Leveling the Playing Field: When Extra Time is No Longer a Luxury

MY BASEMENT, SOMEWHERE IN THE TRI-STATE AREA—Hundreds of Frisch students are affected by extra time each day. The privilege has become more and more widespread over the last few years, impacting the lives of even the most capable students. It began with students who had trouble finishing their exams in one period, and whose grades were suffering as a result. Today it has been extended to even the most gifted pupils.

“I guess I don’t really need the extended time on tests, but it sure is nice to have,” said one honors student with a 6.7 GPA. “I tend only to use the first couple of minutes and then just stare blankly at my test paper for the rest of the time. But I do like to have the option on the table.”

Many students, like this one, would be just fine without extra time. But now that they have it, the situation has come too far to revoke it. That would be like giving someone something they don’t really need and then taking it right back. Pretty awful, no?

But shouldn’t everyone have the opportunity to stall on tests and spend more time sitting in the high-tension classroom? It’s not fair to the kids who don’t have, want, or need extra time that they don’t have it. Mrs. Keigher and her team should be advertising and imposing extra time in places where it isn’t necessary, just to be fair to everyone. At this point, it is simply an outrage that more students don’t get the chance to have extra time.

Once more students tag onto the extra time fad, the extra-time-ists, as they are called may become a majority. When that time comes, it will become necessary to universalize extra time. Every student deserves extra time, even if they don’t think so.

You might be wondering: doesn’t that put us back at square one? Well, essentially it does. Or does it? No wait—it definitely does. That is why I propose the institution of extra-extra time. Those kids who needed the advantage in first place will still get it, while test-taking will remain fair for all students.

But how is that fair? Then we are back with the same problem. Some kids would again be given more time than others. So then everyone should have extra-extra time, and those students who really need that leg up will be awarded extra-extra-extra time. Or “super-bonus-extra time” as those in the learning center like to call it.

Said Mrs. Keigher, “In an ideal world, super-bonus-extra time not only exists, but is offered to anyone who has even thought about wanting it.” Until then, we can only hope that those who require extra time are given the opportunity and that those who want it but don’t require it are given the exact same opportunity.