Tests must be taken the day they are scheduled. I have this requirement clearly stated in the course requirements. With few exceptions (sickness, emergency, etc)most students meet this rule. As with some other instructors, if you miss a test day because you weren't prepared and merely wanted more study time, you will not receive a high mark and be rewarded for your efforts--you get the minimum passing grade. This has really lowered the amount of "retest" one has to contend with. I also feel a distinct set of rules, given on day 1, removes alot of stress from students when there are no questions about responsibilities and testing.
Our policy has been changed so that missing a quiz or exam has no consequences.
I use the no make up rule in class each term. When I first began teaching I found that I was making many accommodations for students that was causing stress in my life and my schedule. Once I added the no makeup rule or deducting a certain percentage for late work, the students started being in class on test days and submitting work on time. It was a great help and I wouldn't change it at all.
What an interesting approach Lynnette! Definitely a way to level the playing field – particularly for situations in which students are sharing information. Another approach is to administer a multiple choice exam for students who take the exam on schedule and an essay exam for those students who are late. This approach typically provides an incentive to take the exam on schedule and is another way to level the playing field when concerned about information sharing.
I found that students take advantage of the extra time to study and ask student who took the exam on the appointed test date about the questions. This is a great disadvantage to students who studied and applied themselves in a timely manner, but get a lower grade than the student that took the exam on a later date. To discourage problems like this, I tell students that the make up exam will be one grade lower.
Amy, what a fabulous way of increasing class attendance! Thanks for such a unique suggestion. I imagine this method works quite well.
I have a similiar rule in my class. I allow the students to use notes on their tests if they are present for the entire week and the entire class. It is amazing what that has done for my attendance, besides helping the students be motivated to be in class, they are, therefore,learning more!
In our school students that miss a exam on the scheduled day are given a zero for that test. We have one makeup day several days later where they can take the exam that was missed. If they fail to show for that exam on that day the grade stays a zero and they must retake the module. We also allow students that fail a test the first time to take a retest for a passing grade. If they fail the retest they repeat the module. We encourage the students not to miss an exam day, study and pass the test on the first try. The system works pretty well.
Good points Mary! Formalizing the make-up rule and strictly enforcing it doesn't just benefit you by reducing your stress. It makes you a better educator by providing students with experiences that will more closely approximate the complex demands of the work world.
In the last 6 months we have put into effective a 2-week makeup rule for the entire campus. Some daily/weekly quizzes are not made up. Students who are dilegent will make up their work within 2 weeks. If they turn in their work on time or their work is 1 week late the assignment grade is recorded. If they are 2 weeks late in turning in their assignment -20 pts off the grade (one instructor calls this a service charge or a late fee). The reason we allow the extra week is to allow students to set up tutoring if they are having difficulty or make arrangements with their employer, babysitter, etc. for makeup/tutoring. After 2 weeks the grade is now a permanent zero and can no longer be made up. Weekly quizzes are built into all of our syllabi and are designed to be take on an assigned day and time. The student must be here to take the quiz or the grade is a permanent zero and cannot be made up. The weekly quiz is a daily grade--not test grade. We are trying to teach students to meet deadlines just like they would in the "real world". The policy is written and each student has a copy which we review verbally every 5 weeks. Since the implementation of the make-up policy, there has been eliminatation of a lot of stress for my co-workers, students, office staff, and myself.
Good point Franklin. As educators, we do our students a disservice when there isn't a good match between the educational environment and reality. Minimizing the disparity between the two maximizes the chances of student success in the real world.
In our school we try to teach responsibility by eliminating as much as possible the make up rule. I personally believe that allowing a student to make something up (some exceptions will apply) gives the wrong impression of the "real world", and at the end of the day that is what we are trying to emulate with our training.
Sounds like a great system Faith. It really speaks to setting expectations up front and that's so important. When instructors clearly set and document expectations in the beginning of the semester, they often experience two main benefits. 1. They provide their students a roadmap for success. 2. They reduce the number of time consuming and stressful disagreements over expectations later in the semester.
