Final Week

This is the final week of the local school year, at least for those who are not in need of summer school. The kids have pretty well shut down, even though there are some finals left to take, mine being one of them. Today I talked to several students who are on the edge. One was very upset with ME when I discussed her current status. After 4 days of review, she'd done nothing but talk and argue that she was working but couldn't produce any evidence that she'd done anything. At this point of the year, I'm really up to fighting to convince students to work. If they've worked up to this point, they need little on the final to pass...if you do every one of my assignments, it really doesn't matter how the tests go, you'll pass. In some cases though, they just don't get it and end up on the short end of the point tally.
Most, on the other hand, are in good shape. The most common question has been "I can really draw a smiley face on the test and turn it in? And you won't be mad?" I tell them that it's fine with me, they have the points they need to "pass", but most likely their pride won't allow them to merely pass. Working for good grades throughout the year and then settling for a D doesn't make sense. I tend to try to talk students out of the "getting by" option. To date, no one has done this, but working with the numbers like I do with my students does lead to this possibility. I like my students to know where they stand from day one and never have a question about whether they are on the way to passing or not and do the calculations multiple times in the course of the year.
I have a tight schedule too. My assigned time for my two day test came in the last days, Tuesday and Wednesday, with Friday being the last day. I have to get all things corrected, make up tests taken care of and grades done on Thursday. We'll see how that works!
I have one student on vacation for the last three school days(literally left town with her parents), another that's out for the entire week on vacation with the family, and another that's missed 20% of the school year, including the last 4 days of review for the final. The lack of parental interest is staggering. Yet another student's parents moved, leaving the student to live with various friends for the last two weeks of school, who found the home with the fewest rules and least restrictive environment to choose as the temporary living quarters. What are people thinking?
Since the dates have been set for over a month, the test happens and they'll have to deal with it, passing or failing on their own merit. Nothing I can do other than to encourage and try to motivate. I do what I can, but it's hard to override the apathy learned from years of questionable parenting. Maybe they're right and education is secondary to all else...I'd like to think not.