FLHS sophomore Ruby Grosshart says, “The Reassessment Policy has helped me support my grades while I still am putting in maximum effort.” The new system has been implemented this school year in order to give students second chances on tests that they feel they didn’t do well in. There could be a large variety of reasons why a student doesn’t earn the grade they want on a test, including a lack of studying, a bad night of sleep, or a misinterpretation of the content. The policy offers a single retake per quarter in each class and though teachers may have varying ways of allowing this, all students are getting access to this new system. 

In my experience, the reassessment policy is taken advantage of best in the classes that students find the most difficult. For instance, AP Modern European History requires a lot of work, both in school and outside of class. This means that there is a lot of information that is required to know on tests. There are frequent summatives of varying weights. These tests can be very difficult and require an extensive understanding of the material, the type of questions, and how to analyze stimuluses. The reassessment policy offers a way where students are incentivized to go over confusing content to earn back points. 

The other aspect of the reassessment policy that I have found very helpful is how it has encouraged students to be able to talk with their teachers more so than they already do. Meeting with a teacher to go over a test that I did poorly on helps me understand material I struggled on originally. The policy is therefore very helpful in tough classes, to better my comprehension of the required material and my grade. 

I’m not alone in thinking the last benefit, maybe the best, is that knowing you can retake a test allows you to go into the exam feeling more at ease. Paige Seaver says, “While I was still concerned with doing well, the reassessment policy made me feel like I didn’t need to worry.”  If I’m stressed about a test in math because I’m struggling in the unit, I feel less stressed when taking it, knowing I can retake it. In a lot of cases being stressed while taking a test is the reason you do poorly on it, causing you to make silly mistakes or blank on information that you know. Feeling less stressed during a test can help you do better. 

Overall the reassessment policy has allowed me to feel more confident in my grades and better equipped to succeed across all my classes, especially in my harder courses.