Most classes require students to be assessed on learned material, especially by means of  summative tests, which are often given at the end of instructional units and account for a high percentage of the overall quarter grade.  However, this can be a problem when students find their grades falling short of what they believe they can achieve.
While MCPS policy permits opportunities for reassessment to be provided to students, with the reassessment grade replacing the original, this policy specifically excludes assessments that are given at the end of an instructive unit.  This policy is unfair and it is not unreasonable for students in certain circumstances to be given a second chance to succeed at these tests.
Although a reason for testing is for teachers to obtain evidence of how well their students understand the taught material, a student’s original grade on a test may not reflect his or her understanding of the content.
A poor mark on a heavily weighted assessment can skew a student’s overall class grade but still show little evidence of the student’s learning.  When a student consistently performs well on quizzes, yet continues to receive poor grades on summative tests, it is questionable whether the tests accurately reflect the student’s true understanding of the material.
The possibility of bombing a test still lingers even if a student has studied for it.  Though a student may not be sick enough to miss school, if he does not feel 100 percent on a test day, this can cause a performance that is not on par with his full capabilities.  Everyone should be permitted to have a bad day or even a bad hour, which could be the cause of a less than stellar performance on a test.
Though not always intentional, questions or directions on a test can sometimes be unclear, which can result in a number of students performing poorly on the test.  Although teachers sometimes try to rectify this problem by getting rid of a question or two, this remedy may not be feasible in all situations. When a class’s performance is less than expected, the teacher should have the flexibility to allow for a reassessment.
Some teachers may feel that with an easier retake policy, students will be more reluctant to study for the original test and not take it as seriously as they should.  Also, some students could take advantage of the opportunity of reassessment in order to increase an otherwise decent grade.
Understandingly, opportunities for more reassessments will increase teachers’ workloads since they would be required to make and grade additional tests.  Although these are reasonable concerns, safeguards can be put in place to make sure that only those students in need of a reassessment are deemed eligible for one.
A possible solution is for the establishment of a policy that would allow each student to retake only one summative assessment per quarter.  In addition, a student should only be eligible to retake a test if he received a grade of a low B or below on the original test.  These safeguards will help to ensure that the reassessment policy is directed to only those students whose overall quarter grades do not effectively reflect their full capabilities.