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Giving Kids Opportunities to Re-do and Retest

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I found this session to be one of the more thought provoking ones that I attended that day.  Often I look at assessments from two very different angles--one as a teacher, and the other as a parent.   The teacher in me has traditionally thought that tests/assessments, and projects should be the culmination of learning--showing off what a student has gleaned from the instruction.  On the other hand, as a parent, I have often wished that my child were given more time to prepare, reflect upon, and learn the material.  The "snapshot" of how my child performed on one assessment doesn't always indicate learning or mastery, and this is unfortunate. 

I'm trying hard to reconcile how to offer this option within the confines of a middle school where many of our high school courses are subject to definitive prerequisites.  I believe that the ability to show mastery is what is in the best interest of the kids.  However, part of me feels that it is unfair to those students who studied and prepared for the exam to give others a "redo".  The teachers at this presentation commented that they often "post the test online so that the kids would know exactly what was on it," but that, in my opinion, doesn't measure mastery of content.  That test assesses a student's ability to memorize. 

In theory, giving the kids the opportunity to redo and retest is great.  Making it happen by developing not only additional assessments but a series of requirements that students must complete in order to take advantage of the opportunity is daunting.  This would be a great Professional Development idea for someone...

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