Meaningful Test Corrections for All Learners

Test corrections have been around for a long time. They can be very meaningful for some students. But for students who scored very low, completing test corrections can be overwhelming and not help them learn the content better. Students who get a perfect score are missing out on an opportunity to reflect on their thinking. Regardless of their score, all students need to be met where they are. When I do test corrections, students complete different test correction activities depending on their test score.

A teacher helping a student with their work

Level 1

Any student who scored below a 50%, likely has some large gaps in their understanding of this topic. For this group, they are going to need the most support. I assign these students to work with an adult (usually myself but a TA or lead teacher can help too). With the help of an adult they look for clues on the test and consider any important information they have learned that might apply to this question. I often let them use their notes as well. This activity allows students to focus on relearning specific skills they didn't understand the first time.


Level 2

These students scored somewhere between a 50% and 80%. They have a basic level of understanding of the topic but often just have a few misconceptions or were just tricked by some of the questions. They focus on reflecting on their original answer and making sense of a new answer. They can work independently or in a partnership. This activity helps students identify gaps in understanding and recognize patterns in their mistakes.


Level 3

Any student who scored above a 80%, likely won't benefit much from completing typical test corrections. For this group, they choose 5 questions from their assessment that they got correct. They will rank the answers from most correct to least correct and provide a justification for their rankings. This activity pushes students beyond simple recall and towards deeper reasoning.


So after your next assessment give this a try and see if your students benefit from it too! Discover more ideas, classroom tips, and teaching strategies in the Coffee and Sneakers blog!

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