Request to Retest and Yellow Slips

I've been getting some questions about how my Request to Retest and Yellow Slips work in my classroom.

Request to Retest
I allow my student to retest once per quarter. If they want to retest they can decide to do it whenever they feel the need. It can be right after a test they got back and didn't like that grade or it can be later in the quarter and they decide on a test that they want to improve their grade. It really does not matter to me.

Once a student decides they want to retest, they grab a green form and fill it out and turn it in. There are two requirements to retesting.
1) They must come to a session of tutoring to correct any mistakes and ask questions.
2) They must retest in tutoring.

Some teachers I know that allow students to retest only allow them to get up to an 89% on the retest. I can see the value in that, but I allow them to receive full credit. Why put in all of that work when you can't get an A?

Here is a link to the form. I got this form from the lovely Sarah at Math=Love. She is seriously amazing. If you have nothing to do, go read her blog. She has some WONDERFUL ideas.




Yellow Slips
Yellow slips are the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. I love and hate them at the same time. I found this form on Pinterest and it came from a lovely lady named Elizabeth. Here is her blog.

A Yellow Slip is a missing work log that students fill out with the assignment and the reason why it is not turned in. They then turn it in in place of the assignment. They get 4 days to make it up, after that it is a zero. The first day is 10% off, 2nd day is 25% off, 3rd day is 50% off, and the 4th is 75% off. This is our district policy. My policy is that if a student does not turn in a yellow slip in place of an assignment, they get an automatic zero and may not make it up.

Here's why I love it: it allows me to see who didn't turn work in, read their excuses, and keep track of how many points I should deduct when I do get that assignment. It's nice for me to keep track of that stuff, and when a parent asks what's going on I have the proof that their child is not doing their work. It's also kind of a shaming technique I guess you can say, which probably isn't the best way but sometimes that's what it takes to get through to high school students. They don't like to be embarrassed so maybe they'll do their homework.

Here's why I hate it: some days I get more yellow slips than actual assignments and it makes my blood boil. It has nothing to do with the yellow slip itself, just that students don't do their work. And that yellow piece of paper makes me angry. Students also use it as a way to get extended time on an assignment instead of turning it in on time. Again, not really the yellow slip's fault since our district policy allows them 4 days, but it's just the idea of it.

Here's a link to the yellow slips form.

I must say, the use of Yellow Slips has dramatically declined since I've been at this new school. At my last school, I would get 50% or more yellow slips than homework every day and they didn't even care. Here it's a whole other ball game and I'm loving it.

I keep both forms in folders in the back of my room and students know what to do with them. Here's where they are. Easily accessible and labeled perfectly.

UPDATE:

I've since changed my Yellow Slip and Request to Retest forms. Downloadable versions are available by clicking the links.