test repair (repeat testing until a minimum standard is reached)
Re-do policies, depending upon how they are implemented in practice, may provide a sense of legitimacy to essentially falsifying student level of performance.
Regarding do-over policy or practice, parents may wish to know:
1) How is grading assigned?
- For example, does the redo grade replace the original grade?
- Is the assigned grade an average of the original work and the rework?
2) Who has access to the redo opportunity?
- Everyone who wishes to repeat the exercise?
- Only select individuals?
--- Is selection determined by a consistent set of criteria, such as a cut score? If so, what is the cut score?
--- Do any other selection criteria apply?
3) Is the policy clearly documented? Is it selectively implemented on the fly?
Does the student who was originally failing (or below a specific threshold) ultimately receive a grade of 100% based on a redo, while a student who originally scored 96% is denied a redo and retains the grade of 96% entered into the gradebook?
I've heard of policies like this used to considerably raise the GPA of marginal performers. By the end of high school selective access to redo opportunities which offer grade replacement may push selected students to the upper reaches of class rank while the GPA of consistent high performers may be comparatively lower. Colleges and universities may get an inaccurate picture of students' level of performance.
