Retests May Hurt Students, Not Help Them
Unintended consequences may be harmful to students.
Retests are common in K-12 environment
I have been reflecting upon retests lately. Retests are a common occurrence in K- 12 education. The usual scenario is students who perform poorly on a first test are given a second chance on another examination to raise their score. On the surface, this seems to make sense. However, in most instances, I believe the logic is not only flawed, but this protocol is also hurtful to students.
If a student scores lower than a 70 on a ‘major’ test in the gradebook the teacher must allow the student the opportunity to retest, redo, or cumulatively retest to demonstrate mastery. — Katy ISD (2015–2016)
Reassessments are a growing trend in classrooms across our country… Proponents… [believe] that grades need to be a true and accurate measure of what students know and are able to do. — Brian Stack, Principal of Sanborn Regional High School, Kingston, N.H.
