I have heard a local middle school gives students *two* opportunities to retake tests if they did not score well. :? This school system in Texas is offering students to retake tests if they score 71-89%. If the score is 70% or below the student must retake the test and get extra assignments. http://video.foxnews.com/v/4396254/academic-do-over
Elementary school allows retakes as well. Anything under an 80 must be taken over. Above an 80, the student is given the choice to retake or not.
Many times, if the students are not grasping a topic, they are remediated or retaught the material (obviously they did not understand it the first time) and then they can retest to demonstrate mastery of a topic.
Mastery of the subject? I don't think so. Short term memory of the subject long enough to get a desired grade, maybe. And this is a symptom of what needs to be fixed. If no one can fail, how can we determine who excels?
DISCLAIMER...Just my opinion here. I'm not an educator. I understand overall test scores have to be used for some things but I think focused is lost on what children are really in school for. They are there to learn. They are sent to school to succeed not to fail and all should be done to make sure they do succeed. If they need to be retested to help them learn what they are in school for then I'm all for it. Test them as many times as it takes to get it as far as I'm concerned. To me we get so caught up in numbers and lose focus on whats important. Again just my opinion -DB's wife
Another thought... I have to comment on the thread title "Academic Do-Over" Why wouldn't we want a student to have an "academic do-over" ?(if that is what you want to call it" We arent talking about the outcome of a ballgame. We are talking about making sure a student is learning. I have a question that I think will make for interesting conversation and hope it doesnt start some sort of battle here but I think it would help us all undertand your opinion on this and where you are coming from if you would share if you have kids and how well they do/did in school? I'll start by sharing my child has been tested AIG and is doing well in school. So far he hasnt run in to any difficult challenges academically. DB's wife
Yes, we have a student in JoCo schools. Struggles, yet is determined to do her best. My larger concern is that with all of the pressure to pass EOGs (which reflect on the schools more) that there is pressure to teach to the test. I'd much prefer that they teach these kids how to think, evaluate, research, respond..than to teach to a test. Academics are so focused now to the EOGs that a well rounded education is almost impossible. Married to a teacher in JoCo.
Tests aren't for mastery of a subject. I am talking about understanding a concept or topic. Those are the buliding blocks, which in theory, would lend itself to mastery (the expected level of mastery for a given age/grade) of a subject. TOTALLY agree with this idea. Former JoCo teacher with 2 in the school system. One is gifted and thinks outside the box. WAY outside the box.
I agree with this too. I'll mention too that some kids buckle under pressure when being tested. The point of school is what you said. There are other ways to evaluate students than EOGs. However, if EOGs are so important in evaluating students, teachers and schools, retesting over and over again would not show an accurate result. If they are going to be retested several times, in my opinion, the EOGs serve no purpose.
