Let's All Take A Day...to Remediate!

By: Rachel Barry

Is it already almost Spring Break?  Wasn't it just New Year's Day?  This year has been moving fast!  It has been full of wonderful learning experiences (Schoology Checklists, Kahoot! games, Last Man Standing activities, Scavenger Hunts, etc.) as well as some time restraints (cold & snow days, state testing, field trips, illness, etc.).  With the end of third quarter upon us, my PLTs decided it would be a great opportunity to spend some time focusing on remediation.

Following PARCC testing on Monday and Tuesday, our regular junior math team has decided to spend the rest of the week allowing students to catch up on missing work and reassess on topics they didn't master.  Students have been absent for various reasons, and many are very involved before school, during free periods, and after school in extra-curricular activities or are restricted to bus times.  Giving students time during the school day to take any missing quizzes or tests provides students with an opportunity to make up work when I am able to help them and may alleviate stress.

This remediation process shows our students that the focus of their education is student learning -- we want our students to master skills and ensure that the course "grade" truly reflects this mastery.  A poor grade with a strict deadline sends the message to students that they are not accountable to learn that material.  Students accept their poor grade and may never return to the material to learn it.  A structured remediation process reinforces the importance of learning ALL course material.

For the two different classes that I teach, there are two different documents used for remediation prior to the reassessment.  In my regular freshmen class, we use this Post-Quiz Reflection document.  The students who want or need to retake the quiz complete the front rubric and work on the aligned homework problem.  I check over their work and then give them a ticket to bring to our Reassessment Room to take the retake.  In my regular junior course, I use this Additional Practice document.  Students must complete the Additional Practice, get it checked, and then are given the retake ticket.

If you ever want to talk about remediation and reassessment processes, feel free to drop by the Collab Lab.  I'm always interested in talking through best practices and finding new methods for students to show mastery of their learning!