I read this on a blog somewhere today but can't remember where (going through my Twitter favorites): why would students bother to come in and re-test, if they know they will be tested on it in the future?
For example, Larry gets a 6/10 on adding fractions. He retests and gets an 8/10. Later on, I assess for retention or summative or whatever you want to call it. Now he scores a 4/10. Why bother coming in to get that 8 when he ends up with a 4?
Thoughts:
I'm thinking about (as a way of introducing to my students) showing them 'made up' student progress charts and asking them to point out what skills the made-up student is lacking, where they excel, etc to get them acquainted with how it works. Then they will have a concrete example of how to self-assess when they have their own in front of them. Also, it would be a good segue into asking them questions as a way of explaining and modeling how the system works without just giving them a paper to read or a lecture. For example:
- How could this student improve?
- How would the teacher know they have improved?
- How could they prove it?
- What would happen if they did learn more?
- What happens if they don't?
- What happens if they forget?
I teach in a rural school district. If my students stay after school, they stay from 3 to 5 and take the activity bus home. I know someone (sorry I can't remember who) only allows students to come after school for help or to re-test but not both at the same time. I don't think that's practical for me because if they stay, it's not going to take the full 2 hour session to just practice or just re-test. Seems like both could fit in there. My point here is that my students can't just drop in after school. Buuuuuuuut, we have a 40 minute homeroom and my first period is devoted to interventions and working with individual students. So my real question is should I require coming after school for practice and then re-test during homeroom or first hour? Or should I offer after school but not require it since homeroom and first hour are available? I guess no matter what that I should require practice and re-testing on different days, correct?
Thought:
Should there be a mandatory check-in time? Like once every two weeks students have to meet with me and show me their colored in tracking-progress-graph-chart-thingymabob and identify to me the skills they don't understand and thinking of ways they could improve. I won't require extra practice and re-testing, I can't make them do it, but if I require these types of conferences, then I feel it will show the students (and administrators and parents) that I am doing my part and they are willfully choosing to refuse help. But how to implement?
