How can the under-utilized test calendar be optimized for the upcoming semester?

Exam. Assessment. Test. Quiz. Call it you what you want, students have to deal with a lot of them. Now, what happens when you realize that you have one almost every period? Thankfully there is a safety net in place to protect against such an occurrence:

The test calendar.

Each semester, teachers get together to discuss big due dates which they compile onto a master schedule. As idealized, this calendar would limit major assessments to two per day, however at times it may seem that this device is not functioning to the best of its ability.

As the Upper School Dean of Students, Walter Jackson deals with student complaints.

“I consistently hear from students that they are overloaded with work,” Jackson said.

Though these complaints may be justified, the majority of them are due to students mismanaging their time, but both lead to late nights of studying. Come the morning, the sun rises to find weary-eyed students slumped over their laptops, having received an inadequate night’s sleep. It is accepted that on a few occassions, (*cough* finals *cough*) such a plethora of tests is standard. However, were such an insane amount of studying to become a constant occurrence, students’ grades would undoubtedly suffer.

Chemistry teacher Mikayla Patella-Buckley believes that were the test calendar to be utilized to its full extent, it would provide students with an optimal exam schedule.

“It is not being used as consistently as it could be,” Patella-Buckley said. If it were used on a more consistent basis, Patella-Buckley thinks that it could become a “very valuable tool.” This issue of consistency lies in how difficult it can be to plan in advance.

Upper School Director Ken Jaffe believes that in addition to usage frequency, there are other issues at play regarding the test calendar.

“There is a lack of clarity of what should be put on it,” Jaffe said. By “clarity” he is refering to the definition of a “major” assessment.

Many teachers are under the pretense that the sole purpose of the test calendar is to avoid scheduling three “major” assessments simultaneously. Therefore, it would most likely slip teacher’s minds to include a “minor” assessment.

“Anything that takes a significant amount of at-home preparation should be added to the calendar,” Jaffe said. Compounding, something that a teacher may think should only take a quick second to complete, a student could spend an hour on. Thus, another issue regarding the test calendar lies in the perception of major vs. minor.

There is also the problem that certain students fall through the cracks on the test calendar. Those who take a unique set of classes, such as advanced math or an out-of-year science class tend to be ignored by the calendar. This is because tests that primarily pertain to a specific grade are allowed to coincide with other grade’s tests.

Those students who have coinciding tests must simply cope with the situation at hand. One solution is to just power through a multiple-test-day. Another would be to manage study time so one can prepare for each test without neglect. If both of those fail, the last resort should be to talk to one’s teacher and reschedule the exam. Though there may be some disagreement within the staff, a buffer of about two to five days should provide an adequate amount of time for teachers to make accommodations.

Though he believes students and faculty can take steps towards a more helpful test calendar, Jaffe has a strong role as a test calendar facilitator. Recognizing that he is pivotal to the calendar’s effectiveness, Jaffe thinks that the test calendar could aid students, assisting in the management of their increasingly busy lives.

By: Jacob Greene