After CHS staff viewed the movie Race to Nowhere Nov. 7, the PTSA and teachers and administrators are working to reduce some of the stress placed on students.

Spanish teacher Bob Roos has seen some of this stress first-hand. Roos conducted a survey of his classes Nov. 22 in which he asked his students whether they had at least two graded assessments that day. Eighty-nine percent of his first period students, 98 percent of his second period students, 90 percent of his third period students, 100 percent of his fifth period students and 52 percent of his seventh period students had at least three tests or quizzes that day. Due to this survey, he believes that multiple assessments on a particular day can be attributed to some of the stress.

“I originally took the survey because a student in a class quietly said that they had four assessments that day,” Roos said. “It really disturbed me. If I were a student I would be totally stressed out.”

According to PTSA president Geri Shapiro, the PTSA is working with the administration to try to have test days for each department, but the drawback of these designated days is that the students taking multiple classes in a subject area could have multiple tests on one day.

However, testing days are usually scheduled far in advance.

“When you finish an area of study, you look at and judge how long it would take to teach the next area of study and then decide when to assess,” World Language resource teacher Stacye Steele said. “There are timing issues, so when you lose the time when you thought you were going to assess, you have to choose the next available time.”

Social studies resource teacher Rodney Van Tassell agrees.

“We need to take into consideration holidays, half-days and end-of-quarter administratively-defined exam days,” Van Tassell said. “There are so many variables. Therefore, there are very few days you can actually test.”

As a result, many students have multiple assessments on the same day. With extracurricular activities and other homework, students have difficulty finding time to study for these assessments.

“I am overwhelmed,” sophomore Gloria Samen said. “I get home from school at 7 p.m. because of Blast rehearsals, and then I have at least three hours of homework and studying.”

According to Principal Joan Benz, if students have not had time to sleep or if they cram material at the last minute, their performance on graded assessments is often affected.

“Students need to keep up with their classes so that cramming the last day before a test is not needed,” English resource teacher Emily Goldberg said.

However, even though multiple tests on the same day can affect student performance and increase stress levels, there are few ways to solve the problem. According to Samen, each department should have a designated assessment day, but some department heads are quick to shoot down that idea. Even though the department heads refused this idea, none of them offered any other suggestions.

“Even without disruptions, we can’t give up instructional time waiting for our test date,” math resource teacher Curtis Southworth said. “We’d have to teach new material before students have the opportunity to take the summative assessment.”

However, Steele believes that designated assessment days for each department would benefit students.

“The first year might be difficult, but then the teachers would get a rhythm and can learn to adjust their lesson plans,” Steele said.

Regardless, according to science resource teacher Clinton Brown, teachers and students need better communication to achieve success.

“The best thing is for teachers to be flexible,” Brown said. “If he or she hears that there are multiple assessments on the same day, they should try and move theirs.”

Even though the designated assessment days are still in the process of deliberation, some teachers have taken the matter into their own hands by limiting homework on the weekend.

“If I can avoid homework on the weekends, I will try to,” English teacher Kevin Brown said. “However, it’s a no-win situation. At some point, the work has to get done.”

Although designated assessment days might be difficult to implement, they would alleviate some of the stress placed on students.

“It’s going to take a paradigm shift,” Roos said. “It’s going to take patience and ironing out, but in the end it is going to benefit the students.”