The effects of using a retake ticket in the 9th grade science classroom

Abstract

Providing students the opportunity to retake assessments gives them a second chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, which is a needed option in a proficiency based classroom. To show improvement, however, students must engage in a relearning process. This study investigated the impact of a retake ticket on student learning, student attitudes, and student motivation to engage in the retake process. The retake ticket required students to reflect on their original performance and create a plan for relearning. Student assessment scores, student surveys, and student interviews were used to examine the effectiveness of the retake ticket. This study did not show an overall increase in student learning when using a retake ticket and showed mixed results in regard to student motivation and attitude. Examining individual student effort, however, suggests that students who used the retake ticket more effectively show larger gains in learning. The retake ticket may need to be implemented under different conditions to have a greater effect on all students.