- Mercer Middle School
- Retest Policy
Retest Policy
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Fundamental beliefs about the policy
We aren’t testing a child’s study habits and whether or not they “play school well”, we are testing their content knowledge and critical thinking. If the child hasn’t done the practice, they aren’t ready to play. We are holding them accountable for being ready to play before we put them in the game. Most students do better on assessments when they put forth the effort first, eliminating the need for retakes altogether. Additionally, we are helping students work towards content mastery, not achieve the highest report card grade possible.
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Can a student who has all of their assignments in choose not to test on the assigned day?
This is up to teacher, the parent and the student. Developmentally, many students are not ready to make this decision on their own. We student to test as scheduled who have demonstrated they are prepared but understand there are circumstances in which you may wish to delay the test (previously sick, family emergencies, etc.). Please remember to communicate all delayed testing appointments to parents and cc your dean.
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Do projects and presentations fall under this policy?
This policy was created specifically for summative quizzes and tests. Often, projects and presentations have frequent checkpoints and formative feedback given along the way. For this reason it is not required to follow the reteach/retest policy for these types of assessments.
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Do students who are unprepared for assessments on test day qualify for retesting?
If the formatives/review assignments are complete before the test is taken, then the student does qualify for retesting. By “holding” the test, we make students eligible because they have to do the assignments first (most students who complete their formatives won’t need to retest anyways.) An 81% cap applies to any student who takes a retest.
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Do unprepared students have to wait an entire week to test?
Students can retest at any time within the week extension. Teacher, parent and the student need to work together to determine the appropriate amount of time needed for preparation. A student with one missing formative may be ready to test the next day whereas a student missing multiple formatives may need more time
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Does this policy apply to quizzes?
Yes, all summative assessments
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How many retesting attempts does a student get?
One. Remember, students are only eligible for retesting if their formatives/review assignments are complete.
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If a student gets an extension for not being prepared for an assessment, does the 81% cap apply?
No- the cap is only for students who are taking the test for a second time (retesting).
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What will students do while the others are taking the test?
Students not testing will be working on their missing assignments. This is an opportunity to answer their questions and set testing appointments.
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When is OT (Ownership Time) assigned and what is it used for?
OT is given to students who have not completed their formatives/review assignment even after being given a week extension. OT will be used to teach study skills and test preparation. The goal of OT is to teach kids how to change their academic behaviors so they learn how to be prepared for upcoming assessments. OT is Monday, Wednesday and Thursday after school.
