Following concerns over the testing schedule implemented at the start of the school year, the Townsend Harris Student Union (SU) released a feedback form for students to voice their concerns and provide specific comments on how the schedule could be improved to better fit students’ needs.
“There were many concerns being voiced about the schedule,” said Senior Advisor Blayne Gelbman. “The SU, as student representatives, brought this to the attention of the principal. He asked us to get him some hard data on the schedule, not just open ended complaints.”
As previously reported by The Classic, a pair of teachers proposed the new schedule last year saying that the previous weekly schedule allowed for too much time between exams.
Multiple students reported having “multiple tests a day,” an increase, they said, from the norm of the previous schedule.
“The Student Union created the testing schedule because many students voiced their concerns about this new schedule. Being a part of the Student Union, it is our responsibility to represent the students’ voice, and we did this by creating the survey,”said SU Executive-at-Large Uma Hardeo.
The SU has passed the results of the survey off to the administration, which is currently analyzing the data and determining what changes are necessary. However, it is not certain exactly when students can expect to see changes or receive updates on the matter.
Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee said that “There is a committee of staff, including myself, that has met with the Student Union and other departments to try and create improvements to the schedule. We are trying to receive more student voices, and are having teachers contact students who they have relations with in order to try and get a general overview of the effect of the testing schedule.”
“The SU members will not be giving students any updates on how long [it will take before] changes will be made to the current schedule. Their job was to simply create the survey, collect the data and pass it off to the administration,” said Coordinator of Student Activities Jaime Baranoff. “We have no idea when the administration will respond, but I am sure that when they do it will not be rushed and they will take their time because they want to do it correctly.”
Mr. Gelbman said that approximately 25% of the student body filled out the feedback form. He said that he would “like to see that number tripled.”
Assistant Principal of STEM Abid Choudhury said, “Since the [testing] days are more sporadic, we are seeing a lot more tests than we had when the schedule was divided into weeks. I haven’t seen much noticeable change in my department, but we are trying to get more student voices heard. We understand how important student voices are, and we are working to get reliable samples of data.”
Many students who spoke to The Classic said that they wrote on the survey that last year’s testing schedule was more beneficial to their wellbeing, allowing them to take breaks and better space out their studying.
Junior Angela Lee said that because she thinks students are more adjusted to the new testing schedule, it doesn’t bother her as much as it used to. However, she said, “it still annoys me when I have like four exams a week in AP classes as well as loads of homework.”
“I think I’d still prefer the old testing schedule because I was able to have a week or two between major subjects rather than a day or two, which allowed me to space out my studying schedule better,” said Angela.
Sophomore Zaria Ilano said, “Last year’s testing schedule was week-based, so it was like A-week, B-week, C-week, but this time it’s A-day, B-days, C-days, so you only get like one-day breaks in between tests […] It’s been stressful.”
Zaria said that she thinks that although she does not expect the administration to follow through and make mid-year changes, the testing schedule should be the their “top priority” as “it is something that all students are really concerned about, and if [the administration] really cared about [the students], then they would take our feelings into consideration
According to Ms. Fee, the administration is currently working on a new proposal and the earliest students can expect a change is when the spring semester begins at the end of the month.
