Why Won’t Teachers Return Tests?

Near the end of the school year, my high school freshman had final exam that would determine his grade in an important class. He was on the fence and needed to knock the ball out of the park in order to get a B in the class. First question I asked him was “Do you have your old tests to study from?” His answer was the same as it always is when I ask this question. “No, the teachers won’t return them. We get to see our grades in class and that’s it.”

Does this seem fair to you? How can a student study and improve if he can’t see his mistakes, correct them, and learn from the problem? On the flip side, teachers worry that they will have to create yet another exam because kids will share their tests with others. Future students will have the test to study from so cheating will be rampant. I’m just not sure if this is a compelling reason to withhold tests.

The Issue is In Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Maryland and Everywhere Else

When I came across Jay Matthews’ article in the Post the other day, I read it with rapt attention. I’m glad to see that this issue keeps surfacing in our area, because it’s an important one that needs discussion across the country. Click here to read Mr. Matthews’ stance on this widespread problem.