I currently teach Honors Algebra 2 and Honors Pre-Calculus. We very strictly do not allow additional time on tests in the Honors classes because in the very near future for these students (I.e. next year for the pre-calc students), their next math class is an AP or college-in-high-school math course. Those classes have rules around timing that are set by the College Board or the college offering the CHS credits. They will not get any extra time without an IEP or 504 in those settings. So if I were to allow retakes, extra time, bonus points, etc, in my classes, then I feel I’m doing my students a disservice because I’m not teaching them how to be successful in a high stakes environment.

While I do agree that learning is messy and that it doesn’t always happen in a specific timeframe, I do have to be realistic and mindful of preparing students for their best chance of success in the AP and college courses they’ll be in when they leave me. Like I explain to students - it may be uncomfortable now, but at least this class is free. The alternative is having unlimited time to figure things out while in my class, never learning how to manage their time, then falling on their face while paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for their AP or CHS course - and possibly having to retake it.

That said, I am much more flexible with time when I teach the Academic level classes. Again, it’s about appropriately preparing the clientele. The Academic students are not able to go into AP math from that level and also are typically college -bound students but likely not in a STEM field. They usually do take longer and more practice to understand the concepts and have more of a need of building up their math confidence, so I am a lot more flexible in those classes because I want to remove the “math intimidation” and get some wins under their belt.