Specific test days for each subject make it easier on students and teachers.

New Trier has long had a rule for teachers that they can only have tests on certain days to ensure students do not become overloaded on one  week day. This rule helps both faculty and students and is well understood by all.

But the line between tests and quizzes is often blurred. These days only apply to a test, which, defined by the New Trier Guidebook, is “any in-class assignment that requires a majority of students to use more than half the period to complete is defined as a test.”

A teacher can technically give  an assignment on an unassigned day and assume it will take his or her class only fifteen minutes to complete. If the assignment takes more than twenty minutes however, it would be considered a test and therefore be a test on a wrong day.

The assigned day for each day according to the guidebook are as follows:

Math – Monday and Thursday

English – Monday and  Wednesday

Social Studies – Tuesday and Thursday

Science – Tuesday and Friday

MCL  – Wednesday and Friday

Music – Friday

Art – Tuesday

Applied Arts – Wednesday

Business – Tuesday

Speech/Theatre – Friday

KW – Thursday

These assigned days make it easier for students by ensuring they won’t have numerous tests on one day. Junior Jessica Jeon thinks that the test days both help and hinder students. “It’s easier, because at least you know that you’re not going to be overwhelmed, but at the same time you’re like, ‘Oh, I have a test tomorrow, and I have a test the day after, and a quiz the day after that.”

While the policy addresses a potentially academically crowded day, it spreads out every test, which causes almost a test or quiz each day.

Math teacher Cindy Cardoza observes that the test days are helpful for students. “I think you guys have a lot of classes and would get bombarded if [test days] weren’t there.” Teachers realize that sticking to the assigned schedule benefits their students.

Teachers also benefit from test days. Hebrew Teacher Kimberely Hafron explains, “I like it. It keeps me on schedule and I only give tests or even quizzes on my assigned days.My students know what to expect and they are prepared. I have no problem sticking to the schedule.” Hafron goes on to explain that the definition of test days are confusing and worries some students, “The fact is that there are still students who feel like they have more than two tests in a day because they do not understand the difference between a test, a quiz , or a small assignment.”

While the set test days are to help prevent stress among students, if they do not understand the difference of a test and a quiz it may not help at all.