At Campolindo, some students spend up to 7 hours a day in school. There are 180 days in a school year. That means these students spend 1,260 hours learning on campus from the end of August to the beginning of June. Yet, teachers still expect them to spend time after school on homework.
This tremendous load is further weighted when multiple teachers schedule tests on the same day. That is why Campolindo has implemented a “suggested testing schedule” for all subjects.
The testing schedule is simple and concise: English, mathematics, and world language tests fall on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Science, technical education, and visual and performing arts take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Physical education and health tests are up to the teachers’ discretion.
Unfortunately, some teachers do not follow the schedule, which results in unnecessary student stress.
Every week I am overwhelmed by a challenging testing schedule. I spend hours studying for tests, yet I often run out of preparation time.
Reading, highlighting, annotating, and typing dominate my evenings.
Sophomore Chase Abbott who also takes part in after school activities like football and lacrosse. Like me, he also believes that teachers should follow the testing schedule. “When tests stockpile up, they often affect my grade because I cannot study for each one properly,” he said.
Like other students striving to get good grades, Abbott is bombarded with daily test preparation. “This puts a lot of stress in me because I am expected to get good grades, and multiple tests on one day can prevent me from doing that,” he said.
Although some teachers have not adopted the testing schedule, others have recognized the issue and are abiding by the “suggested” rules.
One teacher that adheres to the schedule consistently is Spanish teacher Charlotte Taylor. “We have the testing schedules to make sure students don’t have too many tests on one day, and it’s only fair for teachers to follow the schedule,” she said.
Like students are so often advised to do, teachers need to plan ahead. Taylor said, “It’s easy to plan for the days I know are mine.”
Because the schedule is simple to learn and adapt, teachers should use it.
Taylor said, “All teachers should follow it for at least major tests.” This will prevent students from having to cram for multiple tests the night before.
When teachers don’t follow the testing schedule it leads to unnecessary student stress, which ultimately leads to poor academic performance.
I am a strong believer that teachers should follow the testing schedule.
