Upper School

April 9, 2026

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

As we enter the fourth quarter of the school year, the pace of the school year shifts noticeably. What began in late August as a marathon of steady progress now becomes a sprint to the finish line with graduation and the last day of school less than two months away.

Research on (student) motivation consistently shows that as people see themselves closer to their goal, effort and focus tend to increase. This phenomenon is known as the goal gradient effect, a concept first introduced by psychologist Clark Hull in 1932 that showed animals accelerated their behavior as they approached an established reward. A 2024 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology confirmed Clark’s hypothesis, finding that “participants completed demanding tasks more quickly and with greater effort when they knew a reward was close.” For Upper School students, the approaching end of the year brings a clear timeframe of completion with final projects, performances, quarter four final exams, and celebrations. The sense of almost being at the finish line can be energizing, but it also requires students (and educators) to be organized and channel their energy productively.

At the same time, we must also realize that the final stretch of the school year is one of the most demanding periods for teenagers. Studies on academic stress reviewed in “The Journal of Child Psychiatry & Human Development” share that “students report higher heightened levels of pressure as they approach end-of-term deadlines and assessments.” With this comes the need for families to be more engaged and supportive of their students by establishing (or re-establishing) routines, bedtimes, the need for larger tasks to be broken down into more manageable steps, and maintaining the perspective that sometimes completing a task may be easier than striving for perfection. Read More

March 26, 2026

from Mark Segal, Upper School director

As we approach the end of quarter three on Friday, April 3, final exams provide an important opportunity for students to pause, reflect, and demonstrate the learning they have built throughout the term. By using a process called retrieval practice, research in cognitive science consistently shows that revisiting and recalling previously learned material strengthens long‑term understanding. University of Minnesota Center for Educational Innovation studies on cumulative assessments have found that larger assessments, those that ask students to connect ideas across a unit or course, “support deeper learning and longer retention compared to studying information only once or for short‑term recall.” In this way, final exams significantly improve long-term knowledge retention and information that students will rely on in future courses.

While the words “final exam” can sound intimidating, MPA Upper School exams are designed to function much like larger unit assessments, rather than high‑pressure, “make‑or‑break” and “all or nothing” tests. Educational research in Springer Nature Link emphasizes that, “when exams are aligned with what students have already practiced through classwork, discussions, and prior assessments, they serve as a meaningful extension of learning instead of a surprise or stand‑alone event.” In our upper school courses, teachers prioritize clear expectations, review opportunities, and familiar question formats so that students can approach exams with confidence and preparation.

Final exams also play an important role in helping students synthesize ideas and see connections across a full quarter (nine weeks) of learning. This process mirrors how learning works in the real world, building on prior knowledge, applying skills in new contexts, and thinking across topics. Rather than emphasizing memorization, our exams focus on reasoning, problem‑solving, and demonstrating understanding in ways that align with the course and students’ academic goals. Read More