Exams

Somehow it doesn't seem quite fair that classes haven't even started (students arrive tomorrow) and yet I have already had to give several different sets of exams. I came back to school a week early to help give the grade 10 transfer exams - which is exactly what it sounds like, an exam that gives interested students a chance to transfer into our school from an exam at the end of the summer. We did have to be a bit careful for some borderline grades as students have to earn at least a 55 in either math or science in order to enter the school - and as always these students still have the right to appeal a score in court (it's better for us not to even give a grade which may result in an appeal). This past week students had a second chance to take the grade-raising exams and the responsibility exams. Their first attempt was in June just after school ended. The grade-raising exam is again what it sounds like, a single exam which will get averaged with their end of year grade. It is a bit deceptive to call it a grade-raising exam as quite often it ends up lowering their average (a result the students never seem to anticipate). Responsibility exams are for those students who have failed a class during the normal school year (either for the just finished year or a previous year). They get a one exam shot (which will continue to get repeated semester after semester until they manage to pass or finally give up) to pass. All it takes is passing the single exam to retroactively pass them for the year. I still have my doubts about the educational value of these exams, but I do realize it is something that I have no control over. Its a Turkish Education Ministry decision.