A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • 1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn, New York • Vol 57, Issue 2 • November 2022 / 5783
Alternative testing system experiences growing pains
Tsei U’lmad grades no longer in GPA
By Jeanette Cohen
By Samantha Ryba
Editor-in-Chief
Students’ initial excitement about having no tests until November under the school’s new testing policy introduced this year has yielded to frustration and concern as teachers and students have struggled to adjust to the new workload. Earlier this year, Yeshivah of Flatbush announced the implementation of a new testing policy, transitioning the school to a greater focus on alternate ways for teachers to assess students’ knowledge and skills. Every subject except science and math will have only four traditional tests this year, to be given every six weeks during “testing week.” Otherwise, instead of tests teachers will be assigning various forms of alternative assessments in order to prompt more meaningful learning. Rabbi Beyda said this transition has been long overdue. The school has been trying to move away from the mindless habit of “teachers teach, teachers give a test, students take a test. We want the learning to be significant and produc-
Sophomore Editor
dents often spend their days going from class to class and this provides them with a break in their schedule to take care of responsibilities outside the classroom. In the past, students had to carve out time within their busy schedules to make various meetings during class time, which infringed on their learning. The new WIN periods also provide the opportunity for different teachers or faculty members to meet with students by homeroom in smaller settings. Dr. Etty Mizrahi, head of the Guidance department, commented that the period is extremely beneficial to the wellbeing of students. She also suggested that the administration should take advantage of the period by adding more programming to maximize the growth
of the students and productivity of the period. As this is the first time such a period has been added to the Yeshivah of Flatbush schedule, it is also serving as a trial run. The administration chose to start with the senior grade, because they recognized the added stresses and responsibilities that seniors face in addition to their regular academic workload—specifically, the college application process. Since last year, the senior schedule has changed drastically. Seniors have one fewer gym period, which the WIN period fills. Seniors also no longer have Music Appreciation or Israel World Relations on their schedules, replaced by an added eighth period elective and Civics
This year, students taking Tsei U’lmad courses will receive only letter grades, which will no longer be a component of their GPA, program supervisor Mr. Katz confirmed. Tsei U’lmad courses will still appear on students’ transcripts. The Yeshivah of Flatbush High School offers 10th through 12th grade students the opportunity to learn subjects that fall outside the regular school curriculum in mini-courses called Tsei U’lmads. Typically for these classes, the student receives a number grade on their report card that is factored into their grade point average, but that has changed for this year. Mr. Katz explained the reasoning behind the change: “Since the Tsei U’lmad classes don’t meet with the same regularity that most other classes meet with, they should have a different grading methodology. Students will be taking the classes more for the sake of learning rather than to boost their GPA.” Additionally, if the grading system were to stay as it was, standard classes would be devalued. Students might prioritize a Tsei U’lmad because it meets only once a week and counts just as much as standard classes that meet up to six times a week. Mr. Katz believes that this initiative has not changed the popularity of Tsei U’lmad classes. In fact, there’s been an even greater turnout of students. “I think more students are involved this year because there are a lot of interesting options. But even to begin with, I didn’t know that these classes were ever part of your GPA, ” said Lynn Dweck, a sophomore enrolled in the Emergency Medicine and Anatomy Tsei U’lmad. The overall consensus strongly differs. Some of the instructors of Tsei U’lmad classes believe that the change has made students less motivated to put effort into the class, as the grades have no effect on their GPA. “By removing the reward, you simply remove the incentive,” says Mr. Alex Schneider, instructor of the Archi-
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During “assessment week,” students took seven tests in five days tive every day,” he stated. He feels giving teachers the opportunity and time to give more alternative assessments will encourage a deeper understanding of the material among students while also creating better teachers. While this decision was partially intended to address the stress levels of the students, it was not the only factor; Rabbi Beyda clarified that “our goal is not to make the work easier; our goal is to make the work more targeted and more growth-oriented.” Many students are concerned that, in
practice, the opposite is happening. An anonymous junior expressed that cutting down the number of tests has put a lot more pressure on the remaining ones, as there’s a lot more riding on each one. “With a new teacher, every student experiences a little bit of trial and error when first adjusting to their testing style. However, now there’s no room to make mistakes,” the student continued. Senior Tunie Hanan added that while she is trying to keep an open mind about
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WIN period quickly winning seniors over By Arlette Anteby Religion Editor
The administration has added a weekly “What I Need (WIN) period to every senior class’s schedule this year to help provide them with the tools and time to succeed. These WIN periods were instituted for the first time with the goal of providing students the opportunity to catch up on work; to meet with teachers, college guidance counselors, Pathfinders, or regular guidance counselors; to learn independently; or to simply take a breather. Rabbi David Galpert, senior grade principal as well as the administrator of this period, highlighted that the administration took note of the fact that stu-
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