As most people know, Jesuit is always innovating and developing new ideas for itself to stay updated and efficient. The testing center is one of the most recent inventions implemented at Jesuit that has proved to be very successful. Located in room A115, the testing center allows students to make up tests and quizzes in an easy, well-organized manner. In the testing center all students can make up a test or quiz they missed while out of school. Mr. Patrick Triplett, the mastermind behind the testing center,  explains that he created the testing center because “there needed to be a more efficient way to administer make ups. It was a difficult process for teachers and students to arrange a time that worked for both student and teacher.”
The primary goal of the testing center is to give the student and teacher an easy way to administer make up tests and give extended time for those qualified to recieve it. Mr. Ben Kirby said that goal was attained, explaining, “It has been extremely effective for students and for teachers. It has allowed students a little more flexibility and it’s allowed teachers a little bit more of an opportunity to get things done faster.” According to Mr. Triplett, there has been over a thousand tests and quizzes administered over the course of this past school year.
Through the testing center, students are able to make up quizzes and tests swiftly. Before, it could take up to 2 weeks to make something up due to scheduling issues. Now, students can make it up within the day they get back from their absense if they want too. The testing center also helps enforce the school’s policy that states students must make up a quiz or test within three days of being back, or else they will receive a zero. Mr. Kirby states, ” It’s allowed us to hold them accountable to more consistent consequence to waiting.”
Although the testing center has been very successful, It, like everything, has kinks that can be fixed to help it run more smoothly. Earlier this year, the testing center created a Google forum that enabled students to schedule what day they want to take their test on and what period. Regarding the online forum, Mr. Triplett says, ” It definitely helps on my end as the proctor to get a feel for when people are coming, who is coming, and how many.” The forum also gives students the periods when the testing center is open which happen to be 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 9th periods as well as before and after school.
Although the Google forum was a solution to help the center run more smoothly, there are still other issues. One issue that needs to be addressed arises when a student has a question on the test or quiz. The proctor, usually Mr. Triplett, is most likely unable to answer it. Mr. Triplett and the faculty are trying to come up with solutions such as contacting other teachers via phone, or having the student simply write down the question on the exam so it can be answered later. Unfortunately, the testing center is not open during all periods because there simply aren’t enough proctors. This a problem that is still being worked on by Mr. Triplett and the faculty and will hopefully be resolved in the near future.
Overall, the testing center has had a positive influence on all of Jesuit, students and faculty alike. Faculty no longer have to deal with remembering to give a student a makeup test and students have more flexibility. Dane Bender ’16 explains that the testing center is great because students can go use it during their free period versus having to go after school when he has a sport. Bender goes on to say, “I think this method is effective for the busy student.” It is not only effective for the busy students, but also very helpful to extended time students. They are able to easily go finish their tests during their free periods at some point in the day. This was not possible before the invention of the testing center.
It’s effectiveness has been an overwhelming success, and Mr. Kirby says that Jesuit plans to keep it in years to come. Mr. Triplett and the faculty have done a great job to give Jesuit an useful way to make up tests and quizzes and make use of extended time.
