82%-90%, do about 2-3 hours of homework every weekday and 8-10 hours on the weekend. I work about the same amount. In addition, although North Toronto prides itself on strong involvement in extracurricular activities, I
\nthink that my very involved friends at Lawrence participate in just as many
\nactivities as very involved North Toronto students. My friend Laura has four
\nmusic rehearsals a week, plus responsibilities leading three clubs, and 8 hours
\nworking at a pool; another friend, Lara, has three in-school rehearsals, plus
\ntwo music lessons, every week. They both have commitments afterschool everyday.<\/p>\n
Academically, I think assessment is about equal in difficulty. My friend\u2019s English essay, which got a 72% at Lawrence, got a 78-80% from a very fair North Toronto English teacher. Although this is a significant difference, I think it is more representative of different expectations than easier marking. A Lawrence Park World Issues test was deemed \u201ctoo straightforward\u201d and \u201cunrepresentative of university standards\u201d by an NT
\nteacher, and a Lawrence Park Advanced Functions test was called \u201cfair\u201d by a North Toronto math teacher; these various assessments seem to balance out.<\/p>\n
However, Lawrence Park students have one distinct disadvantage. Teachers at that school use the Knowledge Application Communication Thinking marking system, meaning that students are assessed with equal consideration of each of these categories.\u00a0 This means that tests are detailed and more balanced between simple knowledge questions and more difficult application and
\nthinking questions. This system makes it much more difficult to get very high
\nmarks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Emily Dyer At North Toronto, we like to think that we go to the most difficult school in the TDSB. Our academic standards are quite high compared to some schools, but there are also some schools where it is … Continue reading