The Problem With Retakes Policies

"As the leader in the classroom, the teacher creates the conditions for success and the foundation for confidence which allows unexpected students to achieve high levels of performance. Leaders within our system do the same for the adults they lead." -Tom Schimmer

Many schools have gone to or are working towards standards based grading. Assignments are broken down into two categories: formative and summative assessments. Formative is meant to be practice and worth a small percentage of a learners' grade, while summative assessments are evidence of learning and holds the most weight. For this reason, many teachers allow learners to re-assess or retake any summatives that learners do poorly on. Retakes can assure learners meet the required standards, but the problem lies in the retake policies. Many teachers have retake policies that involve additional work, coming in early or late for re-teaching, and evidence of review or studying of the content. Our question is, why is all of the required AFTER the test? Once a class takes a test the class proceeds to move on to the next unit. Now a learner that is already struggling, needs to do extra work to try and catch up while the class keeps moving onto more content. This is overwhelming, stressful and missing the point of retakes. 

Retakes are meant to ensure learning for all, and honors that some learners learn at different paces. Additional learning needs to happen before a learner can retake a summative otherwise the results will be the same. In a personalized learning framework, learners have access to different pathways so learners have opportunities to do all the things teachers require for retakes BEFORE the test. If formative work is used as feedback (see blog Why don’t we trust learners to make choices) then learners know what they know or don’t know before they get to the test. Throughout the unit they can take advantage of teacher seminars for direct instruction, flex time for re-teaching or extra help, and provide evidence they are ready to take the test. 

Multiple Pathways

In a personalized learning class, the teacher already knows who is struggling and is able to intervene through pathways. There are points during the unit where teachers can slow down for some, while letting others go deeper or pace faster (see blog Multiple Pathways). Teachers that are well into personalizing are even letting learners test early and move on to applying the content to new situations to enrich and extend the learning. 

The key is to give FEEDBACK to learners before they have to demonstrate mastery on a summative assignment, project or test. We have found using "one point" rubrics allows us to give timely and specific feedback to learners. We try and use the same rubric (or as similar as can be) on the formative work that will be used for the summative assignment. This way learners get feedback in the process of learning and not just in the end. This formative feedback also informs us as teachers which kids need more instruction or more support before getting to the summative. We invite these learners to extra teacher seminars, daily flex offerings or during lunch. Once again, the formative work is crucial for providing learners and teachers with the data needed to determine which pathways the learners need to take in their learning.  

Single Point Rubric Example

Test Qualifiers

In addition, learners must complete “test qualifiers” that prove learners are prepared to demonstrate their learning on the test. A test qualifier can take on many different forms, in our class it is a check list for review and reflection. Learners would work on and be assigned a test qualifier the class before the test, when we would have traditionally had a review day. If a learner comes in to take a test and they have not finished the test qualifier, that learner will spend the class completing what they didn't finish.The learner will be required to take the test within the week, so there is still an end date but the message is you need to be prepared and qualified to take this test. 

Test Qualifier Example

Summary

1.) Use formative work that is directly connected to the summatives as feedback for the learners.

2.) Create pathways for support, extension or enrichment informed by the formative assessments.

3.) Assign "Test Qualifiers" to help learners understand whether or not they are prepared to take the summative.

As Teachers we need to set learners up with winning streaks, so they continue to strive for achieving success. Determining a date for a test and holding all learners to mastery on that date without a retake option is not equitable, but neither is requiring additional work for retakes. Giving learners access to different pathways so they have more than one opportunity to learn the content, concepts or information is equity! Personalized learning is about equity….ensuring learning for all!