Reply to Mismatch between assignments and formative grades

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Why are the tests so hard? I don't remember high school tests being so difficult, and I am not that smart[/quote]

One big reason IMO is open enrollment honors/AP. Kids are taking classes they have no business signing up for because they want to for the grade bump, for their friend group, because it "looks good for college". Then they struggle. My class average is an 86%, but it's skewed way left because a handful of kids have 50s who really should never have registered for my class. Those who do belong are getting As.

My tests now compared to my tests from 20 years ago are night and day. The current ones are half as long, much simpler. I actually found some old copies cleaning out a filing cabinet yesterday on the work day and was blown away what I used to expect kids to do.[/quote][b]Perhaps the handful of kids who have lower grades have them because of the one test that they have taken so far that is counting for 70% of their grade.[/b] While I do agree that maybe some of the kids do not belong in the higher level classes, most are qualified and should be encouraged if they work hard and put in the effort. 
After attending many college info sessions for my know senior. Every single school said they are looking for rigor with HNs,APs and IBs this even from seemingly “easier” admits for state schools(VA). So the pressure is real.[/quote]

My one course has 2 tests and 2 quizzes in summative.

The other has 3 tests and 3 quizzes.

So no, it’s not a singular poor performance. It is students going against the recommendations of their former teachers, not being willing to hear it’s not a good idea to jump from regular algebra (with a B) to honors geometry, to take geometry over the summer and try to jump to algebra 2 honors, to get a C- in precalc but take calculus anyway, etc, etc.

We aren’t trying to be mean. We want kids to be successful. When I have a child who literally has not gotten above 20% on an assessment all year and only has a passing grade because of the 50% rule, I get frustrated that they signed up for my class. They were not recommended for it, don’t have the grades to support it, and are in way over their heads. I don’t have the time, no matter how hard I try, to give them sufficient support to keep up.

In any given honors/AP class at least 4-5 (out of 30) kids fit that profile. It’s brutal.[/quote]So you are saying you allow  quizzes in Summative? Here is another issue! Our HS only allows tests in Summative just like above that was said. Only 2 tests this quarter in most classes. Why is there not a rule for all HS what has to be in Summative ( quizzes, projects, labs) like has been in previous years? So you allow your students to re take quizzes if you put them in Summative? Because that’s the new rule…I’d rather have my kids in your HS [/quote]

I don't do retakes for quizzes, I do grade replacement (similar to the SBG this board hates). I quiz on topics A/B/C throughout the unit, and then their test covers A/B/C in entirety. If they score better on section A on the test, I raise their quiz A grade to match--they've demonstrated improved understanding of that topic. I'd do the same for any quizzes in formative.

Learning isn't a race. I want students to learn the material by test day. Quizzes should be learning opportunities.[/quote]

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