After issues with some of the new state-mandated end-of-course exams, Orange County schools won't be counting some of the tests, officials said Tuesday.

Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Jenkins said the district has "previously nullified" any impact on elementary-aged students.

The tests that won't count against student grades are as follows: Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry end-of-course exams. Those are the state-mandated tests, and the state has had a problem validating the results of the tests.

The state on Monday said districts would not be able to factor those exams as 30 percent of a student's grade.

When the results are validated later this year, teachers could choose to change student grades at that time, but Orange County said they won't count.

Orange County Public Schools has advocated against having the tests weight a student's grade in the first year of implementation.

The new assessments were rushed, and the stakes were too high, Jenkins said.

"What happened is what we predicted would happen," Jenkins said. "You're going to have glitches, complications and issues that really would've been better serviced if you said from the beginning this would be a baseline year. This is what we advocated for."

The common final exams — which are locally created — will only count as 20 percent of a student’s grade. The district said Tuesday that the final exams will only be considered if it improves a student's grades.

More information on Tuesday's announcement is below, provided by Orange County Public Schools:

Common Final Exams (locally created EOCs)

All students taking common final exams in applicable courses will receive the exam as 20 percent of the course grade for initial calculation. We will then ONLY consider the calculation if it IMPROVES the student’s grade. In any case where the exam lowers the student’s grade, the final common exam calculation will be removed. In essence, during this baseline year, OCPS will do no harm to any student’s grades based on Common Final Exams. You will recall we stayed the course with these exams rather than reverting to using reading or math scores for teachers with no state exams or asking teachers at such a late date to create their own exams.  Keep in mind, the state still requires measurement of student learning for all subjects and that those outcomes be used in teacher evaluations. A recent FLDOE memo also stressed the need to be consistent among classrooms and schools.  This baseline year, helpful feedback from teachers and students, should put OCPS well on its way to doing just that.

Elementary School EOCs

As previously announced, elementary schools are NOT considering EOCs in calculation of student grades. More importantly, third grade promotion considerations will NOT include FSA outcomes which have not been validated. Instead, principals, parents and teachers will look at various data regarding student performance to consider any need for retention.

Students Taking Florida Standards Assessments in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II

For the 2014-2015 school year only, because of the unavailability of independently validated statewide assessment results in Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry, the statutory requirements to include these results in the final course grade are inoperative. As a result, schools should calculate final course grades and make promotion decisions without regard to the 30 percent requirement that typically applies. The absence of EOC results alone in these courses will not result in a grade of incomplete. A student’s final grade in these courses will be calculated from 50 percent of the Semester 1 grade and 50 percent of the Semester 2 grade. OCPS will NOT recalculate grades this year should the state eventually validate these EOCs.

Students Taking Next Generation Sunshine State Standards Assessments (Algebra I retake, Geometry retake, Biology, US History, Civics)

The results of assessments aligned to the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards Assessments are still required by statute to be used as 30 percent of the course grade in applicable courses.