Learning in the 21st century should be student-centered. Prescribed exam periods, de riguer in the 20th century learning model, are schedule-centered. They force students to perform in a “do-or-die” situation, whether or not they have adequately covered the material. Naturally, student stress levels shoot up in this high-stakes environment.
Even worse, many schools schedule exam periods after break periods. Just when students should be using the time to rest and recharge, they are expected to work even more to do well on the exams that are to come.
Wayland High School junior Taylor Elias, with fellow students in an honors US history course, pointed out three areas for reform that would help students de-stress, in “De-Stress WHS.” Published on the Wayland Student Press Network, Elias focuses on the proliferation of AP courses, homework, and testing days.
“The testing days back teachers into corners, often forcing them either to test before their class is prepared or too late in the curriculum, restricting the class from moving on,” Elias writes. “In other cases, teachers simply feel the need to test because it’s their assigned day, which can have negative repercussions for the students.”
Elias also notes that the lack of teacher-to-teacher communication creates conflict within the schedule, and the lack of clear definition about the types of assessments are also stress-inducing culprits. “What would be considered a test in one class is considered a quiz in another,” Elias writes. To read the WHS student’s full argument, click here.
As a student, Elias is spot-on—and the scenerios are common in public and private schools alike. Based on the 21st-century school model, the argument is for doing away with exam periods altogether. By allowing assessment to occur at natural intervals in the curriculum, students are better prepared—and less stressed. Schools are examining the exam schedule period—and making adjustments.
One school reported on one of the ISM listservs, “We actually moved our entire calendar up so we could end semester one before Christmas break. We’ve had nothing but positive results— happy kids and parents. We have done exams before Christmas for about five years, but used to return from break and have a couple weeks left in the semester— this sometimes led to teachers creating too onerous ‘projects’ to round out the year and a feeling of two exam periods. We don't have a reading period; in fact, many of our classes have stopped giving semester exams altogether, especially full-year courses.”
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM 2012 Summer Institute Workshop, 21st Century Schools: Already a Decade In
ISM Web site: The Symptoms of a Toxic Schedule
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 9 No. 4 The Pressure on High School Students to Build Their Resume … Whose Best Interest Is It?
Additional ISM resources of interest for Consortium Gold Members
To The Point Vol. 15 No. 7 More Time, Less Stress: It’s All in the Schedule!
Ideas & Perspectives Vol. 34 No. 14 The 21st Century School: The School Calendar
Ideas & Perspectives Vol. 30 No. 143 The Implications of Advanced Placement for Scheduling
