Currently summative assessments are worth 80% of a student’s grade while formative assessments are worth 20% of their grade. Formative assessments are used to assess and provide feedback to teachers on the learning process of their students. Summative assessments are meant to have more effect on a student’s grade. However, formative assessments should not have a great effect on their grade.

Shadow Ridge High School plans on changing next year’s current grading weights. Summative assessments will become 90%-100% and formative assessments will be worth, at most, 10%. The students at Shadow Ridge have a lot to say about this change.

Sophomore Olivia Burdette believes that the influence that summative assessments have on students is too big of an impact on their grades. Burdette states that she does not feel that it accurately reflects a student’s academic abilities. She explains that the percentage change will cause many students to fail subjects.

If test grades have more of an influence over grades, one failed test could entirely shift the students grade. Burdette adds that students could also have test anxiety, which means even if they know the curriculum the student will most likely perform poorly because of this anxiety. 

Junior Katelyn Fisk and sophomore Andi Hughs also make this point. Fisk states that it places far too much of an emphasis on being a good test taker rather than the learning process. Students won’t have any motivation to do the practice or homework if it has no effect on their grade. Fisk explains that kids who are naturally better at taking tests but do not do the work will benefit, while students who study and work hard to get good grades but are not good at taking tests will have a disadvantage.